The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1897-04-17

to the Son of God on the day that Good
Friday is ever an yearly anniversary. Cru
cifxion, or 'death by the cross, as a
mode of punishment was praeticed at a
very early period in the worlds history.
The renowned queen, Semiramis, who
reigned over Assyria two thousand years
before the Christian era is credited with
being its inventor. There is also good his
torical evidence to prove that it was prac-
ticed in Egypt, Persia, Assyria, Scythia,
India, Germany and Rome This terrible
mode of punishment was abolished by the
Emperor Constantine sometime towards
the close of his reign, when his acceptance
of Christianity and consequent reverence
for the cross led him to put an end to the
inhuman custom. Whether it was ever
practiced to any great extent by the Jews
has been a matter of dispute, but the
weight of evidence appears to be against
it. What they termed crucifixion, or
hanging upon the tree appears to have
been rather an exposure Of the body after
death. This mode was not rare one for,
according to Pliny, men were first killed
in mercy and were then thus exposed as
post mortem disgrace to prevent the preva-
lence of suicide. If the Jews ever prac-
ticed this mode of punishment, as we of
the present understand the term, it was at
later period, after they had learned it
from the Romans. 1t was unanimously
considered the worst form of punishment
that could be inflicted upon the human
BODY; even worse than the torture Of fire.
For Jew it possessed special horror be-
cause of the curse pronounced in Deuter-
onomy, and the Romans considered it
particularly degrading, since it was rarely
meted out to anyone except slaves, the ex-
ceptions being those convicted of robbery,
assassination, piracy, perjury and treason.
Christ was condemned by the popular cry
of the Jews of sedition against Caesar, and
when Plate was reluctant to pass judg-
ment upon him he was warned that If ne
let the man 60 he was not Caesar $ friend
nor true to his government.
Roman citizens were exempt from suf-
fering this form of punishment, an illus
tration of which is seen in the case Of the
Apostle Paul, who, being Roman citizen,
was beheaded, while his companion in suf-
feriug, st. Peter, was crucifed. Both
these illustrious men suffered martyrdom
at the same time under the infamous En-
peror Nero.
The criminal doomed to undergo this
punishment was first scourged. There was
nothing mild in the character of this pre-
liminary inAiction of torture. The soldier
who carried out this part of the sentence
generally appeared to think the castigation
should bear some proportion to the terrific
ordeal that followed Into the scourges
the soldiers often stuck pieces of bone,
nails or other missiles to increase the pain,
which many times became so intense that
the victim died under the punishment. If
he survived the scourging he was compelled
to bear his cross, or at least portion OF
it, to the place of execution. This portion
was usually the cross-beam on which his
arms were afterward extended. Very often
he was scourged while struggling onward
to the place of execution.
The place of execution was always out
side of the city, often on the public road
or some other conspicuous place. On
reaching the appointed place the doomed
man was stripped naked This was always
done in thorough manner, as the cloth
ing always went to the executioners. The
cross was then firmly planted in the ground
so that the feet of the victim we're about
three feet above the earth. Sometimes
he was stretched upon it as it lay upon the
ground, and then again he was lifted up
to it. The latter method generally pre-
vailed. Before the man was fastened to
the cross he was given a drink from cup
that contained medical mixture that con-
fused the senses and deaden the pain.
Everything now being in readiness the
body was affixed to the cross by nails driven
through the hands and sometimes but not
always into the feet Oftentimes the feet
were fastened by one nail being driven
through both, but more commonly the
lower limbs were tied with cords. This
might at first appear more merciful, but
it was not, since the victim was doomed
to lingering death in any case and when
cords were used the relief by death was
only longer delayed. A partial relief was
afforded by sort of offset or seat on which
the body rested The suferings thus en-
dured were of the most excruciating char
acter but these were sometimes shortened
by breaking the limbs. Other methods
of shortening the suferings of the victim
were by building fires under the cross to
induce sufocation, or the letting loose OF
wild animals to tear down and devour the
bodies.
While the victim was hanging on the
cross guard was stationed to watch his
dying agonies. This was necessary from
the lingering character of the death, which
sometimes did not take place for two to
three days, at last the result of gradual
benumbing of the body and starvation.
| Rut for the presence of the guard the per