Evening star., 1898-04-08

DarbarOus TOrtures Once Inflicted ol
EnGlands Soldiers.
From the Green Bag.

Barbarous TOrtures Once inflicted ON
EnGland's Soldiers.
From the Green Bag.
From the earliest time soldiers-that is
those who join the ranks-have been
treated as machines, made to do certain
work, and failing in the slightest degree.
subjected to the most barbarous punish
ment-
One Of the favorite methods Of correc-
ton was known as 'picketing." The VIC
tim was suspended by the wrist to an iron
ring let into wall or a nigh post and one
of his heels was permitted to rest upon
sharpened stick, just blunt enough not to
break the skin Thus the whole weight of
the body was thrown either upon the bare
heel or upon the wrist. The agony in eth
er case was extreme.
In moment Of demoniac cruelty some
officer invented device called "the wood
en- horse. Rough, sharp boards were nail
ed together SO that they would form a ride
Imitation of horse. the back forming a
sharp ridge. On this culprit was made to
sit. sometimes for hours at time and to
Increase the pain, muskets and even heavy
weights were fastened to the legs.
During the peninsular war there was
punishment much used, called the strap
pado." 1t was Spanish in origin and brutal
In its torture. The soldier was hoisted up
by means of rope fastened to his arms
ped with a jerk, by which process his
shoulder joints were sometimes dislocated.
form of punishment known bot
Ting" or "coid-burniEg." was dreaded by
the men more than any other. 1t consisted
in tying the offenders hands. palm upper
most, SO that they were held quite motion
less. and then allowing water to fall upon
them, drop by drop, from height of five
feet. The pain caused in this way is said
to have been 80 intolerable that the strong
est men tainted away under its infliction.
In the whole history of military punish
ments. fosging takes the first place. Its
earliest form was known as running the
gantlet." The offender was stripped naked
to the waist and driven. slowly through the
ranks of his regiment, each man of whom
had been armed with a stout rattan. In
front of the prisoner marched a file of the
guard, stepping slowly backward, and hold
ing their bayonets pointed to the cuprit'.
breast. in order to make him take the reg
ulation step.
In 170O an English army regulation made
mention. for the first time of the cat"
This terrible weapon Of torture was made
OF nine leather thongs knotted near the end
and fastened to a handle about twelve
inches long. Every stroke brought blood.
and when a man was sentenced to receive
twelve lashes, it was equivalent to nine
times that number, and his back was one
mass of bleeding scars.
For grave ofenses. such as mutiny or de-
sertion. the "catp was used with such vio-
lence that death often ensued.
The 18th Foot was called for half a GEN.
tury the ''foggfng regiment" and it well
earned its distinction, II a sergeant, writ
Ing in 1906 from Bremen. is to be believed.
He says that in the regiment from ten TO
twenty men were f1ogged daily.
Sir Charles Napier tells of a colonel of
the Goth Regiment who ordered a man to
be fogged because he did not stand steady
on parade after a previous dogging. my
back is like raw beef, sir, after the last
fifty you gave me, and can't bear the
weight of my pack"
Take another fifty, then" retorted the
brutal officer. "and see If 1t will do your
back any good"
These horrible tortures were inflicted on
the private soldiers up to recent date. In
1870 the writer had q cat exhibited In
the English parliament which caused the
death Of a soldier few months prior to
that date.