The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-05-15

water he was forced To swallow. Yet
when he was again permitted to breathe
he still had no confession To make. The
cords were then frightened upo his
limbs until they cut the flesh almost to
the bone. but through all this fearful
torment he only reiterated his denial.
Al last the torture was suspended"
subject To renewal at the viii Of the
inquisitor. and the poor crippled wretch
was turned loose. Absolutely nothing
had been proved again him. He had
simply been accused by some unknown
person. probably his personal enemy!
Occasionally the tortures were ex-
tremely ingenious; for example. the
"pendulum'-so wildly described by
Poe. but unhappily no f~iction-the bob
OF which was "A keen axe. that. as fts
rod was heightened. ever nearer ths
victim bound eneath IL, until at last
It's edge Crazed his face. and III he waa
not r~epricyed. finally cleft his skull. In
general. however. the devices used
showed little originality: the record 10
as monotonous as IL is revolving. The
rack and the rope were the ~favorites.
apparently.
Less direct means Of torture were
often found more effective. Doomed
wretches were starved until. i'm their
weakened and irresponsible state. they
would confess" anything suggested
Mere delay. for days. for months. for
weary years-the time being spent In
dark. noisome dungeons and occupied
by the most dreadfu apprehensions-
was of all their methods the most COM
mon and the most %subduing. Often.
first the brain. and finally the bodN
fairly rotted away In these horrible
TENS. When the prison of the Holy
Office was at last opened in Madrid
u blighted victims We're found there,
not one Of whom could name the city
In which he was confined. Even worse,
was mother ease sometimes cited as an
instance ~ peculiar clemency: for after
five years of imprisonment this unfor-
tunate was released" on some appear
anCe Of weakness Of mind-ViZ.. mad
ness lapsing into idiocy.
OF those who yielded in WEAKNESS or
weakness or deIirium, the most de-
grading services Were often required
as proof of sincere repentance A
son. under dreadful penalties. was
compelled To dig up and burn the body
Of his hereto father-for death was
no bar Ia the vengeance Of the Inqui-
sition. Above all. those who gave way
under torture were expected to in
criminate o~thers-sister. brother. wife.
there were no exceptions. And when
all was done. the cowed betrayer was
very likely tn be remanded to his
prison cell for life.
Everything went as evidence-names
shrieked out i'm tine agonies of the rack.
heaTsay. the testimony of informers
and criminals. denunciations prompted
by malice. all were accepted. In one
ease the words of an escaped lunatiC
found credit. ON another occasion a
frightened boy ~ 10 denounced Go per
sons as present at an heretical assem-
bly,. and they We're all put On the black
list Of persons under suspicion-we
have seen what that meant. III a wit
ness made contradictory statements.
the rule was TO allow what was in
furious 10 the accused and ignore the
rest. These things the inquisitors
themselves have put IN record. There
were even cases where those who testi-
fled were punished for false witnesses.
Yet their testimony stood