Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1899-05-06
ATROCITIES OF 1901 AND 1890.


The days Of torture, inhumanity anc
barbarism are not over. The nineteenth
century and its civilization, seem tc
breathe the spirit of 1861, when Philip
of Spain, in the name Of the church
drenehed Holland with blood and spread
devastation and death among her brave
and manly people. Philip was a Span
lard, therefore, cruel and devilish, and
placing almost absolute power in the
hands Of the Duke of Alva. the most
british and unprincipled monster since
the time of Caligua, he urged him to ex-
terminate the brave Christian people OF
Holland. His path was strewn with the
dead and mutilated. One lie Bias, a
Christian, offended the priest OF the Ca
thedral of Tourney. Here is how he was
punished: HE was dragged Oh a hurdle,
with his mouth closed with an iron gag,
TO the market-place. Here his right hand
and foot were burned and twisted off be-
tween two red-hot irons. His tongue
was then torn out by the roots, and be-
cause he still endeavored to call upon the
name of God, the iron gag was applied
again. With his arms and legs fastened
together behind his back, he was then
hooked by the middle of his body to an
iron chain, and made to swing to and fro
over a slow fire till he was entirely roast
ed. His life lasted almost to the end of
these ingenious t~ortures."
A horrible picture, The heart sickens
and one closes the book with a shudder,
wondering that such things could ever
have happened. This occurred centuries
ago, when the world had not the blessed
advantages of advanced civilization and
religious federation, but we still condemn
the cruelty and brutality Of the time.
But pause. This is the nineteenth
century, and we live in a land of the BIZ
bic, school houses, churches and law.
Yet, read this description of the murder
of Sam Hose, a negro, charged with muir
dering a white mar in Georgia, and then,
raping his wife. Read it carefully, We
who send missionaries to the heather, and
preach the gospel to the sinner. Read it,
we boosters of the chivalry and culture Of
the South, and blush for shame.
The negro, shivering like a leaf, con
tinued his recital:
Il did not outrage Mrs. Crawford.
Somebody else did that. | can identify
him. Give me time for that"
The mob would hear no more. The
clothes were torn from the wretch in an
instant. A heavy chain was produced
and wound around the body of the terri
fed negro, clasped by a new lock. which
dangIed at Hoses neck. He said not a
word more to these proceedings, but at
the sight of two or three knives flashing
in the hands of several members of the
crowd about him, which seemed to fore
cast The terrible ordeal he vas about to
be put to, he sent up a yell which could
be heard for a mile. Instantly a hand,
grasping a knife, shot out, and one of the
Negroes ears dropped into a hand ready
to receive it. Hose pleaded p~itifully for
mercy, and begged his tormentors to lei
him die. His cries were UNDECIDED.
The second ear went the way of the
other. Hardly had he been deprived Of
his organs of hearing than his fingers, one
by one, were taken from his hands and
passed among the members of the yelling
and now thoroughly maddened crowd
The shrieking negro was quickly deprived
of other portions of his anatomy and the
words, Come on with the oil, brought
huge can of kerosene to the foot of the
tree where the negro, his body covered
with blood from head to foot, was striv.
ing and Juggling at his chains. The car
was lifted over the negro's head BY
three or four men, and its contents poured
over him. BY this time a good supply o
brush. pieces of fence-rail and other fire.
wood had been placed about the negro:
feet. This pyre was thoroughly saturat
ed, and a match applied. A flame sho
up which spread quickly over the pole o
wood. AS it licked the negro's legs ht
shrieked once and began tugging at hi
chains. AS the flames crept higher anC
the smoke entered his eyes and mouth
Hose put the stumps of his hands to thu
tree back of him, and, with a terrih,
plunge forward of his body, severed th'
upper portion Of the chain. His body
held to the tree only as far as the thighs
lunged forward, thus escaping the fame
which roared and cracked about his feet
One Of the men nearest the burning ne