Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1899-04-02
ulSlTE TORTURE

IS N14AX H~ey4 = - = 09&A - ~ -
ram ana Puni1hmcnt Inniotea Upon Gull
prfts and Condcmend Persons in Bible
Times The CrucIfixlon Of Christ Not
oble Exsmple-An Article full OF Inter-
cstink Information.
ssMegargee,'' who writes daily col
umn Of miscellany for the Philadelphia
Times. In answer to letter from cor
respondent who asks: Why did the
Jews select crucifxion as the method
Of punishment of Jesus Christ? Was
that the only form of penal death they
employed and was it original with
them? In what manner did crucidyion
cause death?'' prints the following:
The subjects involved in those quer-
les bring before us most interesting
matter entirely apart from any Bibli-
cal question. Dr.. John Kitto, who was
an exhaustive student of Biblical lit
erature, has given the world the bene-
At Of his researches as regards crucifx-
ion, physically considered, and from
his writings the narrator is enabled to
answer our correspondents interroga-
tories. From him we learn that cruel
6xiOn was not the only method of cap
ital punishm known to the Jews, but
It was the most cruel and was consid-
cred the most diSgraceful that could
be employed, and for those reasons He
whom they mockingly derided as "The
King of the Jews" was elevated upon
the cross. That the punishment was
thus looked upon is clearly shown by
the terms employed by the ancient
writers in referring to it, it being vari-
Ously characterized as ''the most cruel
and disgraceful, ''the worst possible
punishment" "the worst punishment in
the world" 1t was the punishment
chiefly of slaves; accordingly the word
"crOss-bearer" was a term of reproach
for slaves, and the punishment is
termed "a slaves punishment Free
born persons also suffered crucifixion,
but only those of low condition and
provincials. Citizens could not be cru
cited. This punishment was reserved
for the greatest crimes, as robbery,
piracy, assassination, perjury, ssdition,
treason and desertion by soldiers. It's
origin is ancient. Thucydides tells OF
Inarus, an African king, who was cru
cited by the Egyptians. The similar
fate Of Polycrates, who suffered under
the Persians, is detailed by sHerodotus,
who adds, in the same book, that no
less than 800 persons were condemned
to the cross by Darius, after his sue
cessfnl SIEGE Babylon. Valerius
Maximus cruciflxion the COM
mon mi punishment of the Car
thaeiG hat the Greeks adopted
rom the cruel executions
Nander ordered after the cap
1yre, when 1000 capsives were
TO crosses along the seashore.
IN the Bomans 1T was used under
nelr eaTay monarchical government,
and was the death to which Horatius
WIS adjudged for the jtern and savage
murder OF his sister, where the terms
employed show that the punishment
was not at that time limited to any
rank or condition. 1t appears also
from the passage that scourging then
preceded cruciflxion, as undoubtedly
was customary latter times. The col
umn to which Jesus was fastened dur
Ing His crucifxion is stated by Jerome
to have existed in his time in the por-
tico of the holy seplchre, and to have
retained marks of His blood.
Inc Jews received the punishment OF
crulclhxion from the Romans. Though
II mas been matter OF debate, yet it ap-
pears clear that crucifxion properly
SO called was not originally a Hebrew
punishment. The condemned, after
having been scorrged, had to bear their
cross, or at least the transverse beam,
Ton Jhe- pla4e of execution, which was
generally i'm some frequented place
without the city. The cross itself, or
the upright beam, was fixed in the
ground. Arrived at the spot, the delin-
Quent was Supplied with an intoxicat-
ing drink, made of myrrh and other bit
ter herbs, and having been stripped of
his clothing, was raised and affixed to
the cross by nails driven into the
hands, and more rarely into the feet;
sometimes the feet were fastened by
one nail driven through both. The
feet were occasionally. bound to the
cross by cords, and Xenophon asserts
that it was usual among the Egyptians
to bind in this manner not only the
feet but the hands. A small tablet, de-
caring the crime, was placed on the
top OF the cross. The body of the cru
cited person rested on sort of seat
The criminal died under the most
frightful sufferings-so great that even
amid the raging passions Of war, pity
was sometimes excited. Sometimes the
suffering was shortened and abated by
breaking the legs of the criminal After
death, among heathens, the bodies COM
monty remained On the cross till they
wasted away or were devoured by
birds of prey. A military guard was
set nsar the cross to prevent the corpse
from being taken away for burial; but
among the Jews the dead body was
customarily taken down and buried.
The execution took place at the hands
: OF the hangman, attended by band of