Sunday Washington globe., 1901-12-22

instrument Tor extracting confessions from
unwilling witnesses has been largely used
IN many countries in the past and it still
endures TO some extent in the east The
ancient Athenians we're privileged TO tor
ture slaves in order 10 extort confessions
Slaves were also tortured in ancient Rome
and occasionally freemen when il became
necessary to extract evidence in cases of
high treason As a whole however, the
enlightened Romans condemned such
practices, and until the thirteenth century
torture seems to have been unknown under
their laws.
About that time the Roman treason law
began TO be adapted to heresy, and at a
later period torture came to be largely em-
ployed 1t was in universal use in heresy
and witchcraft trials. as well as for the pun
ishment of criminals, and this form of saw
agery, which endured throughout the middle
ages, marks that periods darkest chapters.
During the middle ages torture became a
part of the system of most European
countries The Italian municipalities
adopted it early. In Germany elaborate
apparatus for its inaiction existed in the
dungeons of the feudal castles aud in the
vaults beneath the town halls of Nurem-
berg and Ratisbon. Horrible tortures were
inflicted in the sixteenth and seventeenth
centuries. It was reduced to a fine degree
by the past masters Of the art and was di-
vided into degrees Of severity, according to
the offense.
The second degree included crushing the
thumbs, feet or head in iron apparatus,
and the third degree burning the sides,
arms and fugernails with FIRE or .red-hot
irons and 'pincers." Torture was still
practiced in the prisons in Germany in 1910,
but it was abolished in Prussia by Frederick
the Great in I74o-54. The example of Fred
erick contributed greatly to its suppression
elsewhere in Germany, but it was not
finally abolished in Hanover until IS4o.
In the low countries and in Spain torture
was carried on to a great extent by Philip
H. II was part of the judicial system of
France until 1880 and was in frequent use
in Scotland, being abolished only in 1908.
While the use Of torture was repugnant to
the genius Of English law, Il was frequently
resorted to in that country in trials of state.
A royal warrant sanctioned its use in the
Templar trials in $40 and during the Tudor
period torture warrants we're given to the
lieutenant Of the tower and other officers
for use against state prisoners. Similar
warrants were issued in state trials under
James / and Charles /. Torture was in
fioted in England as late as 1916 on witches.
The practice is not now followed in any
countries in Europe. Its use was prohibited
in the Spanish inquisitiOn, where il had
been largely employed, in 1916.
Many and various have been the instru-
ments Of judicial torture, the most cele-
brated of which are the rack, the thumb
screw, the iron clasp, the wheel and boiling
in oil Other ingenious instruments were
devised aud put in use from time to time
until their name is legion. There was a
distinction from torture for the sake Of ex-
tracing evidence to the cruel punishments
and modes Of putting to death by lingering
torture, as in the latter cases every form
was applied which the hendish ingenuity
Of man could invent.
The rack as an instrument Of torture con-
sisted of an oblong frame of wood with
windlass arrangement at each end to which
the victim was bound by cords attached to
his arms and legs. It was used chiefly for
extracting confessions, and the unfortunate
was stretched or pulled until frequently his
limbs were dislocated The rack was known
to the Romans in Cicero's time, and was APP
piled TO the early Christians in the first and
second centuries II was intoduced into
England by the Duke Of Exeter in 1447, and
was there called the Duke of Exeters
daughter" It was used in the time of Henry
VIII, and was in almost constant use dur
ing the reign Of Elizabeth
In the various countries of Europe the
rack was much used by both civil and re-
ligious authorities to extract confessions or
recantations It has now been abolished in
every part Of the civilized world
As an instrument Of diabolical torture the
thumbscrew was capable of inhicting the
most excruciating agony Oh its victim. It
consisted Of a clamp for COMPRISING the
thumbs by means of screw at the center.
II was favorite method of torture in Spain
and was occasionally used in England In
Scotland il was made use of in the wars
against the Covenanters, and the famous
Carstares was thus tortured for an hour and
a half at Holyrood to obtain the secrets Of
the Argyle party The thumbscrew was
one Of the simplest instruments Of torture
but il was capable Of inhicting untold suf-
fering.
The iron clasp, sometimes called the
''Scavenger's Daughter, " was a broad hoop
Of iron, consisting Of two parts, fastened to
each other with a hinge. The prisoner was
made to kneel on the floor and to contract
himself into as small compass as he could.
Then the executioner, kneeling on his vic
TINS shoulders, aud having introduced the
hoop under the latter's legs, compressed the
victim close together until he was able 70
fasten the exremities over the small Of the
back The time allotted to this kind Of tor
ture was an hour and a half, during which
time It commonly happened that from ex-
cess Of compression the blood started from
the nostrils Sometimes the pressure was
so severe that blood spurted from beneath
the anger and toe nails Of the victim
Breaking on the wheel was one Of the
horrible modes Of inAicting the death pen
atty in France and Germany. The victim
was tied on a wheel with his arms and legs
extended along the spokes. As the wheel
was turned around the exeeutioner frac-
tured the victims limbs by successive
blows with an iron bar. These we're re-
peated until death ensued Sometimes the
executioner was permitted to show the vic
tim the mercy Of a speedy death after a few
blows by striking him on the head or
stomach Occasionally IN France the sem
tence contained a provision that the victim
be strangled after certain number Of