Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1917-08-24

o "f 80
"Nlat capersH
oANhen you've drunk enough you1l
tel me Why you killed your employer
and where General L0ngoriO has taken
his wife. Yes, and everything else ]
want to know" Selling the amazed
Mexican, Dave flung him upon Mo
rales, hard board bench, and In spite of
the fellows struggles deftly made him
fast. When he had inished-and 1t
vas no easy job-Jose lay spread
cagled" upon his back, his wrists and
ankles firmly bound 10 the corners and
foot posts, his body secured by a tight
loop over his waist. The rope cut
paInfully and brought n curse from the
prisoner when he strained at 1t. Law
surveyed him with Il face Of stone.
az don't want to do this" he de-
clared. "but | know your kind. | give
Won ono more chance. Will you tell
mef'
lose drew his lips back in a snarl Of
rage and pain, and Dave realized that
further words were useless. He felt a
certain pity for his victim and no little
admiration for his courage, but such
feelings were Of small consequence
as against his agonlzing fears for
Alairc's safety. Had he in the least
doubted Jose's guilty knowledge OF
Longorio's intentions, Dave would have
hesitated before employing the bar
barous measures he had In mind, but
there was nothing else for 1t. He pulled
the Canteen cork and damned the
mouthpieCc firmly to Jose's lips. CLOS
ing the fellows nostrils with his free
hand, he forced him to drink.
Jose clenched his teeth, he tried to
roll his head, he held his breath until
his face grew purple and his eyes
bulged. He strained like "a man upon
the rack. The bench Creaked to his
muscular %contortions; the rope tight
encd. 1t vas terribly cruel, this crush
ing Of a strong VIII bent on resistance
to the uttermOst; but never was an
executioner more pitiless, did a
prisoners agony receive less consld-
Grafton. The warm water spilled over
Jose's face, it drenched his neck and
chest his joints Creaked as he strove
for freedom and tried to twist his head
out Of Laws iron grasp. The seconds
dragged, until finally nature asserted
herself. The imprisoned breath burst
forth; there sounded a loud gurgling
cry and ii choking inhalation. Jose's
body wrlthed with the commissions OF
drowning as the water and air were
sucked into his lungs. Iaw vas kneel-
ing over his victim now, his weight and
strength so applied that Jose had ne
liberty Of action and could only drink
coughing and fighting for air. Some
/; how he managed to revive himself
| briefly and again shut his teeth; bul
7 a moment more and he was AGAR
| retched with the furious battle for air
| more desperate now than before. Aftel
a while Law freed his victims nostril:
4 and allowed him n partial breath, theI
once more crushed the mouthpiec'
; against his lips. BY and by, to relieve
his torture, Jose began to drink II
great noisy gulps, striving to empt,
= the vessel.
i But the stomach's capacity is lin
Il tied. In time Jose felt himself burst
o ing; the liquid began to regurgitate
This was not mere pain that he SUI
fcred, but the ultimate nightmare hoI
rOr of death more awful than anythin
f he had ever imagined. Jose wOul
# have met a bullet, Il knife, a lash, witt
@ out flinching; flames would not hay
served to weaken his resolve; but thl
slow drowning was infinitely wors
- than the worst he had thought POI
sible; he was suffocating by lonl
black, agonizlng minutes. Every nerv
10 and muscle of his body, every cell
his bursting lungs, fought against tt
80 outrage In a purely physical frenz
= over which his will power had 10 COZ
- troll. Nor would insensibility come
his relief-Law watched him too car
- fully for that. He could not even volt
:, his sufferings by shrieks he could on
=. writhe and reich and gurgle while Il
ropes bit into his flesh and his capt,
knelt upon him like a monstrous stol
weight.
But Jose had made n better fig
than he knew. The canteen ran dry
last. and Law was forced TO release /
hold.
"Wil you speak," he demanded.
~ Thinking that he had come safe
. through the ordeal. Jose shook /
head he rolled his bullying, bloodsh
eyes and vomited, then managed to G
God to witness his innocence.
4. Dave went into the next room a
AZ reflled the canteen. When he
= appeared with the dripping vessel
his hand, Jose tried to scream. I
4 his throat was torn and strained; {
IL sound of his own voice frightened hi
s> Once more the torment began. I
- tortured man was weaker now, and
~ consequence he resisted more feeb
but not until he was less than half C
scious did Law spare him to recover
Jose lay sick, frightened, inert, d;
watched him without pity. The
lows wrists were black and swoll
his lips were bleeding; he
IN stretched like a dumb animal upon
vivlSectionist's table, and no surg