The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 293: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

of the Saviour. The scaffold was reached; the priests ranged themselves in two rows near the eteps, up which Nedgiussell mounted, accom- panied by the executioner, the notary, the gen- darmes, and the Franciscan who spoke English. Every eye was strained to observe how the doomed man now conducted himself; but not the slightest evidence of fear could be detected. His step was firm—his looks quailed not—neither did his lips quiver. He bent hia gaze steadily upop the upright post to which the etrangling- fron was affixed; and in obedience to a signal made by the executioner, he sat himself down upons low wooden stool placed against that post. A breathless silence pervaded the crowd: every neck was thrust forward—ali eyes were rivetted upon that focus of such dread and fearful attrac- tion: the sky was serene above—the sunbeams glinted on the points of bayonets, and on the drawn sabres of the It was a perfect sea of faces upturned towards the scaffold: or, to borrow another metaphor, the vast square itself seemed paved with human countenances,—while the snectators in the balconies had the appearance of countless groups of individuals suspended in iron cages to the house-fronts. Yes—all was silent, save and except the deep hollow chaunting of the priesta, in which was drowned the voice of the Franciscan who spoke English, and who was earnestly enjoining the doomed man to press his lips to a small crucifix which the monk near enough to his countenance for the But Russell firmly though respectfully refused to comply with the injunction; and the senior of the gendarmes made the executioner s sign to pro- The punishment of the garotte can be explained in a few words. It consists of a collar of iron attached to a post, and so contrived as to tighten suddenly by the abrupt turning of a screw. Tho windpipe is thereby instantaneously closed; and death quickly ensues. It is a hideous punishment —and yet perhaps is preferable to either hanging or beheading: for no blood is shed—neither are the spectators revolted by the three or four minutes’ duration of spasmodic convulsions and horrible writhings on the part of the victim. It must not be thought more painful than decapi- tation, while it is assuredly lass so than death by the halter. Startling as the assertion may seem, it is nevertheless 2 fact that the head of a guil- lotined person lives for some secondse—perhaps even a minute, after it is severed from the trunk; while all the most excruciating and keenly agonizing sense ef existence is concentrated in the brain, | i until the nerves terminating there have ceased to throb and vibrate. As for hanging, the protracted convulsions—iasting even, as above stated, for some minutes—testi the extent of the horrific agony endured. But in respect to the garotte, it | j is easy to comprehend how the sudden compressure of the windpipe in so violent a manner produces an almost instantaneous numbnees or absence of feeling, in the midst of which life passes away. At all events, it is tolerably cortain that this last- | j mamed mode of capital execution must be lees painful as well as shorter than that of the ofher two, for the reasons set forth. All three are hidoous—abominable—satanic : the punishment of gate royalties and patrician orders. Bat to return to the scene in the great square of the Catalonian capital. Ned Russell—his arms | THE MYSTERISS OF THE COURT. ing amidst our modern civilization: it is an atrocity which the good feeling and the good sense of the masses would abolish in a moment, ir they had the power, but which is maintained in spite of them by kings and aristocrats the better to enforce those savage lawe which pre- vent society from making that rapid progress which, if it had its full play, would quickly abro- closely pinioned—was seated upon the stool : the executioner had received the sign to finish the proceeding without delay ; andthe doomed man was made to his back completely against the stout upright post. The iron collar was then fastened round his neck: his eyelids quivered not —neither did his lips: he breathed, with the secret voice of his soul, a quick but fervent prayer for Kate Marshall—he commended himself to his God—he thought that he had done with all the affairs of this life, and that ina few moments more he should bea corpse! Profound was the silence which still pervaded the gathered multitudes—a silence broken only by the low hollow dirge of the priests at the steps of tne scaffold: every neck was stretched out—all breath was held: the chests of the men moved not—the bosoms of the women remained upheaved. All was suspense—deep, solemn, awful. The fingers of the executioner winkling of the were upon the serew: in another twi purpose: | eye it would have been all over with thee, Edward Russell !—when, from the extreme outskirt of the crowd, & voice cried out ing—this some- thing was taken up by other voices—hundreds of ejaculations swelled into thousands—and like the quick successive fire of musketry, on. till they reached the foot of the scaffold; and then their meaning was understood by the persons standing thereon. It was a reprieve! The crowd parted from the spct whence those cries had first commenced on the extreme verge: that livi ye tint rng ocean of people even as the horseman, sitting like one intoxicated upon his steed: for full evident was it that he hed account—but for Kate’s—dear Kate’s—did such 2 leath is a remnant of barbaric cruelty still linger- | gush ofvfeclings well upward into his throat oe ee (COL (C DOO CS (COL