The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 391: what you’re looking at

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

an i “ee, 880 . The ul curiosity of the Burker was at length about to be assuaged—but in a manner as horrible as if when suffering from a burning thirst, the most noxious fluid was poured down his throat. A couple of the Peons seized upon the Burker’s comrade; and the wretched Gossoon be- gen to address thom in a strain of the most piteous appeal. To these entreaties however they were not merely inaccessible, but with their clenched fists they dealt him some severe blows over the head in order to compel him to hold his peace. They then stretched him upon the floor ; and one of the Peons proceeded to administer a terrible fustigation with a large whip which he took from the table. The Gossoon howled hideously : but the more he yelled, the heavier fell the blows, —until at length the Peon desisted from sheer exhaustion. The Gossoon was then lifted up and forcibly expelled from the place. One of the dignified-looking natives was now seized upon ; and in silence did he submit to the torture he was about to undergo. In the first place the Peons twisted his ears with most merci- less brutality ; and though the victim writhed with the pain, yet did not a sound escape his lips. He was then made to kneel upon the floor; anda brick was placed in the bend of each leg, just within the knee-joint. A cord was then fastened round his waist ; the extremities, were fixed to his ankles ; and his form was thus drawn down until the haunches rested upon the heels. When it is remembered that the bricks were inserted behind the knee-joints, the excruciating agony of this posi- tion can be fully comprehended. There the man was left in the middle of the room; and another victim was now seized upon. This was also one of the dignified individuals who had maintained a profound silence; and the Peons, taking a couple of the sticks from the table, tied them together at one end. The man’s hands were now introduced - between the two eticks—which were tightened over them and made to cross each other at the unfas- tened ends; so that the compression upon the hands was productive of a most hideous torture. The unfortunate victim bore it heroically, and in silence, for some minutes—until at length a low moan escaped his lips, and he sank down senseless. A couple of the females were now seized upon by the Peons ; and despite their piteous entreatics, the barbaric torture was applied. Their hands were likewise crushed between a couple of sticks ; and this process, we may observe, is known in India by the name of the kiffes. The piercing screams of the victims thrilled through the apart- ment; and when they seemed about to faint with excess of agony, the sticks were removed from their hands. But their punishment was not over; for the Peons proceeded to tie the two females toge- ther by the long tresses of their back hair. With ruthless hands did the torturers fasten those knots so tightly as to cause the most terrible pain to the victims ; and thus united, they were left, sitting back to back, on the floor. There was an elderly fomale, well-dressed, and of most respectable appearance, who was seated in the midst of the captives on the bench. One of the Peons now approached her—threw over her neck a chain made of bones—and spat in her face ; while another Peon took a stick and dealt her several severe blows over the shoulders. They then THN MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. left her with the chain of bones round her neck— this punishment being one of the most degrading and derogatory that could be possibly inflicted on a native female of a respectable caste. Another male victim was now seized upon; and to him was applied the torture known as the anundal. Being placed egainst the wall, he was compelled to stand upon one leg; and a cord being fastened round his neck, the extremity was tied by means of a thin string to the great toe of the up- t raised leg; and in this condition the wretched be- | ing was left. Another male victim was thrown upon the floor ; a cord was likewise fastened round his neck ; and the extremities were tied to his feet, —the head being drawn down till it rested on the knees. Then a large stone was placed upan his back ; and in this position he also was left. A cord was now passed through a pulley attached to the ceiling : one extremity was fastened to the long flowing hair of a female; and the other was tied to a ring in the wali—the coord being drawn just se tight as to compel the miserable victim to re- main standing on the points of her toes. Next a brasier was brought in: some of the iron rods were placed in the burning charcoal; and when red hot, these searing irons were applied to the bare arms or legs of other victims. But now a still more exquisite process of torture was about to meet the horrified view of the Barker, A handsome young woman was to become its victim ; and heartrending were her shrieks when by the preparations she comprebended what she had to endure. Being compelled to kneel upon the ground, she was stripped to the waist ; and when her natural modesty prompted her to cross her arms over her bosom, the Peons brutally drew those arms away, and fastened them by the wrists behind her back. A Peon then took up the half of a cocoa-nut shell ; and opening one of the little boxes upon the table, he dexterously shifted into that shell several insects which the box con- tained. These insects were of the species known as the carpenter-beetle, which are accustomed to bite with a stinging sensation infinitely more severe than the pain inflicted by an English waep. Amidst the rending shrieks of the unfortanate young woman, the cocoa-nut shell was applied to one of her breasta, a Peon holding it there, and two others of these miscreant torturers holding the victim herself 90 tightly and steadily as to prevent her from shaking off the shell by the convulsions of her excruciated form. Her screams were horrible to a degree; and it was not until she fainted that the torture was considered sufficient. A beautiful young woman was the next victim. She was most respectably attired: her bearing in every sense indicated her to be a female of unim- peachable modesty; and in addition to a handsome countenance, she possessed a perfect symmetry of shape. When the executioners approached her, ske threw herself upon her knees, stretching forth her clasped hands in agonizing appeal—but all in vain. She wes stretched upon the bench, and a cloth was stuffed into ber mouth to drown her cries. The Peons, ruthlessly tearing off her gar- ments, stripped her to the waist ; and a magnifi- cent bust was then revealed. It was no doubt on account of the superb contours of her bosom, she was chosen for the particular ‘torture which was now to be adopted. Firm, rounded, and admita, COUMIUC NOOK (CO