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Show I'.idinj; the Wooden Ilorito. Torture on a grand wale wont out with Felton, the assassin of Bucking-ham, Bucking-ham, but torture on a small scale con-tinned con-tinned to bo practiced on military offenders of-fenders down to the Eighteenth century. The form most frequently resorted to was that known as the wooden horse, to ride which was the punishment accorded for petty thefts, insubordination, and so on. Tho wooden horse was made of planks nailed together so as to form a sharp ridge or angle about eight or nina feet long. This ridge represented the back of the horse, and was supported by four posts or legs about five feet high, til, iced on a sriirwl imrl., nnnl.U l... truckles. To complete tho resemblance with the noblest animal in creation a head and tail were added. When a soldier was sentenced, either by court martial or by his commanding officer, to ride the horse, ho was placed on the brute's back, with his hands tied behind him, and frequently enough, in order to increase the pain, muskets were listened to his legs to weigh them down or, as was jocularly said, to prevent the fiery, untamed, barebacked steed from j kicking him off. London Graphic |