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Show WORSE THAN DEATH. System of Kenned Torture That Kills I Three Years. Tiiough the death penalty was prao-tically prao-tically abolished in Belgium over 80 years ago, the punishment of those convicted con-victed of capital crimes is so awful that none has yet been ablo to endure it more than three years. Another curious thing Is that little Belgium until reoontly had two public executioners, while but one was sufficient for her vaster neighbor, Franco Deibler, otherwise known as "M. de Paris." The king of the Belgians recently ordered the retirement retire-ment on a pension of 1837 francs of the "executor of high works" (as he is euphoniously termed), who was sta tionod at Liege. The executioner a Brussels still holds his place. The duties of publio executioner In Belgium are singular, but not arduous. The courts still continue to sentence malefactors to death, but the guillotine has been replaced by a scaffold on which to posted a copy of the sentence. Muob ceremony is observed in affixing this document A troop of gendarmes, with their imposing helmets plumed with horsehair, is drawn up about the place of execution, which they gravely guard with sabers drawn, while the rod robed executioner mounts the steps, nails up the decree of the court and after a moment mo-ment takes it down again. But the oondemned man might mors mercifully have perished by the ax or rope. He ia placed in n dungeon so constructed that from the moment he enters it he will never hear the sound of human voices nor see a living being. His food is passed through a sliding panel in the door of his celL Not one of these prisoners has been able to survive this confinement more than three yeara Tho authorities havo striven in vain to prolong their lives by varying their food as inuoh as possible, but those who are moderately or lightly nourished gradually waste away, while those who are generously fed go mnd find die raving maniacs. New YorV World. |