The most brutal executions in the world. The most brutal executions in history

One of the most famous prisons in the world is american prison Alcatraz ( Alcatraz), also known as The Rock (from English - Rock), which is located on a small island of the same name in the San Francisco Bay. The prison has been closed for several decades, but thanks to numerous stories and rumors, people will think of the prison first of all, and not of the island itself, at the word “Alcatraz” for a long time to come!

The prison gained its fame not at all because of the numerous films shot here, but because of the prisoners who served time in their cells. Alcatraz contained the most violent criminals USA! The island got its name in 1775, when Spaniard Juan Manuel Ayala arrived in San Francisco Bay ( Juan Manuel de Ayala). In total, there are three islands in the bay, and the Spaniard gave one of them the name Alcatraces. The meaning of this word is still hotly debated, but most agree that it translates as “pelican” or “ strange bird”.

The island was originally used as a military stronghold, which was later converted into a federal penitentiary.

Alcatraz was famous for the fact that it was impossible to escape from it. The reason for this seemingly controversial statement is that the prison is located in the center of the bay near the city of San Francisco and can only be reached by water.

However, water is not the only obstacle in the path of a possible fugitive.

The fact is that the water temperature of the bay is not high, and the currents are very strong, so that even an excellent swimmer will not be able to overcome
the distance is just over two kilometers from the island to San Francisco.

Alcatraz was also the first long-term military prison. In the 1800s, prisoners of the civil and Spanish-American
wars were the first prisoners to arrive on the island. Later, due to the isolated location and
irresistible cold waters of the bay, the authorities considered Alcatraz as perfect place to hold dangerous prisoners.

In the beginning, Alcatraz or Alcazar was just another federal penitentiary, but over time the prison became famous after such criminals as George Kelly (George "Machine Gun" Kelly), Robert Stroud (Robert Franklin Stroud) served their time in it , Alvis Karpis (Alvin Karpis), Henry Young (Henry Young) and Al Capone (Al Capone). Criminals who could not be held by other correctional institutions were also located here. The average number of prisoners in Alcatraz was approximately 260, while for all the time during the 29 years of the prison's operation, 1545 prisoners visited it. During this time, there were attempts to escape, but there is not a single official record of the success of at least one of them. Several prisoners have disappeared, but they are all found to have drowned in the waters of the bay.

However, soon the first prisoners appeared on the island. These were not notorious criminals at all, but ordinary soldiers who violated any decree. The more prisoners became on Alcatraz, the fewer guns became in the fortress. It will take a few more years before the fortress finally loses its original meaning and turns into one of the most famous prisons on earth!

Already in 1909, the fortress was demolished, and a prison was built in its place. Construction was carried out over two years, and the main labor force were prisoners from the Pacific Division of the US Army Disciplinary Barracks. It is this structure that will later receive the name “Rock”.

The prison on Alcatraz Island was supposed to be a real dungeon for the most notorious criminals with minimal rights for prisoners. Thus, the US government wanted to show the public that it is doing everything possible to fight the crime that swept the country in the 20s and 30s of the last century.

In total, the Alcatraz prison was designed for 336 people, but usually it contained much fewer prisoners. Many believe that Alcatraz is one of the darkest and most cruel prisons on Earth, but this is not entirely true. Despite the fact that it was positioned as a maximum security prison, the cells here were single and quite comfortable. Many inmates from other prisons even applied for transfers to Alcatraz!

Al Capone, Arthur Doc Barker and George "Machine Gun" Kelly are some of the most notorious inmates of Alcatraz, but the vast majority of local criminals were far from notorious thugs and murderers.

Only those prisoners who were inclined to escape were usually put in prison on the island. The fact is that escaping from here was almost impossible. Of course, there were many attempts, and many prisoners even managed to get out of the prison itself, but leaving the island was an impossible task. Strong currents and icy water killed many fugitives who decided to swim to get to mainland! In total, during the time that Alcatraz was used as a federal prison, 14 escape attempts were made, in which a total of 36 people participated. None of them managed to leave the island alive ...

On March 21, 1962, the prison on Alcatraz Island was officially closed. It is believed that it was closed due to significant costs for the maintenance of prisoners, as well as the need for costly restoration work. Several years passed, and in 1973 the legendary prison became available to the general public. Today Alcatraz is visited annually by tens of thousands of tourists.

The Alcatraz prison consisted of 336 cells for serving the sentence, divided into two large blocks "B" and "C", 36 isolated cells, 6 solitary confinement in a separate block "D". The two cells at the end of block "C" were used as security break rooms. Most of the inmates at the Alcazar are those who have been found to be particularly violent and dangerous, those who may have attempted to escape, and those who are most likely to refuse to follow the rules and regulations of another federal penitentiary.

Inmates of Alcatraz could earn perks that included work, visits from family members, access to the prison library, leisure activities such as art and music. Prisoners had only four basic rights - food, clothing, shelter and medical care.

Alcatraz did not have the facility to carry out the death penalty, so those who received the death penalty were sent to San Quentin City Jail to be gassed.

In spite of strict rules and harsh standards for hardened criminals, Alcatraz predominantly operated in a minimum security regime. The types of work performed by prisoners differed depending on the prisoner, the type of work and the degree of its responsibility. Many worked as servants: they cooked, cleaned, and did household chores for families living on the island. The security officers of Alcatraz lived on the island with their families in a separate building and, in fact, were partly prisoners of Alcatraz. In many cases, individual prisoners were even trusted to care for the children of the prison staff. Alcatraz was also home to several Chinese families who were employed as servants.

It is officially believed that there was no successful attempt to escape from the Rock, but so far five prisoners from Alcatraz are listed as "missing, presumably drowned."

* April 27, 1936 - Joe Bowers, who was assigned to burn garbage that day, suddenly began to climb the fence. The guard gave him a warning, but Joe ignored him and was shot in the back. He died from his wound in the hospital.

* December 16, 1937 - Theodore Cole and Ralph Roy, who worked in the store, decided to escape through the iron bars on the window. They managed to get out of the window, after which they ran to the water and disappeared into the San Francisco Bay. Despite the fact that it was on this day that a storm broke out, many believed that the fugitives managed to get to land. But officially they were considered dead.

* May 23, 1938 - James Limerick, Jimmy Lucas and Raphas Franklin, who worked in a woodwork shop, attacked an unarmed guard and killed him with a blow to the head with a hammer. The trio then climbed onto the roof and attempted to disarm the officer guarding the roof of the tower, but he opened fire. Limerick died from his wounds, and the surviving couple received life imprisonment.

* January 13, 1939 - Arthur Doc Barker, Dale Stamfil, William Martin, Henry Young and Raphas McCain escaped from the isolation compartment to the building where the prison cells were located. They sawed down the bars, climbed out of the building through the window, and headed for the water's edge. The guard found the fugitives already on west bank islands. Martin, Young, and McCain surrendered, while Barker and Stamfil, who refused to obey orders, were wounded. Barker died a few days later.

* May 21, 1941 - Joe Cretzer, Sam Shockley, Arnold Kyle and Lloyd Backdoll took several guards under whose supervision they worked hostage. But the guards managed to convince the prisoners to surrender. It is significant that one of these guards later became the third commandant of Alcatraz.

* September 15, 1941 - John Bayles tried to run while he was cleaning up the garbage. But freezing water in San Francisco Bay forced him back to shore. Later, when he was taken to a federal court in San Francisco, he tried to escape from there as well. But again without success.

* April 14, 1943 - James Borman, Harold Brest, Floyd Hamilton, and Fred Hunter took two guards hostage in a prison-working area. Through the window they climbed out and jumped into the water. But one of the guards managed to signal the state of emergency to his colleagues, and the officers who set off in the footsteps of the fugitives overtook them only at the moment when they were already sailing away from the island. Some of the guards rushed into the water, someone opened fire. As a result, Hunter and Brest were detained, Bormann was wounded and he drowned. And Hamilton was declared drowned. Although in fact he hid in a small gorge for two days, and then returned to the territory where the prisoners worked. There he was captured by the guards.

* August 7, 1943 - Charon Ted Walters disappeared from the laundry, but he was caught on the shore of the bay.

* July 31, 1945 - one of the most thoughtful attempts to escape. John Giles often worked in the prison laundry, which also washed army uniforms that were sent to the island specifically for this purpose. Once he stole a complete set of uniforms, changed clothes and calmly left the prison and went to lunch with the military. Unfortunately for him, the military dined on Angel Island that day, not in San Francisco, as Giles had supposed. In addition, his disappearance from prison was immediately noticed. Therefore, as soon as he was on Angel Island, he was arrested and sent back to Alcatraz.

* May 2-4, 1946 - this day is known as the "Battle of Alcatraz". Six prisoners disarmed the guards and seized a bunch of keys to the cell block. But their plan began to falter when the prisoners discovered that they did not have the key to the door leading to the recreation yard. Soon the prison administration became suspicious. But instead of surrendering, the prisoners resisted. As a result, four of them returned to their cells, but first opened fire on the guards taken hostage. One officer died from his wounds, and a second officer was killed while trying to regain control of the cell block. About 18 guards were wounded. American sailors were immediately called to help, and on May 4 the riot ended with the killing of three prisoners. Subsequently, two "rebels" received a death sentence and ended their days in a gas chamber in 1948. A 19-year-old rioter received a life sentence.

* July 23, 1956 - Floyd Wilson disappeared from work at the dock. For several hours he hid among the rocks, but when he was discovered, he gave up.

* September 29, 1958 - While cleaning up debris, Aaor Bargett and Clyde Johnson incapacitated a prison officer and attempted to swim away. Johnson was caught in the water, but Bargett disappeared. An intensive search yielded no results. Bargett's body was found in San Francisco Bay two weeks later.

* June 11, 1962 - This is the most famous escape attempt thanks to Clint Eastwood and the movie "Escape from Alcatraz" (1979). Frank Morris and brothers John and Clarence Anglin were able to disappear from their cells and were never seen again. A fourth person, Allen West, also participated in the preparations for the escape, but for unknown reasons remained in the cell the next morning when the escape was discovered. The investigation showed that the fugitives prepared not only fake bricks to cover the holes made in the wall, but also realistic dolls in beds stuffed with human hair to hide the absence of prisoners during the night rounds. The trio exited through the ventilation pipe adjacent to their cells. The fugitives climbed up the pipe to the roof of the prison block (they had previously straightened the iron bars in the ventilation). At the north end of the building, they climbed down the drainpipe, and thus reached the water. As a watercraft, they used prison jackets and a raft made in advance. As a result of a thorough search in the cells of the fugitives, tools were found with which the prisoners hollowed out the walls, and in the bay they found one life jacket converted from a prison jacket, oars, as well as carefully packed photographs and letters belonging to the Anglin brothers. A few weeks later, the body of a man was found in the water, dressed in a blue suit similar to a prison uniform, but the condition of the body did not allow him to be identified. Morris and the Anglin brothers are officially listed as missing and presumed drowned.

On March 21, 1963, the Alcatraz prison was closed. According to the official version, this was done because of the high cost of maintaining prisoners on the island. The prison required repairs in the amount of about 3-5 million dollars. In addition, the maintenance of prisoners on the island was too expensive compared to the mainland prison, since everything had to be regularly imported from the mainland.

Currently, the prison has been disbanded, the island has been turned into a museum, where the ferry goes from San Francisco from Pier 33.

Attitude towards crimes and criminals in different eras and in different countries different, so that the severity of punishment varied. But if a person was sentenced to execution, then it was very cruel. The most cruel executions in the history of mankind evoke horror, since the condemned could die in terrible agony for weeks.

10 most brutal executions in the world

1. Chinese execution. Oddly enough, the executioners treated women with particular cruelty. One of the worst executions in history was practiced in China. The sentenced woman was stripped naked and, depriving her of support on her feet, they fixed saws between her legs.

Execution "Sawing"

The woman's hands were tied to the ring. Under the influence of gravity, the victim fell down onto the cutting edges of the saws, so that her body was slowly sawn from the womb to the sternum. The reasons for such a terrible punishment are incomprehensible to us, for example, the rice cooked by the cook turned out to be not as snow-white as the color of the owner's wisdom required.

2. Quartering. In Russia, and throughout Europe, in India, China, Egypt, Persia and Rome, this execution meant tearing or dismembering human body into several parts. The parts themselves, after the completion of the execution, were put on public display. There are many options for dividing the criminal into parts - he was torn apart by horses, bulls, treetops. In some cases, an executioner was used to cut off limbs.

Execution "Quartering"

Moreover, it is impossible even to single out for what type of crimes such punishment was imposed. It was often used when it was necessary to make the execution spectacular. That is why they quartered deserters and members of their families, state criminals, rapists, Christians in ancient Rome, etc.

3. "Tin Soldier". The Alcatraz prison went down in history as one of the most terrible prisons in the world due to executions. The leadership of the correctional institution had an unhealthy imagination, otherwise it is simply impossible to explain the appearance of the "tin soldier".

The condemned prisoner received an injection of heroin, after which he was doused with heated paraffin. At the same time, the guards put the person in a pose that was funny from their sick point of view. When the paraffin solidified, the person simply could not move anymore - it turned out " tin soldier". After that, the guards chopped off the limbs of the prisoner. Death from shock and blood loss lasted for hours, which the executed experienced in terrible agony.

4. "Cradle of Judas". Another no less cruel version of the killing of prisoners in Alcatraz is the “cradle of Judas”. The person sentenced to death was put on a pyramid, fixing his hands and body. The tip of the pyramid was placed in the anus or in the vagina, so that the structure would gradually tear the body apart. To speed up the process, weights were attached to the legs of the condemned, increasing the pressure.

This slow and painful death from blood loss and sepsis took up to several days, with weighting agents the process was accelerated up to several hours. The leadership of the famous prison borrowed this barbaric method from the medieval inquisitors.

5. Keeling. For pirates, a separate set of executions was used, the most terrible of which was the keeling. The man was tied up and stretched on a rope under the keel of the ship.

Execution "Kilevanie"

Because it lasted for a long time, then the person managed to choke, not to mention the blows on the keel itself, covered with sharp mollusks, - the skin was torn off the person. However, this type of punishment for disobedience to the captain, who wielded absolute power on the ship, was also practiced in the English fleet.

6. Desert island. Another world-famous pirate version of the execution - the rebels were not killed, but landed on a desert island that would feed the criminals.

Many unfortunate rebels were left for years to drag out a miserable existence on patches of land without proper food and amenities.

7. Walking on the board. This version of the execution of pirates is described in adventure novels.

Execution "Walking on the Board"

The crew of the captured ship was not needed by the robbers, so they went to sea. The plank was exposed over the side of the ship, so that a person, having passed on it, fell into the sea in the jaws of waiting sharks.

8. Execution for treason. In many cultures, the punishment for adultery for a woman is death. The methods of execution vary. In Turkey, the adulteress was sewn into a bag with a cat and beaten on the bag. The mad animal tore the woman apart, and the convict died from blood loss and beatings.

In Korea, the traitor was forced to drink vinegar, and then the swollen body of the adulteress was beaten with sticks until the representative of the weaker sex died.

9. Executions in ISIS. The types of punishments adopted by ISIS (an organization banned on the territory of the Russian Federation) also belong to the category of cruel ones, but they are far from the first place in the list of TOP 10 terrible executions.

Representatives of the group willingly distribute in the media photos and videos of executions by burning, beheading, which differs little from the medieval set of tortures and executions.

10. Executions for rape. Executions for rape are often much less severe than for adultery, especially for the fairer sex. However, the death of a rapist was threatened not only in the Middle Ages, this is true even now in Iran, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Pakistan, Sudan.

However, Muslim tort law sometimes causes strange decisions. There are precedents when, after rape, a girl is executed by stoning, because the victim allegedly seduced the rapist. In other countries for crimes sexual in nature the offender will be sentenced to imprisonment for a term of 1 year to life imprisonment.

In Soviet times, rape by a recidivist, rape that entailed grave consequences, or rape of a minor victim was punishable by death. This law was in effect until 1997. By the way, a similar measure for the rape of a child in US state Louisiana was canceled only in 2008.

25. Skafism

An ancient Persian method of execution, when a person was stripped naked and placed in a tree trunk so that only the head, arms and legs protruded. They were then fed only milk and honey until the victim had severe diarrhea. Thus, honey got into all open areas of the body, which was supposed to attract insects. As the person's feces accumulated, the insects became increasingly attracted and they began to feed and multiply in his/her skin, which would become more gangrenous. Death can take over 2 weeks and most likely resulted from starvation, dehydration, and shock.

24. Guillotine

Created in the late 1700s, it was one of the first execution methods that called for the end of life rather than the infliction of pain. Although the guillotine was specifically invented as a form of human execution, it was banned in France, and in last time used in 1977.

23. Republican marriage

A very strange method of execution was practiced in France. The man and woman were tied together and then thrown into the river to be drowned.

22. Cement shoes

The method of execution preferred to use the American mafia. Similar to the Republican Marriage in that drowning is used, but instead of being bonded to a person of the opposite sex, the victim's feet were placed in concrete blocks.

21. Execution by an elephant

Elephants in South-East Asia often trained to prolong the death of the victim. The elephant is a heavy animal, but easily trained. Teaching him to stomp on criminals on command has always been a fascinating thing. Many times this method has been used to show that there are rulers even in the natural world.

20. Plank Walk

Mostly practiced by pirates and sailors. The victims often did not have time to drown, as they were attacked by sharks, which usually followed the ships.

19. Bestiary - being torn apart by wild animals

Bestiaries are criminals in ancient Rome who were given to be torn to pieces. wild animals. Although sometimes the act was voluntary and carried out for money or recognition, often bestiaries were political prisoners who were sent into the arena naked and unable to defend themselves.

18. Mazatello

The method is named after the weapon used during the execution, usually a hammer. This method of capital punishment was popular in the papal state in the 18th century. The convict was escorted to the scaffold in the square and he was left alone with the executioner and the coffin. Then the executioner raised the hammer and struck the victim's head. Since such a blow, as a rule, did not lead to death, the throat of the victims was cut immediately after the blow.

17. Vertical "shaker"

Originating in the United States, this method of capital punishment is now commonly used in countries such as Iran. Although it is very similar to hanging, in this case, to break spinal cord, the victims were violently lifted up by the neck, usually with the help of a crane.

16. Sawing

Allegedly used in parts of Europe and Asia. The victim was turned upside down and then sawn in half, starting at the groin. Since the victim was upside down, the brain received enough blood to keep the victim conscious while the large vessels abdominal cavity were torn apart.

15. skinning

The act of removing skin from a person's body. This type of execution was often used to stir up fear, as the execution was usually carried out in a public place in front of everyone.

14. Blood Eagle

This type of execution was described in the Scandinavian sagas. The ribs of the victim were broken so that they resembled wings. Then light victims were pulled through the hole between the ribs. The wounds were sprinkled with salt.

13. Grid for torture

Roasting the victim on hot coals.

12. Crush

Although you have already read about the elephant crush method, there is another similar method. Crushing was popular in Europe and America as a method of torture. Every time the victim refused to comply, more weight was placed on their chest until the victim died from lack of air.

11. Wheeling

Also known as Catherine's Wheel. The wheel looked like an ordinary cart wheel, only large sizes With large quantity spokes. The victim was undressed, arms and legs were laid out and tied, then the executioner beat the victim with a large hammer, breaking the bones. At the same time, the executioner tried not to inflict mortal blows.

So, the most brutal executions and torture top 10:

10. Spanish tickler

The method is also known as "cat's paws". These devices were used by the executioner, tearing and tearing the skin from the victim. Often death did not occur immediately, but as a result of infection.

9. Burning at the stake

In history, the most popular method of the death penalty. If the victim was lucky, then he or she was executed along with several others. This ensured that the flames would be large and that death would result from poisoning. carbon monoxide and not from being burned alive.

8. Bamboo

An extremely slow and painful punishment was used in Asia. Bamboo stalks sticking out of the ground were sharpened. Then, over the place where this bamboo grew, the accused was hung up. Fast growth bamboo and its pointed tops allowed the plant to pierce the human body through and through in one night.

7. Premature burial

This technique has been used by governments throughout the history of capital punishment. One of the last documented cases was during the 1937 Nanjing massacre, when Japanese troops buried Chinese citizens alive.

6. Ling Chi

Also known as "death by slow cutting" or "slow death", this form of execution was eventually outlawed in China in the early 20th century. The organs of the victim's body were slowly and methodically removed while the executioner tried to keep him or her alive for as long as possible.

5. Seppuku

A form of ritual suicide that allowed the warrior to die with honor. It was used by the samurai.

4. Copper bull

The design of this death unit was developed by the ancient Greeks, namely the coppersmith Perill, who sold the terrible bull to the Sicilian tyrant Falaris so that he could execute criminals in a new way. Inside the copper statue, through the door, a living person was placed. And then ... Falaris first tested the unit on its developer, the unfortunate greedy Perilla. Subsequently, Falaris himself was roasted in a bull.

3. Colombian tie

The throat of a person is cut with a knife, and the tongue protrudes through the hole. This method of murder indicated that the victim had given the police some information.

2. Crucifixion

A particularly cruel method of execution was used mainly by the Romans. It was as slow, painful and humiliating as it could be. Usually after a long period of beating or torture, the victim was forced to carry his cross to the place of his death. Subsequently, she was either nailed or tied to a cross, where she hung for several weeks. Death, as a rule, came from lack of air.

1 Worst Executions: Hanged, Drowned, and Dismembered

Mainly used in England. The method is regarded as one of the most brutal forms of execution ever created. As the name implies, the execution was performed in three parts. Part one - the victim was tied to a wooden frame. So she hung almost to death. Immediately after that, the victim's stomach was cut open, and the insides were taken out and removed. Further, the insides were burned in front of the victim. The condemned man was then beheaded. After all this, his body was divided into four parts and scattered throughout England as a public display. This punishment was applied only to men, condemned women, as a rule, were burned at the stake.

Consider yourself lucky. If you think so, you most likely not only live in a functioning society legal system, but also where this system allows you to hope for fair and effective justice, especially in the case of the existence of the death penalty.

For most of human history, the main objective the death penalty was not so much an interruption human life how much incredibly brutal torture of the victim. Those sentenced to death had to go through hell-on-earth. So the 25 most cruel methods executions in human history.

Skafism

An ancient Persian method of execution, when a person was stripped naked and placed in a tree trunk so that only the head, arms and legs protruded. They were then fed only milk and honey until the victim had severe diarrhea. Thus, honey got into all open areas of the body, which was supposed to attract insects. As the person's feces accumulated, the insects became increasingly attracted and they began to feed and multiply in his/her skin, which would become more gangrenous. Death can take over 2 weeks and most likely resulted from starvation, dehydration, and shock.

Guillotine

Created in the late 1700s, it was one of the first execution methods that called for the end of life rather than the infliction of pain. Although the guillotine was specifically invented as a form of human execution, it was banned in France, and was last used in 1977.

Republican marriage

A very strange method of execution was practiced in France. The man and woman were tied together and then thrown into the river to be drowned.

cement shoes

The method of execution preferred to use the American mafia. Similar to the Republican Marriage in that drowning is used, but instead of being bonded to a person of the opposite sex, the victim's feet were placed in concrete blocks.

Elephant execution

Elephants in Southeast Asia have often been trained to prolong the death of a prey. The elephant is a heavy animal, but easily trained. Teaching him to stomp on criminals on command has always been a fascinating thing. Many times this method has been used to show that there are rulers even in the natural world.

Plank walks

Mostly practiced by pirates and sailors. The victims often did not have time to drown, as they were attacked by sharks, which usually followed the ships.

Bestiary

Bestiaries are criminals in ancient Rome, who were given to be torn to pieces by wild animals. Although sometimes the act was voluntary and carried out for money or recognition, often bestiaries were political prisoners who were sent into the arena naked and unable to defend themselves.

Mazatello

The method is named after the weapon used during the execution, usually a hammer. This method of capital punishment was popular in the papal state in the 18th century. The convict was escorted to the scaffold in the square and he was left alone with the executioner and the coffin. Then the executioner raised the hammer and struck the victim's head. Since such a blow, as a rule, did not lead to death, the throat of the victims was cut immediately after the blow.

Vertical "shaker"

Originating in the United States, this method of capital punishment is now commonly used in countries such as Iran. Although it is very similar to hanging, in this case, to sever the spinal cord, the victims were violently lifted up by the neck, usually with the help of a crane.

Sawing

Allegedly used in parts of Europe and Asia. The victim was turned upside down and then sawn in half, starting at the groin. Since the victim was upside down, the brain received enough blood to keep the victim conscious while the large abdominal vessels were severed.

Flaying

The act of removing skin from a person's body. This type of execution was often used to stir up fear, as the execution was usually carried out in a public place in front of everyone.

blood eagle

This type of execution was described in the Scandinavian sagas. The ribs of the victim were broken so that they resembled wings. Then light victims were pulled through the hole between the ribs. The wounds were sprinkled with salt.

Gridiron

Roasting the victim on hot coals.

Crushing

Although you have already read about the elephant crush method, there is another similar method. Crushing was popular in Europe and America as a method of torture. Each time the victim refused to comply, more weight was placed on their chest until the victim died from lack of air.

wheeling

Also known as Catherine's Wheel. The wheel looked like an ordinary wagon wheel, only larger with a large number of spokes. The victim was undressed, arms and legs were laid out and tied, then the executioner beat the victim with a large hammer, breaking the bones. At the same time, the executioner tried not to inflict mortal blows.

spanish tickler

The method is also known as "cat's paws". These devices were used by the executioner, tearing and tearing the skin from the victim. Often death did not occur immediately, but as a result of infection.

Burning at the stake

In history, the most popular method of the death penalty. If the victim was lucky, then he or she was executed along with several others. This ensured that the flames would be large and death would result from carbon monoxide poisoning rather than being burned alive.

Bamboo

An extremely slow and painful punishment was used in Asia. Bamboo stalks sticking out of the ground were sharpened. Then, over the place where this bamboo grew, the accused was hung up. The rapid growth of bamboo and its pointed tops allowed the plant to pierce the human body through and through in one night.

premature burial

This technique has been used by governments throughout the history of capital punishment. One of the last documented cases was during the 1937 Nanjing massacre, when Japanese troops buried Chinese citizens alive.

Ling Chi

Also known as "death by slow cutting" or "slow death", this form of execution was eventually outlawed in China in the early 20th century. The organs of the victim's body were slowly and methodically removed while the executioner tried to keep him or her alive for as long as possible.

Seppuku

A form of ritual suicide that allowed the warrior to die with honor. It was used by the samurai.

copper bull

The design of this death unit was developed by the ancient Greeks, namely the coppersmith Perill, who sold the terrible bull to the Sicilian tyrant Falaris so that he could execute criminals in a new way. Inside the copper statue, through the door, a living person was placed. And then ... Falaris first tested the unit on its developer, the unfortunate greedy Perilla. Subsequently, Falaris himself was roasted in a bull.

Colombian tie

The throat of a person is cut with a knife, and the tongue protrudes through the hole. This method of murder indicated that the victim had given the police some information.

Crucifixion

A particularly cruel method of execution was used mainly by the Romans. It was as slow, painful and humiliating as it could be. Usually after a long period of beating or torture, the victim was forced to carry his cross to the place of his death. Subsequently, she was either nailed or tied to a cross, where she hung for several weeks. Death, as a rule, came from lack of air.

Hanged, drowned and dismembered

Mainly used in England. The method is regarded as one of the most brutal forms of execution ever created. As the name implies, the execution was performed in three parts. Part one - the victim was tied to a wooden frame. So she hung almost to death. Immediately afterwards, the victim's stomach was cut open and the entrails were removed. Further, the insides were burned in front of the victim. The condemned man was then beheaded. After all this, his body was divided into four parts and scattered throughout England as a public display. This punishment was applied only to men, condemned women, as a rule, were burned at the stake.

History knows many sophisticated methods of execution, and judging by how cruel these executions were, we can say that our ancestors were bloodthirsty and evil. They invented more and more new types of execution for their own amusement.

1.

death under the elephant


In Southeast Asia, it was popular to execute with the help of an elephant, which crushed the condemned. Moreover, elephants were often trained to act in such a way as to prolong the death of the victim.

2.

Walk the plank


This form of execution to pass the plank overboard was mainly practiced by pirates. The condemned often didn't even have time to drown, as the ships were usually followed by hungry sharks.

3.

Bestiary


Bestiaries were popular entertainment during the ancient rome when the condemned entered the arena against wild hungry animals. Although sometimes such cases were voluntary and entered the arena in search of money or recognition, mostly political prisoners were sent to the arena unarmed to be torn to pieces.

4.

Mazzatello


This execution was named after the weapon (usually a hammer) with which the defendant was killed in the papal states in the 18th century. The executioner read out the accusation in the city square, after which he hit the victim on the head with a hammer. As a rule, this only stunned the victim, after which her throat was cut.

5.

Vertical shaker


Originating in the United States, this method of capital punishment is now commonly used in countries such as Iran. Although it is very similar to hanging, there is a significant difference: the victim did not open a hatch under his feet or a chair was not kicked out from under his feet, but the condemned man was pulled up with a crane.

6.

Flaying

Flaying a person's body was often used to instill fear in people, as the skin was then usually nailed to a wall in a public place.

7.

blood eagle


In the Scandinavian sagas, a bloody method of execution was described: the victim was cut along the spine, then the ribs were broken out so that they resembled the wings of an eagle. The lungs were then pulled out through the incision and hung over the ribs. At the same time, all the wounds were sprinkled with salt.

8.

Grill for frying


The victim was fixed on a horizontal grate, under which hot coals were placed. After that, it was slowly roasted, often stretching the execution for hours.

9.

Crushing


In Europe and America, there was also a method similar to Indian elephant crushing, only stones were used here. As a rule, such an execution was used to extract a confession from the accused. Each time the accused refused to confess, the executioner added another stone. And so on until the victim died of suffocation.

10.

spanish tickler


The device, also known as cat's paws, was used by executioners to rip and skin the victim. Often death did not occur immediately, but later as a result of infection in the wounds.

11.

Burning at the stake


Historically popular method of capital punishment. If the victim was lucky, then she was executed simultaneously with several others. This ensured that the flames were much larger, death was from carbon monoxide poisoning rather than burning.

12.

Bamboo


An extremely slow and painful punishment was used in Asia. The victim was tied over pointed bamboo shoots. Considering that bamboo grows phenomenally fast (up to 30 cm per day), it grew directly through the body of the victim, slowly piercing it.

13.

Buried alive


This method has been used by governments throughout history to kill convicted prisoners. One of the last reported cases was during the Nanjing Massacre in 1937, when Japanese troops buried Chinese alive.

14.

Ling Chi


Also known as death by a thousand cuts, this form of execution involved cutting off small pieces of the body from the victim's body. At the same time, the executioner tried to save the life of the victim as long as possible.

15.

Colombian tie


Drug cartels in Colombia and the rest of Latin America practice a similar execution of traitors who give information to the police or competitors. The victim's throat is cut, and the tongue is pulled out through it.