Today’s Terribly Mutilated Yet Truly Morbid Fact!
Next to Russia, for sheer love of whipping as a corporal punishment, comes China, and little less formidable than the Russian knout is the Chinese rod of split bamboo. The sharp edges of the bamboo cut into the flesh, inflicting terrible lacerations. Little wonder that deaths, as a result of these floggings, have been frequent, and that those who escape this fate are often so terribly mutilated that they remain cripples for the rest of their lives.
The stick, too, was employed in other countries besides China; and was often used as an alternative form of punishment, or for certain specific offenses, in countries where the use of the whip was customary. In some cases, especially where a stick or bastinado formed the instrument of punishment, the buttocks were not the selected points for battery. Thus, in Turkey, the soles of the naked feet were beaten with a stick.
Culled from: The History of Corporal Punishment
Post-Mortem Portrait Du Jour!
CHILD HELD BY MOTHER WITH FINGERLESS GLOVES
Ambrotype 1/6 plate in wall frame, circa 1858
Culled from: Sleeping Beauty III
Garretdom!
Many years ago, a fascinating collection of scrapbooks containing newspaper articles from the 1880’s/90’s appeared on eBay. The scrapbooks were obviously compiled by a kindred soul, as all of the articles were Grim, and were meticulously pasted into old textbooks. I tried to purchase the collection from the lucky soul who found them at an auction, but he quickly realized what he had and started selling them on eBay where they went for astronomical amounts. I was able to talk him into making copies of the books for me before he sold them off, and I’ve been slowly using them for my vintage newspaper Garretdom collection over the years. I decided to start sharing them on a daily basis. So without further adieu, here is one of the entries saved by our 19th century kindred soul:
Violently Ill from Poisoned Victuals.
MEXICO, Mo., Sept. 26.—Mr. and Mrs. H. L. Miller and Mr. and Mrs. F. I. Gibbs, who live ten miles southwest of here on the Hilt farm, became violently ill yesterday morning from the effects of poisoned victuals eaten at breakfast. The two men when they became sick were at work on the highway and were both overcome at the same time with griping pains and violent vomiting. They were taken home by the men who were working with them. When they reached home they found their wives in the same condition, both of them being in bed and unable to move. A physician was sent for, and he pronounced the symptoms poisoning. An antidote was administered, and all are now out of danger. The general supposition is that an eleven-year-old colored girl, who is employed in the capacity of nurse to Mrs. Miller, administered the poison. She was punished a few days ago, and was in bad humor about it.
Culled from the collection of The Comtesse DeSpair
1886 Morbid Scrapbook