Connect with us

METRO

Guy Fawkes’ punishment was one of the most severe in English history – here’s what happens when a body is hung, drawn and quartered

Published

on

By

Fawkes and his co-conspirators were sentenced to hanging, drawing and quartering. Crispijn van de Passe the Elder/ Wikimedia Commons

After their infamous plot to destroy parliament was foiled, Guy Fawkes and his co-conspirators received one of the most severe judicial sentences in English history: hanging, drawing and quartering. According to the Treason Act 1351 , this punishment involved…Click Here To Continue Reading>> …Click Here To Continue Reading>>

 

Author

  • Michelle SpearProfessor of Anatomy, University of Bristol

That you be drawn on a hurdle to the place of execution, where you shall be hanged by the neck and being alive cut down, your privy members shall be cut off and your bowels taken out and burned before you, your head severed from your body and your body divided into four quarters to be disposed of at the King’s pleasure.

This process aimed not only to inflict excruciating pain on the condemned, but to serve as a deterrent – demonstrating the fate of those who betrayed the Crown. While Fawkes reportedly jumped from the gallows – which meant he avoided the full extent of his punishment – his co-conspirators apparently weren’t so lucky.

By dissecting each stage of this medieval punishment from an anatomical perspective, we can understand the profound agony each of them endured.

Torture for confession

Before his public execution on January 31 1606, Fawkes was tortured to force a confession about his involvement in the “gunpowder plot”.

The Tower of London records confirm that King James I personally authorised “the gentler tortures first”. Accounts reveal that Fawkes was stretched on the rack – a device designed to slowly pull the limbs in opposite directions. This stretching inflicted severe trauma on the shoulders, elbows and hips, as well as the spine.

The forces exerted by the rack probably exceeded those required for joint or hip dislocation under normal conditions.

Substantive differences between Fawkes’ signatures on confessions between November 8 and shortly before his execution may indicate the amount of nerve and soft tissue damage sustained. It also illustrates how remarkable his final leap from the gallows was.

An engraving depicting a person being tortured on the rack.
The rack slowly pulled a prisoner’s limbs in opposite directions. Wellcome Collection/ Wikimedia Commons , CC BY-SA

Stage 1: hanging (partial strangulation)

After surviving the torture of the rack, Fawkes and his gang faced the next stage of their punishment: hanging. But this form of hanging only partially strangled the condemned – preserving their consciousness and prolonging their suffering.

Partial strangulation exerts extreme pressure on several critical neck structures. The hyoid bone , a small u-shaped structure above the larynx, is prone to bruising or fracture under compression .

Simultaneously, pressure on the carotid arteries restricts blood flow to the brain, while compression of the jugular veins causes pooling of blood in the head – probably resulting in visible haemorrhages in the eyes and face.

Because the larynx and trachea (both essential for airflow) are partially obstructed, this makes breathing laboured. Strain on the cervical spine and surrounding muscles in the neck can lead to tearing, muscle spasms or dislocation of the vertebra – causing severe pain. READ FULL STORY HERE>>>CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING>>>

Fawkes brought his agony to a premature end by leaping from the gallows. Accounts from the time tell us:

His body being weak with the torture and sickness, he was scarce able to go up the ladder – yet with much ado, by the help of the hangman, went high enough to break his neck by the fall.

This probably caused him to suffer a bilateral fracture of his second cervical vertebra, assisted by his own bodyweight – an injury known as the “hangman’s fracture” .

Stage 2: Drawing (disembowelment)

After enduring partial hanging, the victim would then be “drawn” – a process which involved disembowelling them while still alive. This act mainly targeted the organs of the abdominal cavity – including the intestines, liver and kidney, as well as major blood vessels such as the abdominal aorta.

The physiological response to disembowelment would have been immediate and severe. The abdominal cavity possesses a high concentration of pain receptors – particularly around the membranous lining of the abdomen . When punctured, these pain receptors would have sent intense pain signals to the brain, overwhelming the body’s capacity for pain management . Shock would soon follow due to the rapid drop in blood pressure caused by massive amounts of blood loss.

Stage 3: quartering (dismemberment)

Quartering was also supposed to be performed while the victim was still alive. Though no accounts exist detailing at what phase victims typically lost consciousness during execution, it’s highly unlikely many survived the shock of being drawn.

So, at this stage, publicity superseded punishment given the victim’s likely earlier demise. Limbs that were removed from criminals were preserved by boiling them with spices. These were then toured around the country to act as a deterrent for others.

Though accounts suggest Fawkes’s body parts were sent to “the four corners of the United Kingdom”, there is no specific record of what was sent where. However, his head was displayed in London .

Traitor’s punishment

The punishment of hanging, drawing and quartering was designed to be as anatomically devastating as it was psychologically terrifying. Each stage of the process exploited the vulnerabilities of the human body to create maximum pain and suffering, while also serving as a grim reminder of the consequences of treason.

This punishment also gives us an insight into how medieval justice systems used the body as a canvas for social and political messaging. Fawkes’s fate, though unimaginable today, exemplifies the extremes to which the state could, and would, go to maintain control, power and authority over its subjects.

The sentence of hanging, drawing and quartering was officially removed from English law as part of the Forfeiture Act of 1870 .

 

READ FULL STORY HERE>>...CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING>>>
Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

METRO

Racist Cops Handcuff Black Female General, Her Call to Pentagon Destroyed Their Careers –

Published

on

By

 

The handcuffs clicked shut with a sound like a gunshot in the quiet street.

“You’re resisting arrest,” the cop snarled, twisting the Black woman’s arm behind her back.

Bystanders gasped as she was forced onto the hood of the cruiser, her military-sharp posture never faltering.

Then, in a voice like steel, she said, “You have no idea who you just handcuffed. But in 20 minutes, these two officers would beg for their careers back.”

And in an hour, the Pentagon would make sure they never wore a badge again.

General Naomi Carter was used to command, not compliance.

A decorated war strategist, she had just returned from a classified overseas mission and was on her way to debrief at the Pentagon when she stopped for coffee…Click Here To Continue Reading>> …Click Here To Continue Reading>>

 

She had spent her life fighting battles—just not the kind where the enemy wore a blue uniform.

The cops had been watching her since she stepped out of her car.

“Suspicious vehicle,” one muttered, eyeing her luxury sedan.

When she questioned their unnecessary stop, they escalated.

“You fit a description.”

Then came the cuffs, the shove, the condescending smirk.

That’s when Naomi stopped being just a citizen.

“Let me make a call,” she demanded.

The taller cop laughed. “You ain’t calling nobody.”

But Naomi had memorized emergency protocols better than they’d memorized their own badges.

With her hands restrained, she recited a series of numbers to a horrified bystander. READ FULL STORY HERE>>>CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING>>>

“Dial it now.”

The phone rang twice before a voice answered: “Pentagon secure line.”

The cops froze. Then came the words that turned their blood to ice.

“This is General Carter. Badge numbers 4,872 and 5,193 just detained me unlawfully. I need immediate confirmation of their authority.”

For the first time, doubt flickered in the officer’s eyes.

The dispatcher’s radio erupted with panic.

“All units, stand down. Stand down.”

Backup arrived, but not for them.

The chief’s voice cracked over the comms. “You just cuffed a Pentagon-level officer. God help you.”

Naomi stood straight as her cuffs were removed.

The cops stammered apologies, but she simply picked up the phone.

“Secretary, I want their records audited. Every stop. Every complaint.”

Then to the officers: “You targeted the wrong woman today.”

By sundown, the officers were suspended. By week’s end, charged.

And as Naomi walked into the Pentagon the next morning, the news played footage of their perp walk.

Proof that even generals in street clothes outrank prejudice.

 

READ FULL STORY HERE>>...CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING>>>
Continue Reading

METRO

One of death row’s oldest inmates gave scathing final words before execution by lethal injection –

Published

on

By

 

Oscar Franklin Smith, a 75-year-old man who had been on death row for decades, was executed in Tennessee by lethal injection. He was found guilty of murdering his wife, Judith Robirds Smith, and her two teenage sons, Chad and Jason Burnett, back in 1989.

But even as he was about to die, Oscar kept saying he didn’t do it. He claimed he was innocent, and he never changed his story in all the years he spent in prison. Just before the execution, he spoke out strongly, criticizing the justice system and the governor of Tennessee, Bill Lee.

He said the system is broken and doesn’t always get it right. He believed that not only was he innocent, but that there are other men like him still sitting in prison, waiting to die for crimes they didn’t commit. He said the governor is foolish if he doesn’t see that. Oscar’s last words included the phrase “I didn’t kill her,” which he reportedly said several times before he died. He was declared dead at 10:47 a.m…Click Here To Continue Reading>> …Click Here To Continue Reading>>

Oscar had been given a temporary delay in 2022, when the governor called off the execution at the last minute. But that decision was reversed later, and the execution went ahead. Even though he had lived over three decades after the crime while maintaining his innocence, the courts and the state stood by the original conviction. READ FULL STORY HERE>>>CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING>>>

After Oscar’s death, the family of the victims spoke to reporters. Judith’s sister, Terri Osborne, said losing her sister and two nephews had left a permanent wound. She said the pain of that loss will always stay with their family. No matter how much time passes, it still hurts deeply.

Terri also used the moment to talk about the issue of domestic violence. She said the murders are a tragic reminder of what can happen in abusive relationships. She wanted people who are in danger at home to know that they are not alone. She understood how hard it is to leave someone who is abusive, but she hoped this tragedy would push others to find safety and support. She also said she hopes more help and resources can be made available to people who are living in fear or dealing with abuse.

Her brother, Mike Robirds, also spoke. He said that no one should have to live the way their sister did — in fear. And no family should have to go through the heartbreak that they have endured. Their words were full of sadness, but also a message of hope for others who might still be suffering in silence.

READ FULL STORY HERE>>...CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING>>>
Continue Reading

METRO

People in shock after hearing bizarre leaked audio from Trump’s new head of Social Security reacting to job offer –

Published

on

By

 

Frank Bisignano, a former executive from Wall Street, has just taken on a major role leading the Social Security Administration—a huge federal agency that handles benefits for over 70 million Americans. But it turns out he was just as surprised by the job offer as everyone else.

In a meeting with Social Security managers from across the country, held on May 21, Bisignano openly admitted that he hadn’t been looking for a new job and had no idea he was being considered for such a major government role. A recording of this meeting was leaked, and it’s left a lot of people both amused and concerned.

In the audio, Bisignano talks about how he got a phone call out of the blue about the Social Security job. He said he wasn’t job hunting at all, and once he heard about the position, he had to start Googling to figure out what exactly the commissioner of Social Security does. He even joked that he’s one of the best Googlers on the East Coast. At one point, he said something like, “What the heck is the commissioner of Social Security?” showing just how unexpected the appointment was for him…Click Here To Continue Reading>> …Click Here To Continue Reading>>

 

Ironically, during that same meeting, he complained about people leaking information to the media—while the very meeting itself ended up getting leaked. READ FULL STORY HERE>>>CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING>>>

Despite the jokes and the lighthearted way he presented himself, many people online didn’t take it well. On social media, some users mocked him for appearing clueless about the job and accused the Trump administration of giving important positions to people who aren’t qualified. One person sarcastically said he must be relying on the “fake it till you make it” approach. Another commented that having actual experience seems to be a disqualifier when it comes to getting hired in the Trump team.

Others, however, defended Bisignano. Some argued that you don’t need a PhD or deep government experience to run the Social Security Administration. Instead, they pointed out that what the agency really needs is someone with real leadership experience—someone who knows how to run big organizations and get results. They said Bisignano fits that bill, having led billion-dollar companies and managed large teams.

All in all, Bisignano’s surprise and honesty about not knowing much about the job have drawn mixed reactions. While some people think it’s refreshing or even funny, others are worried that such an important agency is being led by someone who admits he had to Google what the job even is.

 

READ FULL STORY HERE>>...CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING>>>
Continue Reading

Trending