[BITList] Wheel

[fredmno at aol.com]

Hi Colin,
??????????? I too thought the wheel in question was used as a crusher but was horrified when I found out that the person in question, usually murderers most foul were strapped to a large cart wheel with their four limbs stretched across over gaps between the spokes then sometimes further apparatus was placed under the legs and arms to raise them. Then, men would wield iron bars and bring them down as hard as possible on the outstretched arms and legs, then the chest was pounded on before the coup de grace of crushing their skull. The family of the miscreant could speed the process up by bribing the executioners and greasing their palms to go for the head early on! I'll check out the Zola books I have but my favourite three were La Terre, Germinal and La Bette Humaine but remember he wrote like Dickens, in the main bloody depressing but good reads and of course I was trying to understand my neighbours!
?????????????????????????????????? 

BR Fred
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