Inhuman torture!! Fairburn's edition of the trial of Thomas Picton, late Governor of Trinidad and Colonel of the 54th Regiment of Foot, for torturing Louisa Calderon in the island of Trinidad in the month of December, 1801 ... Which was tried at the Court of King's-Bench, Westminster on Monday, Feb. 24, 1806 before Lord Ellenborough & a special jury / Taken in short-hand.

  • Thomas Picton
Date:
[1806?]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Inhuman torture!! Fairburn's edition of the trial of Thomas Picton, late Governor of Trinidad and Colonel of the 54th Regiment of Foot, for torturing Louisa Calderon in the island of Trinidad in the month of December, 1801 ... Which was tried at the Court of King's-Bench, Westminster on Monday, Feb. 24, 1806 before Lord Ellenborough & a special jury / Taken in short-hand. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    12/48 (page 10)
    before you were tied up r—A. Yes; Beggorat enquired if J would declare who took the money. Q. Were you sworn, before the torture was applied?— A. No; but the holy cross was held up before me. Q. Did you confers-—A. Yes; after I was suspended, I said Carlos* took the money. [Several questions were then proposed as to the time the punishment was inflicted, which appeared to be about Christ- mas, and by subsequent interrogatories, it appeared she waa taken into the gaolers room, where she saw Carlos^ to learn if she had herself taken the money.] Q. Where did you go after you left the gaolers room ?— A. To the same apartment where I had been suspended. I was kept there all night. Q. Were you put fn irons }—A. Yes, in grillos (fetters for the legs.) Q. Describe what these grillos are?—A. They are formed of an iron bar fastened to a piece of wood, to which are attached two rings to receive the legs. [ A drawing of this instrument was then produced, whicli the witness said was an exact representation of the grWos.~] Q. Were you put upon the picket next day ?—A. Yes, upon the same instrument, and in the same manner ; it was iu the morning. Q, How long were you kept upon it?—A* Twenty-two minutes. Q. Was there a watch to shew the time ?—A- Yes. Q. Who was present r—A. Alvarez Beggorat, Francisco de Castro, and Rafael an Alguazll, (constable) were present. Q. With which arm was you tied up on the second day ?— A. By the right, and the operation reversed. I was so sus- pended that I could just touch the spike by extending my toe. Q. By Lord Ellenborough. Were your feet without shoes-or stockings?—J, Yes, they were naked. Q. What effect did the rack prodouce on you ?—A. I fainted twice whilst on the rack. Q. Was you taken down before or after your fainting ?—- A- I do not recollect, for I was totally insensible. Q. Were you again put in irons J. Yes, in the grillos the same evening. Q. How long were you in thisstate ?—A- All the time I was in prison, during eight months. Q. Are tlu.re any marks of the injury you received, now ap*