BUT, FIRST, THERE WAS A PLACE THAT REMINDS US OF THE DARKER
SIDE OF MANKIND, AS WE
DISCOVERED AT THE HISTORIC
MUSEUM OF TORTURE DEVICES IN
ALTON WHICH FEATURES OVER 40
EXHIBITS OF TORTURE DEVICES USED
THROUGHOUT HISTORY.
THROUGHOUT HISTORY. THE MINERAL SPRINGS HOTEL WHICH
WE ARE IN NOW IS NOW A MALL.
BUT IT WAS A 90 ROOM HOTEL.
IT IS THE MOST HAUNTED BUILDING
IN ALTON.
IN ALTON. ABOUT EIGHT YEARS AGO, TWO OF MY
FOUR CHILDREN AND I WENT TO
EUROPE LOOKING FOR FAMILY IN
EASTERN EUROPE, AND WE DIDN'T
FIND FAMILY, BUT WE DID FIND
TORTURE MUSEUMS.
TORTURE MUSEUMS. WE HAD NO IDEA ABOUT THE
FASCINATION OF THE HISTORY OF
TORTURE.
TORTURE. SO AFTER A COUPLE OF DAYS OF
VISITING IN THE MUSEUM IN
PROGUE, WE DECIDE OVER A BOTTLE
OF WINE WE WOULD BRING ONE TO
THE STATES.
THE STATES. THESE ARE ALL REPLICATIONS.
THESE DEVICE IS A CHINESE DEATH
CAGE.
CAGE. THE PERSON WHO WAS BEING
EXECUTED WAS PUT INTO THE CAGE,
BALANCING ON A LOG, A SMALL LOG
OR BRICKS, AND AT THE CEILING OF
THIS THING, THERE IS A HOLE FOR
THE NECK, AND THEY WERE PUT IN
THERE, AND THEY HAD TO BALANCE
WITH NO FOOD OR WATER IN THIS
THING UNTIL THEY EITHER FELL OFF
THE LOG OR COLLAPSED, AND THEN
EITHER THEIR NECWOULD BE
BROKEN OR THEY WOULD SUFFOCATE.
THIS IS A DEVICE THAT DOESN'T
KILL, BUT IT WAS USED FOR
HUMILIATION WHICH IS ANOTHER
FORM OF TORTURE.
AND THE PERSON WOULD BE PUT INTO
THIS APPARATUS WITH THEIR NECK
AND WRIST CONFINED, AND THEY
WOULD BE PLACED IN THE TOWN
SQUARE, AND PEOPLE WOULD OFTEN
THROW GARBAGE AND DEAD RATS AND
OTHER UNPLEASANT THINGS AT THEM
WHILE THEY ARE CONFINED IN THE
PILLAR RY.
PILLAR RY. WE HAD A BUNCH OF GRADUATE
STUDENTS DOING A LOT OF THE
RESEARCH FOR US, BUT WE HAVE
READ EXTENSIVELY FOR THE LAST
EIGHT YEARS, AND WE KEEP
LEARNING EVERY DAY.
IT AMAZES ME HOW CREW AL HUMANS
CAN BE.
CAN BE. BEHIND ME IS THE JIBBET.
THIS ONE HAS A SKELETON IN IT.
PEOPLE WERE NOT A SKELETON WHEN
THEY WERE PLACED IN THOSE.
THESE WERE USED IN EUROPE.
THEY WERE ACTUALLY USED AGAINST
SHEEP STEELERS.
SHEEP STEELERS. THEY WERE USED IN THIS COUNTRY
AROUND KEY WEST WHERE THERE WAS
A LOT OF PIRACY IN THE 1700'S.
THE PIRATES WHEN CAPTURED WERE
PUT IN THE JIBBET STRUNG UP ON A
HIGH POLE OUTSIDE THE MOUTH OF
THE HARBOR TO DISCOURAGE PIRACY.
THEY WERE USUALLY STRANGLED.
PIRATES WERE USUALLY STRANGLED
FIRST AND THEN PLACED IN THE
JIBBET COATED WITH TAR SO THEY
LASTED LONGER AS A WARNING.
THIS IS THE HEAD CAGE ALSO KNOWN
AS THE SKULL'S BRIDE EL.
THESE WERE PLACED ON WOMEN WHO
GOSSIPPED OR NAGGED THEIR
HUSBANDS.
HUSBANDS. HUSBANDS COULD HAVE THEIR WIFE
PUT INTO A BR A.
IN.
IN. K AND LEAD HER AROUND THE TOWN
SQUARE.
SQUARE. ANOTHER DEVICE OF HUMILIATION.
THE ONE THAT I HAVE HERE HAS A
MECHANISM THAT GOES UNDER THE
TONGUE, AND SCREWS DOWN, AND IT
RENDERS THE PERSON UNABLE TO
SPEAK.
SPEAK. OF COURSE, THEY CAN'T SWALLOW
THEIR SECRETIONS EITHER.
IT WAS A VERY HUMILIATING
EXPERIENCE.
EXPERIENCE. THIS DEVICE THAT I AM STANDING
NEXT TO IS THE GARROD, EXECUTION
DEVICE.
DEVICE. THESE WERE POPULAR THROUGHOUT
EUROPE, AND THEY WERE ALSO USED
IN THE PHILIPPINES.
THE INTERESTING THING ABOUT THIS
DEVICE IS THAT THE LAST ONE USED
WAS IN 1976 IN SPAIN.
THIS PIECE OF EQUIPMENT WORKS BY
HAVING THE PERSON SIT ON THE
STOOL.
STOOL. THEY WERE A FEW DIFFERENT
STYLES.
STYLES. SOME HAVE THIS METAL BAND.
SOME HAD A CHAIN.
SOME JUST HAD A ROPE.
BUT THAT GOES AROUND TO THE BACK
WHERE THERE IS A TURNING ROD,
AND AS YOU TURN IT, IT WOULD
EITHER TIGHTEN A ROPE OR TIGHTEN
THE BAND.
THE BAND. THIS ALSO HAS A SPIKE THAT COMES
OUT AND WOULD PIT THE PERSON THE
IN A SPINAL CORD.
DEATH WAS BY ASPHYXIATION.
I WANT PEOPLE TO WALK AWAY FROM
THIS MUSEUM WITH AN
ENLIGHTENMENT AS TO SOME OF THE
THINGS THAT MAN HAS BEEN CAPABLE
OF DOING TO MAN AND ALSO A
RELIEF AND GRATITUDE THAT WE ARE
NOT LIVING IN THESE TIMES TODAY.
THE OWNER ASKS THAT NO ONE UNDER
THE AGE OF 13 TOUR THE MUSEUM.
BUT IN ADDITION TO THE MUSEUM
ITSELF, HAUNTED TOU OF THE OLD
HOTEL ARE OFFERED PERIODICALLY
THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.
TO REACH THE HISTORIC MUSEUM OF TORTURE DEVICES, OR FIND A
SCHEDULE OF TOURS, GO TO
WWW.MINERALSPRINGSHAUNTEDTOURS .COM
WWW.MINERALSPRINGSHAUNTEDTOURS.C OM OR CALL (618)465-3205.