2. Burned At The Stake
The Middle Ages were pretty violent and brutal. Back in those cruel and primitive times Men were Men and Women were probably witches. Suspicions surrounding Witchcraft and Heresy were pretty big during this period. Ruthless torturers were employed to extract information which would usually lead to an execution. The punishment by fire was always inflicted in cases of heresy, blasphemy or witchcraft. Almost exclusively the executions were public to keep the mob both placated and entertained - these days we have Britain's Got Talent. Being burned alive has to to be one of the most painful deaths imaginable: your blood boils, your skin fries, and your internal organs explode. Pretty grim. A more recent example is Henry Smith who was tortured and murdered in February of 1893 in Paris, Texas. Accused of abducting and murdering a child he was lashed to a stake on a makeshift scaffold. There was a distinctly party atmosphere amongst the seething mass of "humanity" and local schools were given the day off so the pupils could watch. The childs father, her brother, and two uncles then thrust hot irons into his body. Press reports attest that his every groan elicited cheers from the crowd of approximately 10,000 people. Smith's eyes were burned out and the irons were thrust down his throat before the crowd piled flammable materials around the scaffold, poured fuel on it and set it alight. Somehow the victim managed to break free a couple of times, only to be pushed back into the conflagration by the crowd. When death had claimed him and the fire had burned out, souvenir hunters raked through the ashes and squabbled over his bones and teeth.