Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 40, Number 64, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 14 April 1908 — TRIAL BY BREAD AND CHEESE. [ARTICLE]

TRIAL BY BREAD AND CHEESE.

Old-Time Primitive Way of Convicting Suspected Criminals.' There were.many, odd ways In ancient times of detecting criminals. Qur ancestors had. not lived long epoftgh jtq ,k>qe ,the|r faith In the gnawings of conscience, and dlylne lnftrfertnqh in earthly Justice was sufcerstitiously regarded as a daily occurrence. No queerer example of this fould be found than the ancient mode of trying prisoners by bread and cheese. •The unfortunate offender was led, with a halter round hla neck, to tiie parish church, and shere ln the presence of the people the priest pus pieces Cf cheese and rye bread In a patten on the altar. These he biassed ahd then the supposed eriminil had to eat them dry before the congregation/ t , If be to swallow them easily h,e. Rina acquitted, but if he choked lytefpondqmned. Naturally enough of innocent folk were thus done to rfeath.—Pe'airsonii Weekly.