Crushing
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- This article is about the method of execution. See crusher for a description of the manufacturing process and mechanisms for it.
Death by crushing, as a method of execution, had a long and bloody history, and the techniques to achieve this end varied greatly from place to place. This form of execution is, however, no longer sanctioned by any governing body.
The most common method of death by crushing was through the use of elephants. This practice was ubiquitous throughout South and South-East Asia for over 4,000 years of recorded history, and perhaps before that. The Romans and Carthaginians also used this method on occasion. See crushing by elephant.
Throughout history, other forms of crushing have also been used. Peine forte et dure, or pressing by weights, formerly common in England and early colonial America, was perhaps the most common. In this form of torture, the accused had heavy weights, usually large stones, placed upon him. Although pressing was usually intended as a method of torture or coercion, death by suffocation or internal injuries was often the end result. During the Salem Witch Trials in 1692, Giles Corey was pressed in an attempt to force him to enter a plea. Instead of being executed by hanging along with those convicted in the trials, he died after three days of excruciating pain 'for standing mute' without entering a plea.zh:踏刑