The Garotte
Used in Spain for hundreds of years, the garotte is an efficient means of execution by asphyxiation. In an earlier version, the victim was tied to a stake and a loop of rope was placed around his/her neck. A rod in the loop was turned until the rope tightened, choking the victim. In later versions, the stake was replaced with a chair in which the victim was bound, and the rope was replaced with a metal collar. Until 1940, Spain implemented a version of the garotte which included a metal spike which was driven into the spinal cord as the collar tightened.
Pictured is a 1901 execution of a prisoner at Bilibid Prison in Manila, Philippines. Garotting was outlawed in the Philippines in 1902.
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