Chef boiled to death in two-hour agony branded 'worst execution ever'

Irish Daily Mirror

4 days ago

A dinner party in Lambeth, south London, in 1531, turned into the backdrop for what might just be one of history's most chilling executions - death by being boiled alive.
The soiree took a sinister turn when guests started to suffer from severe sickness. The finger was pointed at the cook, Richard Roose, who was suspected of lacing the food with a mysterious substance.
King Henry VIII handed down a death sentence to Roose for his alleged role in the poisoning. His end would go down in the annals as he became the first person in Britain to meet his maker through the ghastly method of being boiled alive in public.
Although the finer points of the execution are scarce, historical records indicate that Roose was fastened to a gibbet, akin to a gallows, and then plunged repeatedly into a scalding cauldron. Witnesses claimed he "roared mighty loud" and succumbed after a torturous two-hour ordeal.
The method of boiling someone to death was crafted to be a drawn-out, excruciating affair, ensuring maximum torment from the burns inflicted, reports the Daily Star.
Burns from heat occur when skin cells are destroyed, but it's believed that it's not the burns themselves that are fatal, rather the body's shock response to grave injuries.
Thermal injuries arise when skin or other tissues' cells are obliterated. Similarly, the state of shock, a perilous condition triggered by inadequate oxygen supply to the body, is what ultimately poses a mortal threat.
The NHS warns that classic indicators of going into shock include sporting a ghostly complexion, skin that's cold and damp to the touch, racing pulse, shallow and quick breathing, or even passing out.
Severe burns are no minor affair; they can lead to soft tissue contraction which may cause the skin to rip apart, accompanied by a reduction in the fat and muscles. Particularly with burn injuries, expect muscle contractions to potentially result in joint stiffness.
Current research alerts to the risk of respiratory failure following intense heat exposure, attacking the airways and potentially leading to fatal outcomes. For those who have suffered from burns, particularly with inhalation trauma, respiratory failure is a leading cause of mortality.
Perusing through historical annals, it's recorded that Richard Roose bore severe blistering caused by burns, yet it remains a mystery whether his scathing was due to water, oil, or wax within the cauldron.
Previous historical accounts of gruesome executions record the chilling fact that victims might have been initially plunged into tepid liquid, which would gradually boil – prolonging the onset of shock to heighten the agony. On YouTube, a video recounting such a grisly tale has left viewers appalled, stating their repulsion at such a barbaric penalty, one commenting it's the "worst execution."
Another viewer said: "It's hard to fathom the brutality these people inflicted on one another. We are the cruellest of all living species."
Meanwhile, a third person added: "Even if guilty this punishment is beyond evil."
This method of execution was so savage that it was subsequently banned by Edward VI in 1547. However, accidental deaths due to boiling can still happen in the present day.
For example, in 2016, a tragic incident occurred when a 23 year old lost his life and was dissolved after falling into a hot spring at Yellowstone National Park in the US. When his body was discovered, the water was reportedly at a boiling temperature of 100°C (212°F).
According to the World Health Organisation, an estimated 180,000 deaths each year are attributed to burn injuries. In 2019, two Russians met a horrific end when they were boiled alive in a sinkhole after failing to swerve their vehicle at the last moment, plunging into blistering water.