Infamous Lady: The True Story of Countess Erzsébet Báthory

by Craft, Kimberly

  The 84th witness was the noble Valentinus Jelon, encountered here in Csejthe, about 90 years old, sworn and interrogated; he said, with my own eyes I have seen nothing and, regarding the specific questions, he also knew nothing except what he had heard from many others.

  The 85th witness was the noble Johannes Bula, encountered here in Csejthe, 35 years old, sworn and interrogated; he said that same as the previous witness, Valentinus Jelon.

  The 86th witness was the noble Nicolaus Bula, 28 years old, encountered here in Csejthe, sworn and interrogated; he said he knew nothing else regarding the specific questions, except that he had seen a maiden at the doctor in the town of Újhely, who said that the Lady Widow Nádasdy had inflicted cruel torture and torment on her.

  The 87th witness was the noble Martinus Waychko (Vychko), residing in Zolnafalva, about 50 years old, sworn and interrogated; he said that, when the Lady Widow Nádasdy was taken to the dungeon, he himself was present at the court in Csejthe and saw how before the eyes of the Lady Widow, a dead girl lying in a box, who had been killed by cruel blows, was put into a cart; he had also seen another girl who had been tormented by similar cruel torture; the witness had himself seen wounds between the shoulders where the flesh had been cut out, and also that the hands were torn apart, especially the right, and that the flesh between the fingers and the muscles on the upper arm and forearm, along with the tendons, were cut such that no hope seemed to exist that the healing and renewal of the former power of this hand could ever be restored. He asked this girl who had cut her flesh; she responded, the woman named Katarina had cut her with pliers, ripping out the black and blue marks and festering flesh; however, the Lady Widow Nádasdy hit and beat me with her hand.

  The 88th witness was the noble Gasparus Ztubyczay, 20 years old, sworn and interrogated in the town of Csejthe; regarding the questions posed, he knew only from hearsay; he knew only that one of his sisters named Anna was killed at the court or Gynaecaeum of said Lady Widow Nádasdy.

  The 89th witness was the noble Martinus Lofaak, 30 years old, sworn and interrogated; he said the same as Valentinus Jelon, the 84th witness.

  The 90th witness was the noble András Pryderowyth, about 30 years old, sworn and interrogated in the town of Csejthe; he said that he himself was in attendance at the court at Csejthe when the Lady Widow Nádasdy was led into the dungeon, and he had seen a dead girl lying in a box who, before the eyes of the Widow Lady Nádasdy, was placed on a cart; he had also heard from those who were standing closer that her body had been cut over and over and that injuries such as traces of shackles could be found around the neck, as confirmed by the doctor regarding the other surviving girls, as well as Martinus Vychko, the 87th Witnesses; he had also seen a woman who, after she was freed from having her feet bound together, recounted that she had been so tied because she had refused to hand over her daughter to the Lady Widow Nádasdy; he had also seen another virgin upon whose body he discovered, after looking closer, wounds so deep from the flesh being cut out that one could easily stick a fist through them.

  The 91st witness was the noble Stephanus Pryderowyth, about 28 years old, sworn and interrogated; he said that he knew nothing more except that he had seen a girl being treated by a doctor in Újhely, and said the same as Martinus Vychko, adding that he saw that her right hand was scarred over.

  The 92nd witness was the noble Gasparus Arokhathy, 32 years old, sworn and interrogated in the town of Csejthe; he said that he knew nothing more, except that he had seen a girl at the doctor’s in Újhely who could not move her right hand.

  The 93rd witness was the noble Janós Andachy, Castellan of Castle Csejthe, about 50 years old, sworn and interrogated; he said that he knew two girls died at the time of the wedding celebration of György Homonnay and that they were brought to Újhely and buried there, but he did not know how they died; he also saw a girl, treated by the doctor in Újhely, and he recounted the same as Martinus Vychko, the 87th witness, regarding the mutilation of her hand.

  The 94th witness was the noble Michael Horwath, Castellan at the court of Csejthe, about 45 years old, sworn and interrogated; he said that he knew seven girls died at the Gynaecaeum of the Lady Widow, and that they were not buried deep enough in the little garden behind the courtyard at Csejthe such that the dogs dug up the bodies. He had also seen the girl taken out at the same time when the Lady Widow was brought to the dungeon, whose face was overall destroyed, appearing blue in color; regarding the girl who was treated in Ujhely, he said the same as Andreas Pryderowyth, the 90th witness, adding that her right hand was severely injured and rendered unusable.

  The 95th witness was the noble Stephanus Bobochay, about 40 years old, living in the town of Zolnafalva, sworn and interrogated; he said that he had been present at the court in Csejthe when the Lady Widow Nádasdy was led into the prison, and he had seen a dead girl laid in a box that, before the eyes of the Widow Lady, was taken out on a wagon; after the Lady Widow had been taken away, the witness himself and others there present undertook a detailed examination, and they saw wounds and injuries from blows to the face, thighs, the buttocks and other body parts; the hands were also broken, blue colored and swollen; regarding the other girl treated in Újhely, the witness said the same as Martinus Vychko and added that her hand had been destroyed and rendered completely useless.

  The 96th witness was the noble Janós Mlynar, residing in the town of Csejthe, about 30 years old, sworn and interrogated; he said the same as the previous witness, except that, regarding the girl treated in Újhely, he had not seen her.

  The 97th witness was the venerable Janós Abrahamides Ponikenos (Ponikenusz), Pastor in Csejthe, about 38 years old, sworn in by the purity of his conscience. He said that he had been in Csejthe for eight years and had heard about the many vices and terrible deeds of the Lady Widow Nádasdy. His predecessor had told him about this woman, that the Lady Widow buried dead girls in her Gynaecaeum and, in secret, even several times in the church cemetery in Csejthe; after the witness had assumed the pastorship here in Csejthe, he had forbidden the Lady Widow these clandestine burials, both in Csejthe as well as for the other areas of his parish diocese; but then he had heard that she had buried someone in Leszetice, and he, therefore, scolded the parish priest of Leszetice, who then sent him this reply, that he informed the old women of the Widow Lady that the funeral in Leszetice could not take place since there is a burial place in Csejthe; to which they responded, you must permit the burial, both in Csejthe and in Leszetice alike, because both places are in our possession. Regarding the virgins, particularly the ones found in her Gynaecaeum at the time when the Lady Widow was taken to the dungeon, the witness said the same as Martinus Vychko; regarding the threat of the Hajdukes, the reminder to exercise restraint, remorse, and to take Holy Communion, he said the same as the pastor from Verbo; he had also heard from Martinus Gablyowych, once the servant of the Lady Widow, who told him how once in one of the buildings of Castle Csejthe, the old women undressed some girls and put burning candles around them and since one could observe through the cracks of the door - because the blades/blinds were closed - he saw that the burning candles were placed on the girls’ abdomen and that something happened, but what they did, he could not exactly make out.

  The 98th witness was the noble Martinus Chanady, living in the town of Beckov, 48 years old, sworn and interrogated; he said that he, along with Janós Belanczky, had visited the aforementioned Lady Widow Nádasdy there in the city of Beckov so that Janós Belanczky could get his sister back, but that this Lady Widow had refused to return her; then Janós Belanczky demanded that the Lady Widow at least show him his sister, something also nearly impossible to achieve; after they waited nearly an hour, they finally got to see her; she was very severely weakened because of the great pain from torture and torment, so much that she could hardly hold out her hands, bitterly whining and crying; and soon thereafter she was so terribly tortured that she died and was buried in Beckov; the same witness also knew that a daughter of the nob
le Georgius Tukynzky was killed by the cruelty of this Lady Widow Nádasdy; he knew also that this Lady Widow had also killed the daughter of Benedictus Barbel, the brother of Janós Chapordi, once the castellan at Castle Verbo, torturing her through a red-hot iron to the abdomen; the same witness had also heard that this Lady Widow Nádasdy had torn the flesh from the bodies of the virgins, ground it into minced meat and allowed it to be set before her servants.

  The 99th witness was the noble Nicolaus Mednyansky, notary of Trencsén county, sworn and interrogated; he had no knowledge of and could say nothing regarding the questions posed, but he had heard from everyone what this Lady Widow had done.

  The 100th witness was the noble Janós Kenesey, about 42 years old, sworn and interrogated; regarding the sister of Janós Belanczky, he said the same as Martinus Chadanay; regarding the other questions posed, he knew of it only through hearsay.

  The 101st witness was the honorable Georgius Keery, living in the town of Beckov, about 63 years old, sworn and interrogated; he said that he had not seen anything posed in the questions but that he had heard that the Lady Widow Nádasdy had allowed the murder of Georgius Tukynzky’s daughter and Janós Belanczky’s sister in an unspeakably cruel manner; he had heard that their parents and relatives frequently tried to investigate their death; but to the best of witness’ knowledge, the Lady Anna Welykey, former wife of Nicolaus Kardos, had entrusted both of these girls, as well as the daughter of Benedictus Barbel, to the Gynacaeum of the Lady Widow Nádasdy were they were killed.

  The 102nd witness was the noble Georgius Zombach, official of the honorable Dániel Pongrácz, about 35 years old, sworn and interrogated in the city of Beckov; he said that he knew nothing except that which he had heard from noble Georgius Tukynzky, that the said Lady Widow Nádasdy had killed his daughter through various tortures and cruel torments and buried her in Beckó; regarding the rest of the questions posed, he knew about them in general from hearsay.

  The 103rd witness was the noble Franciscus Symanoffy, Castellan at Castle Beckó, about 35 years old, sworn and interrogated; he said the same as Nicolaus Mednyansky, the 99th witness.

  The 104th witness was the noblewoman Soffia Chehy, former wife of the noble Franciscus Kardos, about 50 years old, sworn and interrogated in the city of Beckov; she said the same as the previous witness.

  The 105th witness was the noblewoman Anna, wife of the noble Stephanus Hydweghy, living in the city of Beckov, 33 years old, sworn and interrogated; she said the same as the previous witness, and added that she knew of many virgins who had been taken to the Lady Widow Nádasdy but none, however, had returned from there.

  The 106th witness was the respectable Lady Dorottya, wife of Georgius Ztankowsky, residing in the city of BeckOV, 18 years old, sworn and interrogated; she said that she knew that Lady Anna Welykey brought the daughter of Benedictus Barbel and sister of Janós Zabo or Chapordy to the Gynaecaeum of Lady Widow Nádasdy and that they were killed there but in which way, however, she does not know.

  The 107th witness was the respectable Lady Dorottya, wife of György Phylippowych, residing in the market town of Beckov, 19 years old, sworn and interrogated; she said the same as Nicolaus Mednyansky, the 99th witness.

  The 108th witness was the respectable Lady Chrystina, widow of Georgius Polyak, 28 years old, residing in the city of Beckov, sworn and interrogated; she said the same as the previous witness.

  The 109th witness was the respectable Lady Katalin, wife of Blasius Kochys, about 42 years old, sworn and interrogated; she said the same as the previous witness.

  The 110th witness was the venerable Georgius Kromholcius, Pastor in the town of Beckov, 53 years old, sworn by the purity of his conscience; he said the same as Nicolaus Mednyansky, the 99th witness.

  The 111th witness was the prudent Tamás Nyereghjárto, 35 years old, sworn and interrogated in the town of Beckov; he said that he heard from many in general about the Lady Widow Nádasdy; he had nothing else to report from his own knowledge except that the girl he saw was treated in Újhely because the flesh on her right hand between the fingers and arm was torn out and the tendon had been destroyed.

  The 112th witness was the honorable Janós Zabo, citizen of the town of Beckov, sworn and interrogated; he said the same as Nicolaus Mednyansky.

  The 113th witness was the honorable Georgius Tarnoczky, first judge in the town of Beckov, 66 years old, sworn and interrogated; he said that he had previously worked as a judge for the Lady Widow Nádasdy and had frequently stopped at the court of this woman; when he was in Csejthe or Beckó, he frequently heard that the Lady Widow Nádasdy tortured and tormented the virgins amongst her maids in various and horrific ways, such as binding them naked to a ladder and burning them them with a red-hot iron, the kind used to press women’s collars, burning them on the abdomen and torturing them thus; regarding the daughter of Benedictus Barbel named Anna, he said the same as Dorottya, wife of Georgius Ztankowzky, the 106th witness.

  The 114th witness was the honorable Petrus Zabo, Senator (Council Member) of the town of Beckov, about 55 years old, sworn and interrogated; he said the same as Nicolaus Mednyansky, the 99th witness, and added that when the Lady Widow Nádasdy spent some time in Beckov, he saw a number of virgins with smashed and blue-flecked faces; he had also heard that the wife of Nicolaus Kardos had sent the Lady Widow Nádasdy two girls from the other side of the mountains located in another part of the country, who died at the court or Gynaecaeum of this Lady Widow.

  The 115th witness was the noble Valentinus Newedy, 55 years old, sworn and interrogated; he said the same as Nicolaus Mednyansky.

  The 116th witness was the noble Janós Kun, Provisor of the glorious Franciscus Magochy in Beckov, 50 years old, sworn and interrogated; he said the same as the previous witness; regarding the girl who was treated in Újhely, he said the same as Tamás Nyeregjartho, the 111th witness; also, he had heard from the noble, the former Alexander Kun, Court Master of the said Lady Widow Nádasdy, that this Lady Widow Nádasdy put some virgins from amongst her maids into containers carved from rough stone, which were filled with water, and made them sit there, while others were made to lie naked on burning coals which were brought into the house, so that she could pull out the flesh of the upper- and underarms and between the shoulders of some of them, allowing them to be so cruelly tortured and tormented.

  The 117th witness was the noblewoman Katalin, wife of said Janós Kun, about 36 years old, sworn and interrogated; she said the same as her husband, Janós Kun; however, regarding the girl who was treated in Újhely, she said that she had seen the hand of this girl and that the flesh between the fingers as well as the upper- and underarms together with the tendons and also between the shoulders was cut out, and that the right hand of this girl was completely destroyed.

  The 118th witness was the noblewoman Anna, wife of Georgius Posgy, about 40 years old, sworn and interrogated; she said the same as Nicolaus Mednyansky.

  The 119th witness was the noblewoman Dorottya, widow of the noble Ladislaus Zemenyei, about 56 years old, living in the town of Beckov, sworn and interrogated; she said the same as the 117th witness and added that the girl who was treated in Újhely told her that she was cruelly tortured not only with a red-hot iron but also with burning candles.

  The 120th witness was the noblewoman Katalin, wife of the noble Valentinus Newedy, sworn and interrogated; she said the same as Nicolaus Mednyansky.

  The 121st witness was the noblewoman Erzsébet, wife of the noble Nicolaus Vachay, 35 years old, sworn and interrogated; she said the same as the previous witness.

  The 122nd witness was the noblewoman Soffia, wife of the noble Georgius Kopach, 24 years old, sworn and interrogated; regarding the questions posed, she said the same as Nicolaus Mednyansky and added that she knew that the noble girl, Susanna, daughter of Georgius Tukynzky, was killed in the Gynaecaeum of Lady Widow Nádasdy.

  The 123rd witness was the noblewoman Soffia Rakolubzky, wife of the noble Franciscus Symonffy, 26 years old, sworn an
d interrogated; she said she knew that the daughter of Benedictus Barbel was killed in the Gynaecaeum of Lady Widow Nádasdy; regarding the other questions, she knew only from hearsay.