Infamous Lady: The True Story of Countess Erzsébet Báthory (33 page)

The 4th witness was the honorable Michael Palenyk, 45 years old, sworn and interrogated; he said, he knew nothing more regarding the questions, except that, 13 years ago when said Mrs. Erzsébet Báthory stayed in the city of Kosztolány, a girl from amongst her maids died and was buried here, and that the witness himself saw that the body of the dead girl was covered with bruises and black and blue marks.

The 5th witness was the honorable Stephenus Kressko, about 43 years old, sworn and interrogated; he said—-as the 3rd Witness-—he had heard very much regarding the cutting out, frying, and eating of human flesh.

The 6th witness was the honorable Janós Mraz, about 50 years old, sworn and interrogated; he spoke on all things the same as the judge of Kosztolány.

The 7th witness was the honorable Georgius Markowych, about 50 years old, sworn and interrogated; he spoke of the cruelty of the Lady Widow the same as the judge from Kosztolány; he had heard the least regarding the virgins who died at the time of the wedding celebration of György Homonnay; however, he had seen the girl that was forced to bathe in winter in a frozen river, then carried away bound; the next day she was dead.

The 8th witness was the honorable Paulus Jeczko, 33 years old, sworn and interrogated; he said the same as the first witness regarding the two maidens who were buried in Kosztolány.

The 9th witness was the honorable Janós Palenyk, 30 years old, sworn and interrogated; he said the same as the 1st witness and added that he himself saw that the bodies of girls who died at the time of the wedding celebration of György Homonnay were covered with horrible wounds, their faces crushed, burned and full of blue spots; and he had also heard from many that the Lady Widow inflicted various sufferings upon her maids and tore off their body parts with forceps.

The 10th witness was the honorable Georgius Mladých, about 45 years old, sworn and interrogated; he said the same as the previous witness regarding the cruelty, and also in all things like the first witness; at the time, however, when the two aforementioned virgins had died during the wedding of György Homonnay, the witness was the sexton in Kosztolány, and he himself had dug graves for them in the middle of the night in Kosztolány; they had been buried in the early dawn at Kosztolány, without any funeral ceremony. The witness had himself seen their disfigured appearances, shattered and covered with stains.

The eleventh witness was the honorable Martinus Vurzko, about 40 years old, sworn and interrogated; he said that he knew nothing, that he had not lived long in Kosztolány.

The 12th witness was the noble Michael Horwath,
Officialis
(official) in Kosztolány, 40 years old, sworn and interrogated; he said the same as the judge of the city of Kosztolány and added that he himself heard from the same young servants, mentioned by the judge of the city of Kosztolány, that the Lady Widow sometimes tore off the girls’ limbs with glowing tongs; he also added that last year at the same time as the illustrious Palatine came in for the eight days of court, two girls were buried in Leszetice.

The 13th, 14th, 15th, 16th, and 17th witnesses were the honorable Nicolaus Syny, 35 years old, Stephanus Belwczky, 30 years old, Johannes Hronyak, 30 years old, Michael Dubrawczky, 30 years old, Nicolaus Kwochka, 40 years old, Janós Mychalowech, 20 years old, all residents of the said city of Kosztolány, sworn and interrogated; they unanimously said the same as the first witness regarding the cruelty of Lady Erzsébet Báthory.

The 18th Witness was the noble Michael Horwoytth (also Herwoyth), Provisor (administrator) of Castle Csejthe, 38 years old, sworn and interrogated; he said that the rumors of the cruelty of the Lady Widow Nádasdy were already in circulation far and wide for several years; the same witness also knew that whenever the Lady Widow stayed in Csejthe, one could hear everyday the sounds of beatings being heard from her
Gynaecaeum
, including the crying and lamenting of the beaten girls; the fact that they were beaten more and more often and that they could be heard crying changed nothing; the same witness had also seen that almost every day the Lady Widow was briefly bound together with switches, which the girls got to feel; he had also heard from the noble, Michael Horvath, who lived in the castle of the city of Csejthe, that last year when the Lady Wife of the illustrious and famous Count Zrínyi stayed with the Lady Widow in Csejthe, five virgins were killed and buried here in Csejthe in a grain cellar; also in this year, two more virgins were cruelly killed and buried in a similar way in Leszetice; this witness also added that he had heard from the same noble that a dead girl had been buried in the small garden behind the castle courtyard; however, as it had not been buried deeply enough, the dogs dug it up again; this witness also reported that the Lady Widow Nádasdy went into the dungeon, where a coat was placed over a dead girl and, before the eyes of even this Lady Widow, the body was placed into a carriage and, thereafter, the Lady Widow departed; however, after the Lady Widow’s departure, the witness and many others were able to see these dead bodies down there more closely, that on their cheeks, between the shoulder blades and other parts of the body cruel injuries caused by torture were visible; he had also seen another girl that had been cruelly tortured, with two rather large wounds between the shoulder blades and also burned hands, which, when asked how these wounds and this injury had come about, he answered, by cruel blows; and then had the Lady Widow, through her old women, torn the flesh from the body with pliers, the body already swollen and reddened from beatings.

The 19th witness was the honorable Emeritus (retired from service) Ocskay of Ochko, encountered in the city of Kosztolány, about 32 years old, sworn and interrogated; he said, regarding the items included for questioning, he had seen none of it with his own eyes; he had only heard about everything from others.

The 20
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, 23
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, 24
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, 25
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, 26
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, 27
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, 28
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, 29
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, and 30
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witnesses were the honorable Paulus Horvath, about 50 years old, Mattheus Morawczik, about 40 years old, Martinus Blanar, about 60 years old, Michael Janychowyk, about 50 years old, Janós Janychowyk, 33 years old, Gasparus Lyptaak, 36 years old, Martinus Sebanowyk, 40 years old, Mátyás Swecz, 30 years old, Adamus Kowach, about 80 years old, György Lehoczky, 33 years old, Martinus Koryttko, 30 years old, all residing in the city of Kosztolány, sworn and interrogated; the first, Paulus Horwath, said that to his knowledge he could not confirm, but that he had heard from others, two dead girls have been buried in the city of Kosztolány; but at least he knew that in the last year, a girl from Schar who was a maid of the Lady Widow was buried in Leszetice, whose coffin the witness himself had prepared; he knew also that the boy named Ficzkó came into Leszetice with the dead girl; Mattheus Morawczik said the same as the 9th witness, Janós Palenyk; Martinus Blanar said the same as Paulus Horwath, the 20
^th
witness, regarding the two virgins buried in Kosztolány, and nothing more; Michael Janychowyck said the same as the previous witness; Gasparus Lyptaak said the same as the previous witness; Janós Janychowyk said the same as the previous witness; Mattheur Sebanowyk said the same as the previous witness; Matthias Swecz spoke of the two virgins who were buried in Kosztolány at the time of the wedding celebration of György Homonnay, like Paulus Horvath, the 20th Witness; Adamus Kowach said the same as the previous witness; Georgius Lehoczky said the same as the previous witness, adding that he heard from the wife of Stephenus Literatus, Mrs. Barbara, a relative, that she herself had seen, in the city of Trencsén, two virgin maids of the Lady Widow Nádasdy with pierced hands; Martinus Koryttko said that he knew nothing other than the fact that whenever one heard of the arrival of the Lady Widow in this area, some of the female servants fled the property in fear of her arrival.

The 31
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, und 40
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witnesses were Petrus Hrenkaar, about 70 years old, Nicolaus Podhoczky, 40 years old, Stephanus Gasparowych, 65 years old, Janós Seban, 30 years old, Georgius Peczyk, 80 years old, Georgius Porwbzky, 50 years old, Nicolaus Blaho, 28 years old, Martinus Knyebko, 40 years old, Petrus Lybay, 30 years old, Mattheus Janowych, 50 years old, all residents of the city of Kosztolány, sworn and interrogated; the first, Petrus Hrenkaar, said that he knew nothing regarding the questions, except what he had heard from others; regarding the content of the questions, Nicolaus Podhoczky and Stephanus Gasparowych said the same as previous witness; Janós Seban said he knew that at the time of the wedding celebration, two girls were buried in Kosztolány; he also heard from others that Lady Widow Nádasdy tore apart the body of her maid with pliers; Georgius Peczyk, Georgius Porwbzky, Nicolaus Blaho, Martinus Knyebko, Petrus Lybay, Mattheus Janowych said the same as Petrus Hrenkaar, the 40
^th
witness; Nicolaus Blaho said, in addition, that he had heard 300 maidens had been put to death by the Lady Widow Nádasdy.

The 41
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, and 50
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witnesses were the honorable Georgius Pepliczky, 40 years old, Adamus Panychowek, 45 years old, Stephanus Dyenak, 40 years old, Janós Urbanowych, 28 years old, Janós Janychowek, 40 years old, Michael Pepliczky, 28 years old, Adamus Janychowych, 32 years old, Janós Potoczky, 25 years old, Janós Rekra, 30 years old, Martinus Zaryeczky, 20 years old, all residents of the city of Kosztolány, sworn and interrogated; they spoke unanimously that they could not confirm the questions from their own knowledge but that they had heard much about the Lady Widow’s cruelty; Michael Pepliczky also said that this autumn, after the Lady Widow had come to Csejthe, he saw two ladies from her entourage with bruises and black and blue marks, and their faces scratched as if by nails.

The 51
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witnesses were the honorable Janós Kadlwecz, 40 years old, Martinus Gonda, 50 years old, Janós Petryk, 50 years old, Janós Gazda, 50 years old, Nicolaus Zmatana, 30 years old, Mattheus Stephanozowych, 30 years old, Martinus Polyak, about 40 years old, Janós Hawran, 40 years old, Janós Kubychokowych, 30 years old, Janós Morawchyk, 25 years old, Martinus Hornyak, 55 years old, Jonas Zlatynsky, 28 years old, Felix Kowach, 55 years old, Janós Sebanowych, 30 years old, Georgius Horenyczky, 60 years old, Georgius Habdak, 33 years old, all residents of the city of Kosztolány, sworn and interrogated; The first, Janós Kadlwecz, said that recently and not so long ago that he was in the city of Bitcá, having come from the city of Zolna; there in Bitca, he had heard that the boy Ficzko, servant of the aforementioned Lady Widow Nádasdy, had been interrogated and had confessed to killing 130 virgins in this Lady Widow’s
Gynaecaeum
; however, the old women of this Lady Widow, who were burned in Bicsa, admitted to having killed 50 and 70, respectively; he had also heard that the Mistress of Miava, after they interrogated her under torture, had confessed that she sent many girls with cheese and cheese products from the estate to Csejthe, all of whom came to the court of the Lady Widow and were killed there. Martinus Gonda said that, after the Lady Widow came to Kosztolány, he himself often saw virgins with swollen faces and hands covered with blue patches; regarding the girl who had been plunged into the stream in the winter, he said the same as the judge of Kosztonány; the second witness from this group, Janós Petryk, said that he knew nothing more except what he had heard about her, that two dead virgins had been buried during the wedding celebrations of György Homonnay in Koszolány; Janós Gazda said the same as the previous witness; Nicolaus Zmatana said, overall, he knew nothing; Mattheus Stephanozowych said the same as Janós Pettryk; Martinus Hornyak said he knew by hearsay the same as Martinus Gonda, the 52nd witness; Jonas Zlatynsky said the same as Janós Pettryk, the 53rd witness; Felix Kowach said he knew nothing; Janós Seban said the same as Janós Pettryk; Georgius Horenyczky said the same as the previous witness; Georgius Habdak said the same as Georgius Markowych, the 7
^th
witness, regarding the girl who was forced to swim in the creek in the winter, and added that he had seen girls who were cruelly shattered and covered in bleeding wounds; this same witness had also personally seen girls who had been kept shackled by the creek and asked why this was happening, and was told, their mistress could neither eat nor drink if she had not previously seen one of the virgins from amongst her maids killed in a bloody way.

The 67
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, 68
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, and 72
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witnesses were the honorable Adamus Mojzes, 50 years old, Kosztolány property owner, Janós Werwrowech, 52 years old, Janós Steffanczowech, 30 years old, Janós Stywgel, 40 years old, Martinus Kyswkha, 40 years old, Janós Nedoraz, 36 years old, all residents of the city of Kosztolány, sworn and interrogated; the first, Adamus Mojzes, said the same as Michael Horwath,
Officialis
, the 12
^th
witness, regarding the maidens buried here in Kosztolány; regarding the rest, he said the same as Michael Herwoyth, Provisor, the 18
^th
witness; Janós Werwrowech (also Wendrowych) said the same as Janós Pettryk, the 53
^rd
witness, regarding the two dead maidens buried in Kosztolány; Janós Steffanczowech (also Stephanowych) said the same as the previous witness; Janós Stywgel said that he knew that two dead maidens were buried in Kosztolány at the time of György Homonnay’s wedding celebration because he himself was one of the gravediggers; Martinus Kyswkha said that he knew nothing; Janós Nedoraz said that he heard that the boy Ficzkó confessed under torture that he sealed the lips of girls together with large-headed nails so that they could not scream; eventually, their flesh was cut out, whereupon the Lady Widow Naáasdy ground it up and gave it to the servants to eat.