But one 16th-century man is believed to have endured what some consider to be the “worst execution” in recorded history.
If you know a bit about history, you’re probably aware that torture devices and brutal punishments were pretty common back then.
And let’s not forget about prisoners being left to rot in some dark, underground cell.
All of these sound awful, but what happened to Richard Roose may be one of the worst of them all.
According to the story, Roose allegedly added some suspicious powder to the guests’ porridge, as well as to two beggars’ bowls.
When people started falling seriously ill—and with the beggars tragically passing away—Roose made a run for it.
But, as the YouTube channel The Fortress explains, the authorities eventually caught up with him, and he was arrested.
During the interrogation, he reportedly claimed that he had been forced to add the powder to the food as a joke. He maintained that he didn’t know it would be lethal.
King Henry VIII, who ruled at the time, took a keen interest in the case. The king pushed through an act of Parliament that made poisoning an act of treason, which carried a particularly harsh penalty.
“The King’s word was final, and he also expanded the definition of treason, saying that murder by poisoning was classed as treason.”
At the time, treason was usually punished in a horrific manner.
As horrible as that sounds, Roose’s punishment somehow managed to be even worse.
Crowds gathered in London to watch Roose meet his fate. He was repeatedly dunked into a massive cauldron of boiling water—three times—until he died. It was an unimaginably cruel death.
One commenter described it as “the worst execution” they had ever heard of, while another called it “beyond evil.”
Another person reflected on the cruelty humans are capable of, saying:
“It’s hard to fathom the brutality these people inflicted on one another. We are the cruelest of all living species.”
