He illustrated his narrative with a diagram of a cotton screw, a plantation appliance used for pressing cotton into bales (see Figure C.1). Roper drew on the visual style of technical diagrams to show how this common device could become an instrument of torture. The illustration labeled the parts of the machine “a” through “e,” explaining the purpose of each. At the letter “a,” his master, Gooch, “hung me up by the hands.” A horse, “b,” circled the contraption, turning the screw, “e,” while Gooch followed behind, whip in hand. The turning of the screw lowered a block, “c,” down into a box,
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