The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1874-11-17 00:00:00

UNDER THE LASH: A GAROTTER'S
CONFESSION.

The 1 I secAester livening Nears is publishing a series of
articles on " Criminal Manchester," the latest being
garotter's confession. The convict is still comparatively
young; he had been an active pick-pocket, and fur that
offence had revere: time% been iinprisoned. For a garotte
robbery in Manchater, of which he says he was innocent,
he was sentenced to seven years' penal servitude and two
dozen lashes. We now gado his narrative :—" I f mike,' it,
I can tell you. It knocked use over completely, and I
scarcely knew what to think about. I was awfully wild,
for I considered I didn't deserve such a severe sentence
for what I'd never done; but it must conic off I knew. I
was iu for i; proper, and I made up my mind to bear all
and say nothing. I was sentenced on the Monday, and it
was not till the next Tuesday but one that I was told I
should have any bombing (flogging). I was in a state all
the days I was in the cells thinking on what I should get..
If it had come straight olf I shouldn't have minded, but
it was thinking over It. I kept trying to feel what the
strokes of the lash would be like; whether it would hurt
we very much after the first half-dozen ; but I could never
get past one point, and that was that it would be ---
smart. If anyone had come and told me I could get off
by having another live-stretch put on the seven I should
base jumped at it. Not a word of a lie I'M telling, for I
was safe I should esteh it warm, and I'd heard that the
strongest men couldn't stand it. I was always weak,
though I'd nothing the matter with RIO any time, and I
was sure it'd kill me out right. I felt as certain of theta.
anything, and I couldn't deep a bit. Waiting for it's
what settles you; but at last one morning I was told I was
to be sant.
" I was led from the cell into the yard and stripped to
trousers. It was as cold ea could be, for it was in
December, and! shivered and felt lusts,, bed as ever! did
in my life. I was taken to a wall and saw two rings in
the bricks about as high as my shoulders and two posts of
wood, standing • bit apart and away from the rings, with
across piece that seemed as if it could slide up and down.
At the bottom of the poste was a kind of box with two
round holes in the top. They opened this like you might
pull a drawee out of • cupboard, and I was made to stand
in it. My feet were fitted into the corners, and then they
domed it and screwed It up. My legs were just fixed in
the holes now up to over the knee, and I was as fast as in
a vice. My hands were put into the a ings and the cross-
piece of wood fitted across any chat by the doctor. I was
as tight as a drum, and my back was a Ittle bent and
forced out and my anus stretched full length. I couldn't
bend any knees or shift about in any way, for everything
was fixed up so as to keep me in that same state till I'd
got any dose. There was something wanting at first, go
after I'd been tied up sane mintues I warn half frozen;
and they undid me and put something over my shoulders.
My back was stitt with cold even in that time, and I had
to wait • bit longer. It was cruel, for! like suffered
twice, but at last they put me up again. One of the screws
(tuinkeys) had got the cat in his hand, and hews. a big
fellow, but not half a bad 'on. Ile said to me he hoped I
shouldn't think any worse of him for it, but if he didn't
du it some .11111 else would. Of wear it was his duty, but
he did lay it on. The doctor stood by with him chron-
ometer in his hand counting—l'm sure it was • chron-
ometer, for I'd handled many • one in my tune—and then
I got ray bashing.
The first stroke went right acrou my shoulders, and
it WM something awful. I'd never felt anything like it
before, and I howled out sharp, and reared at loud as I
could. Just where the lash went it seemed to burn right
into me, and the skin felts. if It hail swelled up and warn
going to burst. It went though me like, and if a hot
Iron had scorched melt would" have been half as &hart).
I'd been told by the old 'uns in the gaol that it was hest
to shout as the doctor would think it was hurting me bed,
and! tuieht get off with half the dose, and I kept on all
the time it lasted. I could have said to the doctor, 'You
pig' as quiet as I'm saying it to you now, foraying
didn't ease me a bit. It was only a hit of kislinent
(deception) to • scheme' the doctor, but it didn't work.
was slow time, for! counted thirty Infer,! gut number
two, and that came as sharp as the first. I cursed and
called them every thing I could get off my tongue,
for I felt savage at being Moved in tor what I didn't
deserve. The doctor stood close by, and pointed out
where every stroke was to drop, and the screw put it
down just where he showed. Ile was • heel 'on, that
doctor, for every cut was as bail as the others,
_and the
pain was just like dying over and over again. What did
I think of between the lashes I I don't know, for I was
chiming as hard as I could. You see, I did think I'd
dune many times things that I ought to have gut • lashing
for, but now I was innocent. I couldn't help that coming
into my head during the half minute between the lashes,
but the hardest pull was trying to make out where the
next would drop. The doctor would point, and! waited
till! heard the whip coming, and then I cried out, louder
every time. Sometimes it would drop on one of the cut.
that had gone before, and it was bad then. I could
have sworn any back was as big again as it .hould be, for
after the cat was pulled sharp back the flesh went after
it, and row up till I knew I was bleeding, and that the
skin had hunt. The blood ran down into my trousers
thick, no cheese (mistake) about it. how did it hurt me!
Why, every now and then the cat lapped round ley chest,
and that was worst of all. It knocked me out of wind,
my breath went as if I'd jumped into cold water, choking
like, and iny mouth as dry as could be. I'd nothing to
chew, so! hung on to the rings with ley hands as hard
as I could, and this only pulled my chest across the wood
and made niy back tighter. I bled a good deal, but
I got the two dozen, amid I felt every odd 'on (each
one). The last was as bad as the first, every
bit of it, if not a trifle smarter, but I shouldn t
have minded if they'd laid in on quicker. It was
the slow time that licked we, and if I'd had the regu-
lation three dozen I think it would have done for me. It's
all stupid about not feeling it after the first five or six.
Your back don't grow dead (numb) at all, but only gets
tender as eat get more of it. Is there anything like a
blushing I Nothing that! know of. I've had most kinds
of knocking about, but It licks all ; there's no punishment
comes anywere near it. It's as bad while you're waiting
as when you're getting it, and both are smart When I
was taken down I was properly done over, and my back
was bleeding in a dozen places. Iwo. swelled all round,
tax in • wee you couldn t believe, and I couldn't button
my trousers or put ml braces on, although, before I was
scrat I could have wrapped nay trouser's Muni half-a-41mm
inches over. They were prison clothes, and they throw
them at you, anal ain't purfacular about the fit. I was
sore for a good wally days, but I wouldn't go to hospital
or see the doctor. I knew I'd to go theme:6de, mill, anal
...et toils °eery bit id it without flinching. I cave
my head to it, and when ono of the screws 1.7411.0 round
tale if my buck loot done I.loonlotic I told 4kil I
was all right- I went iorluesel the da?- after the Loafing,
for I wouldn't give 111, though I ueedu t have gone unless

•
7:ri:tayesi in gaol 13 weeks, and was Wen sent to the
Rank (Stillbank Prison). My Lack was healed then, but
the marks were there, and u hen I got in the bath with
the others, they made some remarks about it, but I didn't

ft. is satisfactory to learn that at the present time the
man is earning his tiring honestly.