The Davenport gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Scott Co., Iowa) 1841-185?, 1853-03-24
THE FLOGGlNG TIMES.

| Ah1 "hotpi " ~ .
] burgh in the central district of Scotland
about seventy Years ago, was worth,
Trnjan Of the name Of Hackei, complete
specimen Of the thrashing pedagognes q
the last age. Modern ears would scarcely
credit the traditional stories which are told
OF this mans severity, or believe that such
merclless punlshmcnts could have been al.
lowed to take place in country SO far civ.
llized as ours thea was. Heavy and re-
peated applications Of a striped lhong, call
ed the taws, to tho open hands Of delin-
qnents, were matters Of familiar occur
renee. Skulls, as these were called, were
nothing. But Hacket would also, twenty
times q day, lay victims across the end OF
a table, and thrash as long as he could bold
With one hand and lay on with the other.
llorsing was one Of bis highest indulgences
or Injuries, and he had an ingenious mode
9ftorture peculiar to himself, BY causing
he boy to stride between two distant
boards while he endeavored 10 excite the
thinking faculties by bringing force to
bear from behind Thomas Lord Erskine
aud his brother Henry were brought up at
this school, and remembered Hackcl's Sc
verify through life, complaining particular
| ~ that il was all one whether you were
dull or bright boy, for if the former, you
were thrashed for your own proper demer
its, and if you were bright, you had moni-
torlal charge assigned to you over the rest,
and suffered for all the shortcomings OF
your interiors. We wonder at all this
nov; but the wonder is supertlaous. The
whole system was based on prevalent
notion that severity TO children was saln
'ary and beneficial, nay, indispensable, and
that, If you al all loved yonr son or your
pupil, it was your first and most solemn du
y towards him to give him a sound strap
padation on all possible occasions. FIog
gIng was simply one Of the bigo,res OF our
| erandiathers.
Amongst Hacke,'s pupils was boz
who had come from a distance, and was
boarded with family in the town, His
name for the present is Anderson. This
youth, placed far from his friends, felt the
ruthless severity of lIacket very bitterly,
and, as he was By no means genius, he
was both well strapped himself, and proba-
bly, the cause of much sirapping in others.
Naturally Of reserved and rejecting char
actar, lie said little Of his suticrings to any
Of his companions; bat the stripes sunk in
to his very soul, and, secretly wrihing TN
der sense Of the injustice aud indignis
with which he was treated. he conceived
The most deadly sentiments of revenge
| against his master. To &c, these wreaked
cut in present cIrcumst stances was impossl
ule; but he determined to take the first OPP
portuniiy that occurred, and in the mean
| tine to nurse his wrath. so tha, time should
not interfere in favor Of a tyrant, who
seemed to him To deserve the utmost ven
yeance that could be inflicted.
Anderson, like so many Scottish youth,
was drafted of at an early age to lndIa.
where he served for twenty five years. dur
ing which he never once was able to vIsit
his native shores. Having now obtained
Il competency, and settled his affairs, he re-
turned to Scotland, in order 10 spend there
the reminder Of his life. Ii will scarcely
| be believed that he still cherished his
scheme of vengeance against Hackei; but
the fact is that he did so, and this indeed is
what gives any value TO the anecdoie we
are relaiing-it is curious only as a genu
inc instance of a feeling preserved in exls-
fence much beyond the term usually as
signed to human feelings. He came home
| he purchased short but effective whip
he inurney ed to the town where ho had
been educated, and, establishing himself III
he inn, sent polite message TO Mr.
Ilacker. (who was still! in the vigour ofliie,
though retired from active dutv,) inviting
him to dine that afternoon with gentle
man who had once been his pupil. All
seemed now in train tor re;rlbutory visl
ta,ion upon the epidermis of the old gen
I,lemau; and the reader may be trembling
for the consequences of revenge so much
beyond the limit Of all common resent
ments.
Old Hscket dressed himself that day in
his best-ruiIles at the wrist, and silver
buckles in his shoes-eSpecting, from the
appearance Of the m n servant who deliv-
cred the message, an entertainment of 3
recherche kind from one who, no doubt, fell
a difficulty in expressing his gratitude for
the unspeakab'e benefit ola sound tlagella-
tory education. He was ushered into a
room, where he saw table prepared fer
dinner. A gentleman presently entered,
and, 10 his surprise, turned and deliberate
/, locked the door, putting the key in his
pocket. Then, taking down a whip from
he mntel piece, this gentleman came
stcrnly up to the venerable school master,
and asked if he had any recollection Of him
"No," said the teacher.
"Then, sir, shall insure that you re
member me forever after. Do you recol-
lect boy at your school twenty-five years
ago, Of the name Of Walter Anderson?"
81 dare say do"
Hscket, it may well bs believ cd, was in
a dreadul panic, for he saw that he was in
1.-The bands Of one he could not trifle WITH
tie was, however, shrewd in human nature,
and possessed plenty Of presence OF mind.
swell, weil,' said he, "this is bad bust
ness; but suppose it is true that was
rather severe long ago with my boys, ant
so | must Just submit. see, however
that preparations have been made for din
ner, aud as believe you to be a gentle
man, canno, suppose that you invited me