Monmouth weekly herald. [volume] (Freehold, N.J.) 1854-1860, 1858-08-05
Barbarous Treatment of q Woman
in India.

The writer Of Travel Notes in Bible
Lands" published in Harper's Weekly,
gives the following sketch of the admin
istration Of Turkish justice as witnessed
in the city Of Pergamos, by himself and
a party Of friends who accompanied him:
AS we approached the heart of the city
we heard the loud cries Of contending
people, and at length arrived at a spot
where justice was administered after the
Eastern fashion.
The resident Governor was holding
court, with the Khadi for his associate.
At the moment Of our arrival a curious
case, and one somewhat unusual in Turk
lsh countries, was on trial.
It appeared that Hail Betmassi had
two wives and Hail lived in peace at
Soma, some FIVE or seven hours from Per-
gamos. The first wife, q lady of twenty
one or two, became highly indignant at
the Introduction of the second and af-
ter numberless family quarrels, she at
length solaced herself by an intrigue
with yonng Ali A~chbraka, a wealthy in
habitant of Pergamos.
In this she was detected, but her hus-
band forgave her. His forgiveness
proved mistaken kindness, for. a week
afterward she stained and DESTROYED her
rivals dresses, poisoned her coffee, stole
the diamond mouth piece and ruby coffee
cup OF her husband, and escaped to her
lover in Pergamos.
Hail, elderly and fat, had not persued
her very rapidly, but, having caught her,
he now demanded public justice. The
coffee had not killed the favorite, or her
life would have been the forfeit hut as
1T was she must be publicly whipped to
satisfy her angry lord. And whipped she
was, just as We arrived to see it.
| have seen brutal scenes, bat never
one like that. She was young, delicate,
pretty, and sinful, but she did not deserve
that.
Two rough fellows bound her hands
behind her, and then they laid her down
with her face in the lap, and held firmly
BY the knees, Of a stout man. One man
held her body down with main force,
while others tied her feet to a pole, and
held them up, and took off her small m
broidered slippers and her yellow under
slippers, exposing as beautiful and white
a pair of little feet as ever tired the sand
at Cape May or Newport.
Then came the whip on the soft soleg.
and the girl walled and shrieked. /
looked in vain for any sign of emotion in
Nails face. He smoked, puffsby .puff.
and seemed-as did the Governor-to
enjoy the scene.
The victim writhed, and pierced the
air with her cries. She nearly denuded
herself, tearing her clothes in her strup-
giles, and exposing first one and then
another white shoulder, and then her
deathly pale face, with the blood stream
ing from her bitten lips.
| could not stand it but spranr for
ward to the side Of the poor girl and babe
the executioner stop while I spoke to the
representative Of the Sultan. Hail. rose
in aEfary at the interruption, but a shout
announced that the woman had tainted.
"Then cast her loose n said the Gov.
ernor ; and as they united her, the sitting
broke up and the crowd separated, leav.
ing us with the body Of the woman. No
Moslem Of them remained. A woman,
who proved to be a Christian, approach.
ed and with her help and our men, we
carried her down to the tents and here
she is, unable to set foot on the ground,
or speak an Ineligible word.