The weekly Anglo-African., 1859-10-01

clear view Of the internal act on the oppo-
site bank, which so rudely and suddenly
changed a celestial picture into an image of
hell.
Nothing could excuse the detail of a
scene like this, which disgusts and crucifes
good taste, and all refined and humane
feeling, but the necessity of descending to
the depths of this terrible system, to dis
play its frequent and horrible monstroci-
ties. 1t is to be borne in mind that such
scenes formed the life of Jarm in his boy
hood, ere he was thrown into the crushing
jaws of slavery.
The distance from bank to bank across
the river at this place was about four rods
The sky was unusually clear, and Jarm
had distinct view of the whole transac-
ton after he arrived The sufferer was
young man about twenty years of age,
by the name of "Sam"-a good-feeling,
=. kind-hearted fellow, who Jarm well knew,
and who, few weeks before, saved him
(Jarm) from drowning in the creek which
was swelled by the rain.
This poor fellow was stripped quite ma
ked, hoped and dashed by cords to bar
rel on the steep bank of the stream His
head almost, if not quite, touched the
ground on one side and his feet on the 9th
er-the feshy part of his body being ex-
posed above, covered with gore, while the
blood dropped upon the barrel or ran down
his back and legs to the ground.
Whether the barrel was filled in whole
or in part with liquor, Jarm Of course could
not know The flesh of the poor wretch
was quivering in the sun, and painting its
pure rays red, while Sam was moaning and
pleading for pity with a depth of feeling
which would move any heart.
Beside the barrel stood man without "a
heart-a stout, square-built, burly, bushy-
headed fellow, of about forty years of age,
whose face resembled an intoxicated fury.
He had ON neither hat, coat nor vest, and
his shirt, open at the collar, fallen loosely
away, showed broad, sun-and-whisky-
burnt chest, which seemed fortress Of
strength. His sleeves were rolled up like
butcher, and his right hand clenched an
instrument Of torture, known nowhere I'M
der the sun but in the slave States, called
paddte, which he fiercely flourished over
the heads and faces of some half dozen ne
groes who stood trembling by
Such is a poor description of the MUIR
derer Belts, and the wretched objects around
him, when Jarm took his position in the
bushes. The villain, as he hrandished the
bloody paddle, filled the air with his ours
%, and throatonod the slaves with the same
and even worse vengeance than he was
inhicting on the fainting Sam.
The instrument called a paddle" was
the only article of southern manufacture
that Jarm knew of, and its existence might
have remained a secret to the rest of the
world, had not he, and others like him, es-
capped to declare and describe it. 1t is a
firm board, shaped like a huge Yankee
pudding stick, filled with small auger holes,
and Of heft to do the most execution up
on the flesh it bruises. 1t is the most saw
age and blood-letting instrument employed
to torture the slave. Every blow, the
sharp wood on the circumference of the
holes cuts into the flesh, and the pain and
the blood follow, in proportion tothe num-
Der of such holes and the force of the
blows
The monster having finished his speech
to the negroes, turned to glut his ven
geance on poor Sam, with rage and ener-
gy that seemed provoked by his cries, and
the sight of his own barbarity. As he
grasped the paddle and swung it from his
shoulder to increase the force of his blows,
Sam begged with all the strength of nature.
The slaves turned their faces to the ground
or covered them with their hands, and Belts,
with an oath, brought the weapon down
with his might-blow after blow followed,
and screams and bowls of agony, and cries
for mercy, followed with them.
Jarm, overcome with the misery of his
friend and the cruelty of his tormentor, hid
his face on the ground and covered it with
his hands, and refused. to look upon the
scene.
Belts continued the blows until he was
weary, and then ceased them to repeat his
threats and curses to the negroes
Thus he alternated his violence upon
the one, and threats and curses upon the
other, until the voice of Sam, growing hol-
low and faint, convinced the listener that
nature was failing. The last sentence
which he articulated was, o, Lord! O.,
Lord Y and then continued to utter it un-
til utterance failed, and no noise broke the
stiffness around but the sound Of the infer
nal weapon upon the insentient and mo-
tionless body. When the monster saw
Sam ceased to speak or move, he also ceas-
ed his blows.
AT this time, when all was silent, Jarm
raised his head from the ground and saw
Belts place his foot against the bleeding
body, and with a savage curse and malig-
nant force, set the body and the barrel roll
ling together down the steep bank into the
river. As they reached the water, he
Belts turned to the negroes and said fierce
ly:
"There, you id dogs, go and bring
him back again, and unbind him and let
him go"
| Quick as lightning the compassionate
fellows sprang to the water, unbound him
and laid him on the bank-but it was too
late. Life ceased to animate the poor man
his soul was set free, and his mutilated
4 i