The River Falls journal. (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1857-1861, 1860-08-15

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of some other locks; her father had the
door-key.
Whether her story were true or false,
could have been aseertained in two min
utes, by riding ON to the gang with which
her father was at work, but the overseer
had made up his mind as to the facts OF
tie case. g
'sThat won't d." said he, ''get down
on your knees" The girl knelt on the
ground; he got off his horse, and holding
him with his left hand, struck her thirty
or forty blows across the shoulders with
his tough, flexible ''raw-h hide" whip. They
were well laid on, as q beatswain would
thrash skulking sailor, or as some peo-
pie fog bulking horse, but with no ap-
pearance of angry excitement on the part
of the overseer. At every stroke she
winched. and exclaimed, "Yes, sir" or
'sAh, STRIP or "Please, sir p not grooming
or screaming. AT length he stopped and
said, .'Now tell me the truth" The girl
repeated the same story. You have not
got enough yet" said he, pull up your
cIothes-le down." The girl without
any hesitation" without word or look
of reunons:rance of entreaty, drow closely
all her garments under her shoulders, and
lay down upon the ground with her face
towards the overseer, who continued to
fog her with the raw-hide, across her max
ed loins and thighs, with much strength
as before. She now shrunk away from
,hin,, not rising bat wfithing,i groveing
and screaming, t'Oh, don't sir. oh, please
stop, master! please, sir oh, that's enough,
master oh, lord oh, master. master oh,
God, master, do stop! oh, God, master
oh, God, master, .aa .a.s-
A young gentlemaa of,ffteen was with
us; be had ridden in front, and now,
turning on bis horse looked back with an
expression only ofimpatienee atthe delay.
Il was the first time / had ever seen
woman focged. / had seen man cud-
geled and beaten, in the heat Of passion,
before, but never flogged with humid
redth part ofthe severity used in this case
I glanced again at the perfectly passion
less but rather grim business-like face Of
t oversoer and again at the young gen
tleman, who bad turned away; if not in
different he had evidently not the faintest
sympathy with my emotion. Only my
horse chafed with excitement, | gave
him rein and spur and We plunged into
the pushed and scrambled fiercely up the
steep ACTIVITY. The screaming yells and
the whip strokes had ceased when | reach
ed the top Of the bank. Choking, sob
bing, spasnodic groans only were heard.
rode up to where the road coming dia-
gonally up the ,ravine ran out upon the
cotton field. Ny young companion met
me there, and Immediately afterward the
oversoer. He laughed as he joined, US,
and said, p. e.f.ss ..-
"She meant to cheat me out of a days
work-and she has done it, too" +.
''Did you succeed in getting another
story from hers'
"No she stuck to it, szFs..
"Was it not perhaps trus?"
ooh no, r,she slipped out of the gang
when they were going 10 work, and she's
been dodgipg about all day, going from
ono place to another as +, she saw me
coming. She saw US crossing there
little while ago, and thought we lhad
gone to the quarters, but we turned back
so quick, we came into the gully before
knew it, and she could do nothing bu
lie down in the bushes"
II suppose they often slip offtso."
"No, sir; never had. one do SO befor'
not like thisi they often run away tt
the woods, and are gone some time;. bu
i [ never had dodge off like this before
"Was it necessary to punish. her SO sc
verely2" $40 a,i 3 7sa e.s
sob, yes sir" laughing again.) 81
I didn't punish her so hard she woule
have done tAe same thing tomorrow, anf
half the people on the plantation woulf
have followed her example. Oh, yo1
have no idea how lazy these niggers are
YOU Northern people don't know an.
thing about it. They'd never do an.
work at all ifthey were not afraid of be
ing whipped.";a sa At' 1922 ~
We soon af,erward met an old man
who. on being closely questioned, sai'
1ihat he had seen the girl leave the gan;
las thew went to work after dinner. 1t ap
Il reared that she had been to work during
81 the fore noon, bat at dihaer7time the gan!
was moved, and as itpassed through tn
gully she slipped out. The driver had nc
s4 missed har.. The overseer said that when b
first took charge Of the plantation the nc
Ia sroes ri away great tloal-they dislia