The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1869-04-29

wearing low-nech dress tonight on pur
pose that you might see with your own eve
the evidences OF the tyrant's brutality
Look. Charley. =
Removing her light shawl. she displayed
her uncovered shoulders to the gaze Of hel
lover. The moon was shining brightly
and he could distinctly see the hideous mark:
caused by the cruel rattan.
He beat me until l was senseless." SAID
the girl-'and all because I would not yielG
TO his solicitations"
Tell me his nan1e-or YOU will drive
me mad !"
His name-is Rathburn.'
What your schoolmaster :"
The same"
May lightninss blast him. But come
Nellie-you must go home. for have busi
ness before me y
I They returned to the house in silence
Ere they parted at the door, Nellie whisper
ed to her lover
"spare his life, for ny sake. You know
| must not lose YOU
/ The young man. without making any re
ply, strobe away in the darkness.
Halt an hour afterwards Mr.. Rathburr
was summoned 10 his door to see person
who professed TO have something very par
ticular to say to him.
Scarce had his foot touched the threshold
when he was seized and gagged by seyera
men who were lying in wait for him.
They hurried him through tie street ant
far out into the open fields, remote from
the habitations of men. Finally, they
paused at lonely spot where surrounding
hills formed sort of enclosure we'll adapt
ed to any secret or lawless purpose.
A broad flat rock occupied the centre o
this natural amphitheatre. The trembling
Rathburn was roughly thrown upon thi>
stony platform. and then his abductors seem
ed TO consult together.
His life must be spared" said Charli,
Lewis. in a low tone. to his three frieuds-
''but whip him-whip HIM WHIP him
until he is tlaved alive
"He deserves to die. the beast y mutter
ed one of the men. discontentedlv-''bu
Of course it must be Just as YOU say
Mr.. Rathburn was now stripped Of al
his clothing. The gag in his mouth effect
ualy prevented all supplications 1or mercy
which would have been useless. N'ha
mercy had he shown that poor girl:
/ The moon, shining with unusual bril-
liancy that Ii chit, looked down upon q fright
full scene.
Armed with a stout raw hide, those tou
powerful young men in succession hogge,
that naked, writhing wretch until they wer
tired and out Of breath.
, Then they rested.
Rathburn was pitiable spectacle to be
hold; from his neck to his heels he wa
one mass of mangled flesh and gore.
Dearly did he pay for his cruel tyranny
over helpless girl, whose only fault wa:
her very sxcusahle aversion to him and lie
:, constancy 10 her atfianced husband.
Having sufficiently recovered from thei
fatigue, the four young men resumed til,
hagellation of the miserable schoolmaster
When at last they left him, they believed
him to be dead.
A country fellow. ranging the fields q
an early hour the next morning discover
ed mangled and bloody Object lying upol
a fat rock, several miles from the town.
This miserable being, although horribly
mutilated, showed some signs of life Iht
countryman, frightened, hastened 10 th,
nearest house, told what he had seen, an,
then guided several persons to the spot
The gag having been removed from tn
mouth of Rathburn, he with great difficult,
told his name and place of residence. \
covered wagon was then procured, and in j
he was conveyed to his home.
This affair being nosed abroad the publi
were unanimous in their verdict Of "serye,
him right Rathburn recovered very slow
ly; and, as soon as he was able to travel
he LETT the town, and was never heard of il
that section again. But 90 where he will
he will carry to his grave the iudelliblt
marks of that terrible punishment which h,
earned by his own stupendous brutality.
Charlie Lewis, overcoming the prejudice
of Nellie's parents, will soon lead tha
charming girl to the altar; and She, in lie
happiness, has almost forgotten the event
we have been narrating
Whenever we read about instances 0
brutality in school, we think of Rathburn'
punishment, while we are irresistibly lee
to the conclusion that it would be a health,
thing for tyrannical pedagogucs, who ar
fond of hogging their female pupils, 70 sc
a slight taste OF the rattan tor their own il
dividual benefit; and we would like TO b
the one to ''lay it on"
1 Il Il. Al. Z