Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1869-06-02
THE MISREPRESENTATION

Ten Men Lashed at Newcastle, Delaware-Their
Aggregate Punishment. Three Hours in the
PillOry, 1S9 LaShes, Thirteen Years ImprisOn-
ment and Over $1,000 in Fines
Correspondence Of the Philadelphia Even
ing Bulletin-l
NEWCASTLE, DEL, May Is, 1869.
The semi-annual festival of st. Pill
lOry was celebrated in Newcastle,
to day, with the customary baTbar-
GUS rites. in the presence of 4 multi
tude of devOtees.
The ancient whipping-pOst and
pillory, which stood for many q long
year, first in the open street, then,
as the men grew nicer, in the Jail
yard, was cut down last week. But
the old associations connected with
this ancient engine of the law were
pleasant to some DelawaTeans.
"What has become of the old whip
ping-pOst?n L asked of a lOiterer in
the jail-yard, to-day.
He fumbled in his waistcoat pocket
and produced a chip.
well, here's a piece of it, which
Pm goin' to keep, and there's some
more" said he, pointing to two
black logs in the corner.
This mans companion also had a
chip, and he said that q great many
other persons had secured a splinter
or so. Only about One-fifth of the
original post lay upon the ground.
THE MODERN IMPROVEMENT.
The new Pillory has all the ''mod-
er1i Improvements" 1t is somewhat
smaller than the old one, but of the
same shape. it is a post about eight
cen feet high, piercing a square
| platform, ten feet from the ground,
while five feet above the platform are
the arms of the pillOry, the whole
forming a gigantic cross. Each arm
of the pillOry is pierced with three
holes, for the neck and wrists. The
/ upper half of the arm lifts to admit
the victim, and then shuts down
upon him. If he is thin, he has room
to spare; if his neck is thick, he
chOkes. Below the platform, on each
side of the post, an iron manaeIe is
fastened to hold the arms of the per-
son who is to be fiOgged. On the Old
| post pieces of string were used. The
prisoners now, as upon my last visit,
stand upon an empty soap box while
receiving their stripes.
THE PILLoRY IN OPERATION.
This morning, as the hour of 10
rang out from the bell in the neigh
boring church-steeple, the pOnderOus
gates of the jail-yard were swung
wide open, admitting q tumuItuous
crowd of men and boys. There were
a few girls, but not many. The
entertainment was begun by the
jailor, who issued from the door of the
prison, grasping a negro in each
hand. One of these was a man, the
other a boy of fifteen. The man
had stolen some spoons and some
clothing. His sentence was to pay a
fine of $500, stand in the pillOry one
hour, be whipped with twenty lashes,
and be imprisoned for two years.
The boy had attempted to commit
rape. He was sentenced to pay fine
of $500, be imprisoned for four years,
to stand one hour in the pillOry, and
to be whipped with thirty lashes.
The pillory punishment was not as
severe as usual. 1t was a pleasant
day, the wooden collar was new, and
the prisoners were small men, and so
did not have to stOOp. When one
hour had elapsed they were removed,
without having suffered intensely.
But it was a mean and miserable spec
tacle. Next the jailor came out with
white man. He was a horse jock
ey. In a moment of temptation, he
had permitted his professional enthu-
siasm for the animal to overcome his
honesty, and had eloped with a
comparatively fiery and comparative
ly untamed steed. This case was
peculiar. The illegally annexed
horse had a halter upon him when
stolen. In any other place in the
world the thief would have been tried
simply for taking the horse. Being
in Delaware, however, the jockey was
indicted, first for stealing the halter,
and then for stealing the horse. The
jockey was poor old vagabOnd, sixty
years and more of age, and an inva-
lid, the jailer said. He ascended the
steps of st. Pillory's alter with tremb-
ling limbs and a mournful cOunte-
nance. The jailor lifted the bar to
admit his neck and hands. Around
his throat was wrapped thick COM
forter. The bar was pressed down
upon this, but it could not be
fastened. The jailor pushed it hard
for some minutes, and tried in various
ways to overcome the resistance.
The crowd looked upon his futile
efforts with much interest, and an
irreverent youth, after the jailOr had
made one particularly vigorous at
tempt, endeavored to express the
situation by exclaiming, mot for
joe" At last it flashed across the
jailor's mind to take the mans scarf
off, and then there was no trouble
When the poor wretch had stood
awhile. he began to grow faint, and
the jailOr, too kind-hearted a man for
such cruel work, lifted the bar a little,
and removing one hand, said some |
words in the sufferers ear. /
At last the clock struck y, the jockey |
was released, and he tOttered down 1
the ladder slowly and sadly as he
thought of the flogging he had yet to .
bear.
POSTPONE8IENT.
1t was then announced that the |