The democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1868-1874, 1872-01-29
Punishment Of Criminals.

PUNISHMENT OF criminals.
\ correspondent who has interviewed
Sing Sing prison, Diseases the subject OF
prison punishment at Sing Sing. lie
says: There are five modes of punishment
in yogue-the dark cell, the bali aud chain,
the collar and crown. the back handcuiF
and the thumb pulley, the last the most
ingenious torture OF the whole collection
The ball and chain are attached to prison.
ers who have attempted to escape, by Il
band of iron riyeted round the leg, lust
above the ankle. The collar and crown
is put on for trivial Oiienses, such rs talk.
ing, 1t is composed of circular band of
iron, which is fastened round the neck
with paddock, from which five or six iron
bars spring aud join over the scalp, form.
ing sort Of rude crown. These instru-
ncnts vary in weight from four to seven
pounds They are constantly in use.
saw several of the prisoners wearing tlemI
both ia the dining.hali and in the work.
shops 1t does not require very lively
Imagination to conceive the distress aud
anuoyance Of having to stoOp for ten hours
over the shop.bench with seven pounds Of
iron dragging at the naPe Of the neck and
weighing down the head, or the dcxterity
required at night to pad and stuff the ma.
chine artistically with dirty stockings,
pocket -handkerchiefs, or anything that
comes to hand, in order that the wretched
prisoner may rest his head on his pillow
without the iron grinding into the skin.
OF ack.handcuiling, he tells us that
along the wall of the punishment.room
are five stout hooks driven into the wall
about four feet from the ground When Il
prisoner refuses obedience, his hands arc
put in handouts fastened behind him. To
the connecting link strong ring is attach.
cd, and this ring is hoisted on to one of
the hooks on the wall, forcing the head
aud shoulders forward, and drawing up the
arms behind and the lower part of the body
into a cramped and painful posture. The
keeper said that they once had prisoner
who bore this punishment for six hours
and half before he would give in and
agree to behave himself"
The thumb-pulley the writer thinks the
most diabOlical of all punishments, nnd in
is power Of inticting agony far snrpasScs
all the others put together. To make
sure Of the thing, he had 1t tried upon him.
self. The keeper, after some hesitation,
accommodated the anxious item seeker,
and we will let the man tell his story in
his own words
lie produced about a foot OF very stout
whip.cord, with slip.knOt ut either end,
aud putting my thumb into tho loop, drew
the knot taut below the first joint. The
cord was then hung on hook attached to
tho end of n rope which dnngled from
pulley in the ceiling, and the preparations
were then complete.
Onmy giving the word ready, a brawny.
armed convict seized the other end Of the
rope aud quickly hoisted me from my feet
till could with difficulty touch the floor
with the tips of my toes; the whole weight
of my body, of course, dragging on my
thumbs. was literally suspended from
those two small portions of the human
frame. | hung there for about five sec
onds, after which the pain became insup.
portable, and reqsested to be let down.
In those few seconds experienced quite
enough to assure me what must be the in.
describable suffering Of a poor creature
suspended for even u minute. And yet
the keeper told me that Il prisoner once
endured this hcllish torture five minutes
and half without iainting. 1t seemed to
me that my thumbs and the tough sinews
an the inside of the wrist were being
drawn out | felt that my arms would
leave the shoulder sockets, and that the
muscles Of my back would be literally torn
away ii | were not let down Immediately.
found when my thumbs were released
from the slip.knots that there were eyi-
dent signs that the cord had almost buried
itself in the flesh. An indentation over
an eighth of an inch deep encirced each
thumb. 1t was of transparent white
color. Then came band slightly discol-
ored, and then band Of red The flesh
did not altogether regain its natural ap-
pearance on one thumb for some time ai.
er. And yet was the victim of this Ell.
gine of torture for only five seconds Many
tendcr-hearted and humane persons may
be inclined to comfort themselves with the
hope that the inhction of the punishment
Of the pulley is of rare occurrence. Let
me undeceiye them by quoting from the
last official report of the Inspectors Of
State Prisons. In table No. IA, under the
heading Exhibit of Punishments During
the Year the following item appears ;
" Pulled, 2OS!n Omitting Sundays, this
total gives an average of four prisoners
pulled every week through the year"