The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1872-02-03
Plugging in the Navy Of H.B.M

anu sWOrus, aS ii going 10 DALI Tor the
scene is always made as impressive and cere-
monious AS possible, in order to strike ter
ror into the hearts Of the evil disposed 1t
sometimes has an efhcacious effect among
the badly inclined, and it is curious to see
with what alacrity these gentry will do their
work, while the example yet remains fresh
on the memory. The men speak little and
look grave, for the feeling that they are
liable to this degrading punishment is dis
tasteful to them, and il is brought promi-
nently to their attention by all the prepa-
rations 50 ostentatiously made. At nine
/ o'clock punctually the drums beat to
divisions, according to the daily routine,
and the crew assemble in their starboartl
and port watches, and "toe line, and
are mustered and inspected by the officers
and any Of them who are not scrupulous-
| ly clean, or whose clothes present sloven-
| ly appearance are reported to the first lieu
tenant and punished. Those penalties are
various, according to the custom Of each
ship or commanding officer sometimes
men have to carry heavy handspikes for
hours, orperhaps a round shot in each hand,
or else stand III the rigging, or, as Is most
common, have their grog stopped. These
are for petty offences. When the drums
beat of, the captain orders the boatswain to
pipe, Hands, witness punishment =. Then
is heard the shrill whistle Of that warrant
officer and his mates, and the stern voices
bawling out to the utmost power Of their
lungs, the words Hands witness punish
ment :" And ''all hands, in answer to the
summons, swarm aft again, on the port side
of the deck usually. The officers are all
clustered abaft on the starboard side, with
the marines drawn up with fixed bayonets,
on the foremost mits of the quarterback
The prisoner is brought up from his cell
under guard, and the captain, addressing
him, states in few words of what offence
he has been guilty, what ARTICLES of war
he has broken, and what was the sentence
of the court-martial. He is then ordered
''to strip" when he takes off his upper gar
ments when his naked back is exposed,
according to the custom, the master-at arms
always keeps it covered with his shirt held
across the shoulders, until the actual com
mencement Of the sentence.
Seize hiLl up" is then the order, and
the carpenter and his mates securely lash
his wrists and ankles to the gratings by
means Of settings Of strong spunyarn. All
this time the boatswain is standing by with
an inoffensive looking green bag III his hand,
bearing some resemblance to a lawyers brief
bag, but with something more portentous
than musty law books concealed in it. He
now opens this bag and dives into it with
one hand, pulling out formidable looking
instrument. This is the cato -nine-taIls
and as he has now let the cat out Of the
/ bag, perhaps we may take the liberty Of
inspecting that ugly quadnped. There is
! a thick wooden handle, about foot and a
/ half long, covered with baize generally,
and on to the broad round end Of this are
lashed at equal intervals nine pieces Of
stout whipcord, each nearly a yard long,
and with knots at the ends, which are also
whipped" to prevent them from unravel-
ling. In some hips they are made differ
ent, being garnished with more or less
knots, or sometimes with none at all but
even when the latter is the case, the tails,
which are made Of the best and strongest
laid" stuff, inhict fearful blows and
have seen mans back, after having recclv
ed his flogging, literally like piece Of raw
meet. The wounds are only superficial
however, and unless the mans blood is de
ceased, it is surprising how soon they heal
although the scars generally remain to dis
figure him for life He is thenceforward :
marked man, and whenever he takes off hi
shirt to wash himself, there are all the cica
trices to testify to his disgrace. To proceed
with this particular instance.
When the carpenter had reported tn,
prisoner properly secured, the surgeon. at |
sign from the captain, stepped up and fel
his pulse, said something to him, and re
ported the man as fit to receive corpora
punishment. ''Boatswain, do your duty,
was all the commander said. The master
alarms drew away the shirt, exposing tn
body bare to the waste and old Salt, viii
the GOODNESS of an experienced practitioner
measured the distance through one eye
with his head cooked on one side, took
step backwards, raised his arm, and swing
ing the cat round his head, brought it dow
with a switch terrible to hear. 1t fell fair
ly on the culprits shoulders with dull
peculiar sound, and the instant it came il
contact with the fair white flesh, min
streaks of bright scarlet flashed over tn
skin, each tail making its mark distinctly
! How the poor wretch shook, and his tles
J seemed to quiver and creep. Zone" sun
} out the gunner, in a clear voice, it bein
, his duty to count aloud each stroke Dow
! came the relentless torture again over tn
former wales, and two, called ont tn
; gunner. 1t would be wearisOme and revolt
ing were | to recount all the painful Incl
I dents of the scene how the poor wretc
l braved it out, at first, with great sang froid
, but gradually sighs and means increase
1 into cries, and he fairly shouted with tn
agony. After the first dozen, the senio
: boatswain's mate took the place of his su
perior, whose arm it was supposed was get
ting tired, and inflicted dozen. Then tn
2 Junior mate relieved the senior, and the
) again the boatswain finished the remainin
fourteen 1t was dreadful to have to wit
ness all this, and one youngster, who ha
; recently joined, was obliged to be carrie
l below, as he had tainted. | have know
7 hardy sailors, accustomed to the disciplin
: of a man-of-war, to faint the first time Z
, witnessing corporal punishment inflicted
? This man James had taken the precautio
{ customary among those about to be ''trice
a up," of putting pebble into his mouth
: which he kept sucking and clinched hrml
a between his teeth, and which has, or Is sur
r posed to have, a soothing effect, at leas
: so those who have been under the lash al
: sert. After the third dozen had been in
ficted, James hung his head on one side
; and it was thought that he was going t
: faint the doctor stepped up, felt his pulse
but reported that he was sufficiently stron
to receive the remainder of the fifty stripe.
The shipments of crude iron ore fral
E Marquette and Escanaba, last spring, wa
IS -,