The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1872-12-06

his back was barred down 10 his loins,
he was then drawn up TO post until lac
was compelled To stand on tip-toe, his
hands were tied 10 ring in the post,
then the cat, whip composed of several
hard lashes, applied with such force that
great, bloody ridges OF quivering, LAGER
ated flesh followed every blow. Mr.
Seward insisted and proved 10y abund'
ant medical authority that such blows
struck across and upon the spinal col
umn affected the BRAIN. often producing
| insanity. Ills address TO the jury was
one of his strongest and most powerful
| forensic efforts, remarkable alike Tor
practical wisdom and learning. 1t com
pared favorably with Erskine's adrolt'
ness, rhetoric and e.oquence in his ceie-
! brated defense of Hadiield under a SIM.
| liar plea. "Gentlemen Of the jury"
! said Mr.. Seward, "the assertion oil one
| of my associate counsel, that the PRISON
whip has driven Henry Wyatt TO insani-
ty, produced a sheer from the learned
and able counsel for the people; aud
vet have shown you how barbarously
and how frequently the poor convict
was subjected to the lash. | nave shown
YOU by the most indubltable evidence
authority that this punishment tends
| directly 10 insanity, and in this case ac-
tually produced il. Reference has ire.
duently been made during this trial to
the case of Benjamin Lett. Let me
allude 10 him again. 1t was on one of
NV officia! visits 10 Auburn that lrst saw
that man, whose intrepidity, cool and
determined courage would, under other
circumstances, have made HIM daring
and successful military leader, whose
sagacity, skill, physical endurance and
strength. would have rendered him
powerful alike in the campaign, the
seige. and on the battlefield. ! marked
his dark. deep eve and heavy brow. 1t
was a felon's brow, 1t is true; but be-
meath it thought seemed TO sleep as
sleeps a storm. Endurance, determine
ton, and intelligence had set on it their
signet. Before me stood the man who,
to avenge an insult received from the
English nation, by one intrepid act
blasted, as with the lightnings stroke,
that beautiful obeiisk reared in com.
memoration o. British valor, Brooks
monument. As looked on this man |
said: Surely there is one whose power
full frame, iron constitution, and intel.
lectual strength can withstand the tor
ture of the lash, and smile al the prison
whipping post, left him, and after the
lapse of six months, obedient to my
duty. again visited Auburn prison
again locked on Benjamin Lett. Alas,
how changed As The tabled Niobe
was changed TO stone by the ayenging
deities, so this once powerful man was
changed TO something worse than stone
to human form blasted and almost
Invested of intellect. The eagle eye
was changed-its daring glance, keen
speculation and lofty intelligence gone
all changed into stupid imbecility
and detection, marking the iucipient
stages Of dementia Nothing bat the
wreck OF Benjamin lett was before me,
and then | said This is the work OF
the lash, and here Is the result of the
present prison punishment! Punish
ment did call it? Let me rather say
prison torture, better adapted 10 the
dark scenes OF the inqulsition than TO
this enlightened, phiIanthropc age
and the fate of Lett has been the fate
Of hundreds, nay thousands. Is this
the object of prison discipline? Is 1t
the policy of the State TO drive men TO
lunacy, idiocy, or dementla, by a cruel
and inhunan torture ~
1t was during this trial that Mr.. Sew
ard, in order to prove the manner of
using the cat, and its effect upon the
convicts, applied TO the court for writ
of subpoena duceS tecm, commanding the
keeper of the prison to appear before
the court with the record which the law
compelled him to keep, showing what
convcts had been whipped, at what
time, how many lashes and their effect
upon the prisoner. The motion for this
writ was strenuously and strongly OF
posed by the counsel for the people
but Seward gained his point, the writ
was granted and placed in the hands of
the Sheriff. 1T was reluctantly and sui.
lenly obeyed by the Prison Warden,
who appeared III court, took the wit.
ness stand, with the book lying on the
table before HIM. Are you the Warden
of the Auburn prison ~ asked Mr..
Seward. 4" | am, sir" :" Is there a
record kept of the convicts who undergo
the punishment of logging in the
PRISON." There is, SIR" 4" Where is
that record?" There is the book sir"
said the Warden, pointing to a large
book that lay befor him.
Mr.. Seward stepped forward to take
il up, but while in the act the warden
sprang up and snatched the book
away, exclaiming, THAT book is not
designed for your inspection, sir There
is no law that entities you to examine
it, and you shall notw The counsel for
the people arose and attempted to sus-
tain the warden, but Seward drew HIM
self up, until, to use the language Of
lawyer who was present, he appeared
like a giant, and, calmly waving his
hand to his opponent, said, Zone mo-
ment, sir; ! have the right, and not you,
to speak now. The commands of
court of justice in this country cannot
be tritled with. Your honor, in the
name of justice and of humanity, and
in conformity of the statute and the
rules OF law, | ask that this man be COM
PEELED now, to give into my hands that
record, for the keeping of which he is
now guilty of contempt against your