The Republican journal., 1873-03-27
Hanging in Old Times.

1t IS really surprising to those of the
present century to learn for what COM
paratively light and trivial offences capi-
tai punishment in the olden time was in
hicted. A correspondent gives the fol-
lowing incidents: While John Hancock
was Governor of the Commonwealth,
Rachel Whall was hung in Boston for
highway robbery. Her offence consisted
in twitching from the hands of another
female bonnet worth perhaps, seventy
five cents, and running off with it, |
mention this not to the disparagement Of
the Governor. He, doubtless, acted upon
a sense of duty, thinking it best for the
community that the laws of the land how
ever trghtfully severe-while they were
laws, should be executed. A lad eighteen
years of age was hung in Salem for arson,
during the administration of Governor
Strong, similar appeals in his favor being
considered and overruled. Yet the in
telligence and the humanity, alike of the
Executive and of the Council, notwith-
standing the result arrived at in both these
instances, were questionable Within
the same period, a gentleman saw u girl
seventeen years Of age hung in London,
ior stealing d silver cream pitcher. Ed
ward Vail Brown was hung in Boston for
burglary, committed in the house of Cap
tain Osias Goodwin, Charter street, aud
stealing theretrom sundrv articles.
L once owned a set of the Old Bailey
Trials Q7S5 to 1925 embraced in series
of, perhaps, fifty-eight quarto volumes.
The earliest of the volumes contained the
details of the trial of the unfortunate DR..
Dodd, for forgery, whose touching APP
peals for mercy here recorded were fruit
lessly enforced by the splendid eloquenee
OF johnson. In a later volume, long after
the commencement of the present century,
eight separate capital convictions are re-
corded as one days Job of single tribunal,
the cuprits being all boys and girls be-
tween the age of ten and fifteen, and their
offences petty thefts. One case | remem-
Der of peculiar judicial atrocitv. A young
girl in her eighteenth year was indicted
for stealing a roll of ribbon worth three
shllings. The prosecutors evidence was
to this effect: ''The prisoner came into
my shop and purchased some ribbons. |
personally knew her and was on the most
friendly terms with her. When she left |
accompanied her and offered her my arm,
which she accepted We conversed to
gether. As we reached the corner of a
street leading to the Bow street office, I
turned toward it. She said she was going
in another direction, and bade me good
morning. No! you are coming with me
| saw you steal 4 piece of ribbon. She
| Immediately implored me for Gods sake
to overlook it. and restored to me the
article. | said to her that had lost many
things in this way, and was resolved tC
make an example, was determined tc
have her life.' And he got it.
! can never forget how my blood boiled
as | read the evidence of this cold-hearted
wretch In view of the Judgment of q
merciful God, far rather. it seemed to me
would have been in place of that poor
frail, erring girl, on the scatfold than in
the place of her heartless accuser. | Irose
| from the perusal of these volumes horror
struck with the continuous record Of in
conceivable cruelties. 1t appears to me
that the seventy thousand hangngs in tho
reign of Henry VIII, were matched by
IN equally long list of persons condemnet
to he hanged in the reign Of George III
Since that time much has been done BY
Romily Brongham, Macintosh, and Sid
ney Smith and as much, perhaps more
by kindred philanthropists, on this side o
the Atlantic. IConcord, N. H., Patriot.