Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1873-03-28
HANGING In OLD TIMES.
Contrast Between the Past and the
Present-SOme Vivid Records of
Hanging in By.GOne Days-A Ger
respondents RecOIIectiOns.

Contrast Between the Past and the
Present-SOme Vivid Records of
Hanging in By.GOne Dsys-A Ger
respondents RecOIIectiOns.
1t is really surprising to those Of the
present century to learn for what compara-
lively light and trivial offences capital punz
ishn.ent in the olden time was inflicted. =
correspondent gives the 3oIloWb''' . ..s.-.
While John HaneoeE w. -hciuents. .I.
= .,,.,lln, Rachel Whsll was hung in
boston for highway robbery. Her offence
consisted in twiching from the hands Of an-
other female bonnet worth perhaps seven
ty-fVe cents, and running off with it. l
mention this not to the disparagement of
the Governor. He doubtless acted upon q
sense of duty, thinking it best for the COM
mUnity that the laws of land, however
frightfully severe, while they were laws
should be executed.
A lad eighteen years of age was hung in
Salem for arson, during the administration
of Gov. Strong, similar appeals in his favor
being considered and overrUled. Yet the
intelligence and the humanity, alike Of the
executive and the council, notwithstanding
the result arrived at in both these instances,
were unquestionable. Within the same pc
riod gentleman saw girl seventeen years
of age hung IN London for stealing silver
cream pitcher. Edward Vail Brown was
hung in Boston for burglary committed in
the house of Capt. Osias Goodwin, in
Charter street, and stealing therefrom sun
dry articles.
Ionce owned a set of the "Old Bailey
Trials" (1785 to l625) embraced in seri-
es of, perhaps, ifty-eight qusrto volumes.
| The earliest of the volumes contain the de-
F, tails of the trial of the unfortunate DIR.
| Dodd, for forgery, whose touching appeals
/ for mercy here recorded were fruitlessly en-
forced by the splendid eloquence of john
| son. In latter volume, long after the
| commencement Of the present century, eight
separate capital convictions are recorded as
! one DAYS Job of single tribunal, the cul-
prits being all boys and girls between the
ages of ten and fifteen, and their otfenses
petty thefts. One case remember Of pc
| culiar judicial atrocty. A young girl il
her eighteen year was indicted FOR stealing
a roll of ribbon worth three shilliDgs. Tbt
| prosecutors evidence was to this effect
"The prisoner came into my shop and pur-
chased some ribbons. l personally knew
her and was on the most intimate term!
with her. When she left l accompanied
her and offered her my arm, which she &C
cepted. We cOnversed together. As W.
reached the corner of a street leading to tht
Bow street office, turned toward it. Sac
said she was going in another direction, and
bade me good morning. No! you are com
ing with me! saw you steal piece ofrib
bon. She Immediately implored me t.
for Gods sake to, overlook it, and restored
to me the article. said TO her that l hat
lost many things in this way, and was re-
solved to make an example, determined
to have her life" And he got it.
can never forget how my blood boileC
as l read the evidence Of this cold-heartec
wretch. In view of the judgement of
mel ciful God, far rather, it seemed TO me
would have been in the place of the poor
frail, erring girl on the scaffold, than in th
place OF her hesrtless accuser. rose from
the persual of these volumes horror struck
with the continuous record of inconceiVabl
cruelties. 1t appears to me that the sev
enty thousand hangings in the reign Of Hen
ry VIII were matched by an equally lon
list Of persons condemned TO be hanged i
the reign of George III. Since that tim
much has been done by Romilly, BroUg
ham, Macintosh and Sidney Smith, and a
much, perhaps more, by kindred philar
thropists on this side of the Atlantic.-Cor
cord IN. HI Patriot.