Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1875-03-18
THE CAT-O'NINE-TAILS.

giag in Nesc Zeoiond-Bioody Details.
IFrom the Auckland (New Zealand) Hsrald.l
Turning to warder the Governor
gave some order, and the next moment a
man was let in through the iron gate,
which closed behind him. He was a
middle-aged, Manufactured fellow, with
sullen face made more repulsive by be-
ing clean shaved. "This is his first
time" the Governor whispered to me,
adding the offense for which he was con-
victed and logged. The man looked at
the executioner for a moment, and at his
order commenced to strip. Divesting
himself of his hat, coat and shirt, he was
led to the triangles and the straps passed
round his wrists, ankles and waist. 1t
was impossible to move. He shuddered
for a moment as the cold air swept along
the yard Twenty-Five" cried the
warder standing by, and the executoner
took up one of the heaviest " cats " from
among those in the box. Standing about
six feet behind the prisoner, little to
the left, he passed his fingers through
the nine tails of the whip, which,
with rapid movement, he then brought
across his chest, high up over his head,
with horrible Z" swish, " and down with
the whole force of his arm and weight
upon the culprit's back. There was a
shrek of agony, and in livid blue lines
like cords, the flesh stood out upon the
poor wretch's shoulders. "One 7" cried
the warder, and again the cat swung
high up In the air to descend a second
time. The piteous moaning which fol
lowed the first blow gave place to anoth-
er shrek, intense and long. The deep
blue lines turned red, and blood oozed
through dozen different cuts, and the
skin began to peel in strips along his
back. 1.-TWO" and again the terrible
instrument came down. Shrek after
shrek rent the air. The sight was sick
ening horrible. As each blow was dealt
the prisoner writhed in agony at the tri-
angles, and when the lash fell for the last
time and the straps were loosed that held
him, he turned away faint, weak, scarce
ly recognizable as human, disgraced and
marked for life.
His place was soon reoccupied by an
other, whose appealing, terrified looks
told only too plainly what he had suf-
fered. He would have resisted were it
of any use. He had been there before,
knew what it was, and would have al
most given life to be reprieved. Stripped
and strapped to the triangles, unlike the
prisoner before him, he turned his head
over his shoulder and watched the ex-
ecutioner. There were marks of a former
fogging ON his back-black spots and
Hnes-left. there six months before He
tried to be brave, and bear it but it was
no good the "swish :" sounded once
more, the horrible, knOtted cords swept
cuttingly across his back, and with a
burst of agony, he broke out in long
continued shrieks. One of his legs got
twisted with cramp. He tried to stay
the lash for minute-anything for
time anything for one moment of peace.
But there was none the pitiless lash
descended till the sentence was carried
through. Then, when it was over, he
went away, muttering thanks to God, as
with bent form and tottering steps they
led him to the cells. i. was the last time
he would enter that yard-and that was
his sole relief.
There was one more victim-a mere
lad, sixteen years of age. had heard
him convicted the day before in court for
an offense he could scarcely know the
nature of. He was a good-looking little
fellow, with clear skin and bright blue
eyes. He looked upon it all as thrash
ing at school, walked forward with q
light, jaunty step, and stripped as coolly
"a If he were going to plunge into the
river. They strapped him up, and then
there came the order once again,
twenty-five" The executioner took
up a lighter cat, with thinner thongs
than those he had used before. 1t whis-
tied for a moment In the air, and then
the fair, white skin of the boy was walled,
and hvid, and blue. There was sud-
den jerk of the body, quick drawing
of the breath that made the chest ex-
pand and the ribs stand out more prom
inent. A second blow, and still no cry.
He was game and would see it out. At
the third the pent mp suffering burst out,
and with a yell I shall never forget, the
lads head was thrown back, and he
wrenched at the wrist-straps till they al
most cut the flesh upon his arms. Once
more-another blow-agsin- each fol-
lowed by heartrendinng cries. Another
For Gods sake Oh, Christ God
Let me 90 7" There was a uuick chOk-