Connecticut western news., 1875-03-19
THE CAT.O'.N1NE TAILS. |
Terrible Punishment NIeted Ont to. Conyicts .. ---FlogEing in the English Penal Colonies
 ---A Muscular Exccutionc fL--1Ih ying the
 Blows on with a SWish.-.Lashing Boy.

-t.ai... s. TT ' : .atea vsi. .-.i lin. -: I Terrible Punishment NIeted, Out to COnvicts l s. ---FlOgging in the English Penal Colonies -. LA Muscular ExccutioncfL--IIn ying the
 Blows on with Swish---Lashing n Boy.
 I obtained an order from the governor of the jail, says an Auckland (N.lz.) cor respondent, to be present few weeks ago while three prisoners who were undergoing sentence received punish ment. '', The doctor was there too, but beyond few casual remarks that passed nothing was said. I looked around, and at glance saw the machinery-if it may be called so-which formed the sole fur niture of the yard. On the right stood g small wooden kind of shop, which, with the opposite wall of the jail yard, formed 2 narrowArecessa In this stood the tri- angles, round about which the ground was void of grass, and green with damp
 The triangles are, horribly suggestive things to look at, three leanifg poles i. .oonverging at the top, and firmly planted in the ground. Two of them face sout into the yard, their bases being in the same straight line. Across these, and between them lies broad board, pierced | with holes,. through which a strap hung loosely down. Higher up on each pole was n similar strap, and another at the foot of each again. On the left stood the powerful fellow-who, I learned, was the public executioner-stri to lis shirt, which was rolled up on his arms,, 1 and displayed an extraordinary mass of l sinew' and strength. Beside him, on the |. ground, was a box in which were ranged the instruments of punishment--At the '.cat-o' nine tails. There were several of different sizes-,long, sknotted, Twhitey I thonged things, with shorti handles like n stock whip, only covered with cloth to keep them from slipping l in the hand. ,c Q Turning to ., warder. the 'goverhof gave some order, and the next moment q man was let in~ through the iron gate,
 which closed behind him. He was, a; middle aged, hard -featured fellow, with
 Q sullen face made more ll .repnlssivye vy by. being clean shaved "This is his first time, the governor whispered to me,
 adding the offense for which he was eons 'victed and Sentenced to be fiogged. The man looked aatsthe executioner. for mo- ;ment; and at his order commenced, to strip. s ,Diyesting himself of his, bat, coat, and shirt, he was: led to the tri- angles and the straps passed round his wrists, ankles; and waist It was i1npos- | ment as the cold air swept along: the yard. $ Twenty-fye,,'' cried the. warden standing bY, and the .executioner took up one, of the heaviest "cats " from among those In the box. Standing about six feet ;behind the prisoner sa little to the left he, passed his fingers through the nine tails of the whip. which, with, a 1 rapid movement, he then brought across ] his chest, high up above his head, with ] a horrible t' swf5h," and down with the whole force Of lis arm and weight 1t upon 1 the Soulprit 8 back. There was 8 shriek
 of agony, and in ivid blue Iines7 like cords the. flesh stood out upon the poor wretch shoulders. "One! !' cried the warden, and again the cat swung high up ! in the air to descend a second time. The l piteous moaning which followed thetirsti blow gave place to another shriela, in tense tand long. The deep blue lines turned red, the blood oozed, through a dozen different cuts, and the skin began !. to peel in strips along his back. ''Two!'' and again the" terrible instrument came
 down.. Shriek after shriek rent the nil. . The sight was sickenfng- horrible. As each blow was dealt the prisoner writhed
 in agony at the triangles, and when the | lash fell for the last time and the straps were loosed that held him, he turned
 away faint, weak, scarce lyg recognizable as human, disgraced and marked for life.
 His place was soon reoccupied by san4
 other,' whose appealing, terrified looks
 told only too plainly what he suffered.
 He would have resisted were ,it>.of any. use. He had been there before, knew
 what it was, and would have almost
 given life to be reprieved. Stripped,
 and strapped to the triangles, unlike the
 prisoner before him, he turned lis head
 over his shoulder and watched the exe-
 cutioner. There were the old marks of g. former fogging on his hack-black
 spots and lines-7left there six months
 before. He tried to be brave, and bear
 1t; but it was no good; the ' swish"
 sounded once more, the horrible, knott
 ted cordsswept 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-anyt ything for one moment of
 peace. 4But there was none; the pitiless lash descended till the sentence was ear
 ried through. !. Then, when 1t was oYer,
 he went AWAY, muttering thanks to God,
 as with bent form and. tottering steps
 they led him to the cells: It whs tie fast time he would enter 'that .yard-- allsl
 that was his sole relief. l9 dydp ,-aa:
 u, There. was one more victini-7a mere
 lad, sixteen years of; age. I had heard
 him convicted the day before in courtfor
 an ofense he could scarcely know the
 nature of. He WAS good-looking little fellow, with clear skin sand briyht blue .ayes. He looked upon it.all as q thrash ing. at school, walked forward with a Light, jaunty step, and stripped IS coolly as if he we're going to plunge. into the river. They strapped him up; and then
 there came the "ofdere once sagain ::
 sTwentyfix The eexecutioner took lup a lighter cat, with thinner thongs than these he had used before. It cWhistled. for moment in the. air, and then the fair, white skin of the boy was wafed, andlivid, and blue There was a sudden jerk of the body, a quick draw ing of breath that made the, chest expand and the ribs stand out more, prominent. EA.second blow, and still, no cry. He, was game, and would see it out, At the third T'the pent up suffering bufst out, and with a yell I shall never forget the lads head was thrown back, and heawrehched at the wrist straps7tin they almost cut tho flesh 4fron1 his arms. Once more another blow: again -each followed by heart rending cries. Another-T3'f -'f For Gods sake !l9 Oh, Christ Ged!,' Let me go !'' Thereiwas quick, choking, gasp 1 ing sound. His head fell back, and all . was silent save for 2 horrible guggA.ing in the throat as each. blow fell upon his I Streaming back. They loosed the straps and led him from the yard scarcely. con T scious. Thank God, 1t was over. "So ? that is how they fog," said ]. "Yes ! it isn tpleasant, is it 7D and we left the $ place. 212 = .l.----.a-..4 aa.ea....