The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1875-04-03
The Cat o. Nine Tails
Terrible Punishment Melted Out to cons,cts IN se-
Zealand

Iea'ano
Auckland 'N- a. Herald
| obtained an order from the Governor
Of the Jail to he present few weeks agu
while three prisoners wha Nere undrrgy-
ing sentence received their punishment
The doctor was there. WI. but beyond A
few casual remarks thar passed n"thin-
was said | looked around aud al d giancl
saw the machinery If n maN he called So
which formed the sole turnitnrr " the
yard. On the right stood small Wopd,t
kind Of shop. which with the nppusIr.-
wall Of the JAIL yard, formed a narrow r
cess. In this stood the triangles. round
about which the ground was void II grass
and green with damp The triangles ARE
horrible suggestive thlng~ I" hook al, three
leaning poles ccnserying q thr TOP ami
hrhiS Planter - -tae groahd 40 90
tiie iacs~Ont INTO the yssF1. rrft-ir -gsssa-
being the same straight hne Across theae
and between them lies broad board,
pierced with holes. through whl,h str,I,
hung loosely down. Higher w on each
POI va Z 'imiiar strap and another a.
~ IN "s"'i VI, ~" 'ei' Nlut
iui 'o'''" VIZ faIi''N' 49,
"hich VA r"iied ~ "n m arms. and DIS
PiaSeu an eA'ra"rulhary mass ~ Sine~
'iiu II pesi'e h'iii; ~ 'he -f'nhd'
- ~, " "'ii'" WIZ va =" "ih'
''i'S- iheiv "cr' several ~ inherent
sues Tong, hh".ted, "hlte-i"ngurd things.
with shor' handles like stock Nhip. only
covered with clota rD keep rhrhl from.
slipping ia rhe hand
Turning III ward Y wv Gt,.ru.r ...,,-
some order, and the hrNt non-u' some.
one was let IA thrpn.h -he iru gate.
which closed behind hlm- he va, = mud
dle-aged, hard-featurrd fellow with 4 ~u.-
len race, more repulslve hy he'ng cleantd
shaved. THIS - his hrst tIiav. the Gov
ern"r whisperea g. nle. adding the ofrnss
for which he was convicsel And sentenced
:" De hoKged T1s-4rzh iookeI Al ths s--ss-
cutlcAef u m0inent, aud at hrs order com
~eHced tostrip. nivesting himself Il his
hat, coat and SHIRT, he vas Tea a. rhe trI-
angles and the straps passed round his
wrists, ankles and waist. u "as impos-
Nlble ~ move Tie shnddered TER W"-
ment rs the cold AR swept along me yard.
Twenty tive. cried the warden stand
ing by. and the executioner took np one
of the heaviest cats from among those
~ the hnN. Standing about slN feet be
hind the prisoner. little te the left. hc
passed ms fingers through the nine ,ais
nf the whip. which. with rapid rioye-
,uent. he then brought across his chest.
high up above his head, with 4 horrible
''sW ish" and down with the whole force II
his arm and weight upon the cuiprit's
back. There was a shIIek at agony aud
I'm hVr IN ~. ~
out upon the poor wretchs shoulders
"OnA Iii cried the warden. aud again the
eat swung high IN the air - descend a
second time The pIteous moaning which
followed the tirst blow gave place to
another shrek, Intense aud lcuh The
deep blne lines turned red. and blood o''z-
ed through dozen different cnt-. ami the
skin began To- peel IA STRIPS along his back.
Two and again the terrible instrument
came down. Shrek after shrek reut the
air. The sight was slckenng horrible
As each blow WAS dealt the prisoner
writhed IN agony at the trlanglts. and
when the lash fell for the las, time and
the strans we're Ioo.ed that hald btn N,
turned away faint. weak. scarcely rec,s,-
nizable as human. dlsgraccd and marker
for life
His place was soon occupied y, another.
whose appealing. terrified looks todd only
too plainly what he suffered He had
been there before. knew What 1t Was. aud
would have almost given life to br re-
prieved. Stripped, aud strapped Z" the
triangles, unlike the prisoner before him,
he turned his head over hls shoulder and
watched the executl"ner- There ~err the
black spots and lines lett there SIX
months before. he tried 70 oe brave and
bear At hut 1t WAS no good the sVish
sounded once more, the horrible. kn'ttrd
cords swept cuttingly across his hack. aud
with burst Of agony he broke out IN
long continued shrieks. one NJ his legs
got twisted with cramP- tie trled :" stay
the lash Tor a minute any thing i"r tine