National Republican., 1877-09-27
SAM PATCH'S COURT.
HAZING FRESHMEN AT TIE DIS
TRICT WORH-HOUSE.

THE RULES OF THE COURT -" CoBBINd" "
NEWCOMERS UNABLE TO PAY THEIR
FINBs-JUDGE PATCH Is BROUGHT BEFORE
A REAL CouRT-THE sIAMESE TWINS.
There Is well organized system Of "hazing"
In vogue at the Washington Asylum that
shows that the striped backed inmates Of that
institution have q better and more rcmuncra-
tive way Of dealing with new arrivals than
the Government "hazcrs' at West Point and
Annapolis All tho old regulars and chronic
buns who spend most of their lives there were
not long In instituting plan for their mutual
benefit and amusement ut the expense of the
new and raw recruits added 10 their ranks
through the channel Of tho Police Court. To
this end they organized mock court and the
following rules and regulations were approved
and adopted by the court:
Any man or boy entering the workhousc shall
pay fine Of twenty-five cents. In case OF the pay
sned to ali he immmnSs S and privilege. % Of The
81 Tobacco Writing PsPGr smg. &C. SySsns
|. Splitting on the floor, penalty 10 cents
.. Making nuisance, % cents
.. Contempt of court. Is cents
4. Spillng water on tho Moor or leaving water In
the clp nj the gate. Ii osnts.
g. Nuisance on the seats or the floor Of the water.
6. Taking possession of any article belonging to
another person without his consent, 10 cents.
7. stealing. 70 cents.
s. Loud talking after hours, four pieces OF to.
bacco. subject to the discretion Of the court,
o Going into the judges headquarters without
TO- Resisting an oiheer, Is cents.
II. Putting rubbish or feet old shoes or clothes on
the dining table, 10 cents.
cents.
IL. Indecent exposure 20 cents.
II. Blocknding the doorway. - cents.
Is. Standing on the water closet seats, 10 cents.
l6. Annoying and disturbing old men, 20 cents.
IL. Tanpering with boys 25 cents.
IL. Persons visiting the several rooms Of their
fellow prisoners will do so with decorum and de-
ccncy. They shall not be noisy boistcrous or In
sulting, and they shall retire from said room or
rooms whenever m occupant thereof shall 80 re-
quest and upon falling TO observe this rule the
| penalty shall be Il cents.
As might be supposed these rules were
guy" and their enforcement only exactcd
from the weak and uninitiatcd. The largest
| and strongest man in tho gang was chosen as
the judge, and all his sentences were vigor.
| ously executed by q chosen few of his most
| desperate subaltcrns. When q prisoner con-
| victcd by the court was unable to psy his fine,
which was almost invariably the case. he was
sentenced by the court to undergo the basti-
nado. This is very severe punishment, and
| is well known to most boys under the name
| of "cobbing"
1t consists of doubling up person and beat
ing him with stick on the part then most
prominently exposed. Among the chain
| gang the treatment is better systematizcd and
much more painful. The victim Is seized by
the cxccutioncr and his assistants, who over
power him and lay him over the back Of one
| Of their number, who lays on his hands and
knees. The cxecutioner then uses his instrri-
mcnt of torture-s rough pine board-with
| telling effect. The austcre judge stands by in
| awful, gloomy silence, and regulates the pun
| ishinOnt by majestic wave of the hand when
| he considers the number Of blows has cxpatcd
| the sentence.
The blows are generally governed by the
amount of the fnc that is, il the oiicnse called
| for u fine of twenty-five cents the culprit
would receive that many blows. Very few of
| the vagrants have been successfully punished
by the court. They generally beg of, run off
| or are rescued by the keepers. The court has
always been considered good joke. and its
sittings characterized by a laughablc mock
gravity and dignity of bearing, especially on
the part of tho judge. Sometimes, however, a
| convicted prisoner unable to pay his fine has
been subjected to such rough treatment that
II comes To the knowledge Of the officers Of the
asylum, and the mock judge and his officers
are also punished, but with ball and chain. and
not by "cobbing." A case of this kind
where the victim was not satisfied with the
punishment of his assailauts, was
BROUGHT BEFORE THE POLICE COURT
yesterday. The defendants were Sam Patch,
the present judge of the work-ho court;
Samuel Matthews, chief executioner, and Thos.
| Bowie, his right bower. They are all very
black and very tall men Of powerful build.
They wore the regulation uniform of pic.
turcsque pattern-blue checked shirts, zebra
pants and slouch hat. When their names were
called they all stepped forward to the gate,
| pleaded not guilty in chorus, and seemed to
enjoy their situation very much. There were
two complainants against them. Ono was a
lazy, shif.lcss looking fellow with shaggy beard,
unkcmpt hair and mud-colOrcd complexion
His name Is Charles Stillfnd. He was sent
out TO the workhOusc on Monday, and II seems
from his testimony was unable to pIy the
initiation fee.
| He was very bad witness, and gave his
evidence in a mumbling, disconnected style,
difficult to understand Enough was heard
| however, to show that when he was turned
loose among his fellow prisoners at the work.
| house they Immediately went through his
pockets and, not finding the object of their
search. they doubled him over another man
and gave him fifteen cobs with n board. lie
offered to show the court the bruises on hi,
back, but the offer was declined. He was 81
badly hurt by the beating that he could moi
tell who struck, but thought he identified tht
three prisoners.
The other complainant was tall slim
darkCy named johnson, whose unusually dirty
uniform indicated that he had been enlisted
In the chain gang for some time. He told 1
better and made much clearer case against
the prisoners. lie testified how they received
Stillfnd and demanded twenty-five cent?
from him.
give cents was to go to the judge" ex
planned the witness, who had apparently bcci
there before. "He didn't have the money, 81
they asked him what can you do? Nothing,
he said, and he was sentenced II was ais
, found guilty of one of the rules" continuc'
the witness, "and because l could not Civ
, twenty-five cents security they stood me u
side of the wall and put fifteen cobs OH mC
: and then put fifteen on Stillfnd.
: "Do you recognize the prisoner as the ma
I, who struck you ?" inquired Mr.. Miller.
"Y cs sir; Sam Patch passed sentence, Ma,
thcws struck me with the board, and Bowie 60
' under Stillfnd."
"ThOSc two men were tampcring with th
e boys when they were asleep; (rue ~ that
5 what we beat them for" argued Judge Pate
. In defense.
"We'vc been punished 'nuf Already
poutcd Sam Matthews.
An officer of the wOrkhOuse was then csllc
to the stand, and admitted that the thrG
prisoners had already been punished. He cl
| Dlainrl that thcy were all nut in irons an