Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1877-05-28
Alefan0rla 6ax&tte
Punishment by Whipping.
MONDAY, MAY %, 1877.

| ALEXANDRIA, Va, May lG, I'll never
thought | should ever be an advocate Of the
| lash as punishment Of auy kind, but, visiting
Alexandria, to day, aud making q litto examl
nation into the result OF ten months trial,
am now free to say that the whip will prevent
great deal of tho petty as well as large stealing
that is so prevalent in all cities nov. Happen
ing to come across copy Of the message of the
model Mayor Of Alexandria, DR.. j. Is. John
son, which was sent to the City Council last
week, | was struck with the following SEN
tences
II take pleasure in saying that not single in-
| stance Of any CONSEQUENCE OF a violation OF law
has gone unrcporcd and uurunishcd. The po.
lice department has not single prisoner on the
chain gang, and but one prisoner in Jail Tor the
! action OF court.
| There have been but four eases OF felony sent
to court during the last ten months, and fifty
cases Of petit larceny have been disposed Of q!
| the po7ice department arihoMt one dollars &C.
pense to the corporation, thereby saving, bg
such a disposition, TO the city treasury sum
not less than three thousand dollars, thus indl-
eating the good results OF q prompt and impair
| tial enforcement Of the laws regardless OF the
preudiccs Of any one; and as the dlsturbcrs oil
| the peace and the Yiolators Of the law bear but
small proportion to the rest OF the community
who keep the peace and respect the law. 1t has
always appeared to NE 10 be misguided senti-
ment for those who desire The maintenance ol
the ordinances that have Tor their object the
preservation Of life and property, to erlnce mis-,
placed sympathy for the violators OF tho la"
when they are punished, and to make common
hnp in rnprnnnh nf who
ly and imparaly enforce the laws
The italics 10 the above are mine. The idea
Of disposing Of cases Of this kind without any
expense, struck me AZ voly novel, ana soon
called upon bis honor and asked him Tor tho
secret. | found the mayor to be an excellent
gentleman, and very communicative, proud OF
bis position, his success, and his CITY. TIC has
given the affairs of his city much study aud
thought, and has reduced il almost down to a
science. lie Informed ne that when he first
looked into the subject lc found that the jail
was full Of people (rnore than tlve'slXths OF
whom were c0orcd) who were serving ouf
sentences for various offences. lie thought
it would bo better Tor ali concerned II these
fellows were required to do some k!nd o.
work. lie then wrote what are new known
as the "Chain- gang laws, and had them
adopted by the muacipal lawnlaHlng power
aud put the prisoners at work cleaning
the streets, alleys, cutters, &c.-all OF them
being chained together. IL soon lOund cut.
said the mayor. that tins would not Work,
because, first, it would n0L pay aud, stc,ad.
it deprived the families Of the services Of these
men. 1t worked Injury 10 other ways. No
city wants 10 make or save money cut OF the
proceeds of crime, and our endcaVcr should bo
10 nreycnt crime. We found thai imnrls0n.
ucnt would only temporarily do thls; and, be-
sides this, il costs forty cents per dag to keep
prisoners ia ai Then, there Is an expense
for medical attendance, clothing, etc, which
materially adds to the cost Thea, while men
are in Jail, their families arc deprived OF then
labor.aad support. After looking very thorough
" into the matter, aud in accordance with tie
laws CT this corporation, ordered !hat al! per,
| sors found gully Of stealing Of any klnd should
be given nine aud thirty S:npcS on tic pare
back, for the frs! oiiencc. l. !, src.ea5 IN
every way, ard is economical. usually crder
that but twenty OF the stripes % la'i on aod
| tell the party to come back in zen days i'f thc
other nineteen. Oi cour54 hG never returHa Tor
what we owe h!n. This clears The city VI II
class that We can get al0nE without, and It Is
| the most ctfeo,ual way oil dalng 1t that know
| of. During the ten months cEdng May Ist
We had but City eases OF stealing TO dispose Vi,
while in previous year" We haI great many
| more -,
The whipping is done in the ''Sprread eagle
style in the public station house. Tho prison
| cr's arms arc run through door aud locked
together on the other side. The stripes are
| laid on the bare Lack with large coWhlde.
The prisoners don't relish the business q Bit
and only two or three havc been known to re-
ouire second dose Of ii. The whipping
went into operation in July last. and Is now
likely to be adopted all ever the State.
Mayor johnson has been the best Mayor that Tia.
Alexandria has ever had, aud be will be reflect
ed "by large majority Since hc has pre-,
sided over the city, the laws have been en-
forced with better results than eve, before;
This whipping has broken up gangs OF colorod
thieves that would be 1 terror 10 auy COM
muuity.
The famous Molfett bell punch 10 be used 10
all bar rooms in this State to register all drinks
served vRl not 60 toto operation for q couple
of rnonthg yet, as the punches, have not yet
been con pieted The courts will be asked by
the Iiouor dealers to declare the law to DC IN