The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1878-06-06
A Flogging Given in Canadian Jail
Yard.

n ACOIICstOHuChU WllpCS lIouu 1OlidOAA3
Ont: This morning an unusual occur
renee took place in the Jail yard, which
attracted crowd of some forty or fifty
persons. 1t was the fogging of a con-
vict sentenced at the last Assizes, for
criminal assault on young girl near the
Lunatic Asylum.
At about ten minutes before nine the |
sheriff, his deputy, and other officials, a |
couple of medical men, and those who |
held tickets of admission, were admitted |
to the Jail, and proceeded thence to the |
south yard, where the hogging was to
take place. A triangle, or contrivance
like painters easel, was in readiness,
which, under the direction of the sheriff
and the ex-soldier who was 10 apply the
lashes, was securely fastened in position
by means of spikes driven in the ground
through its feet.
The f1ogger" was a thin, darkroom
plexioned man, who made no attempt to
disguise his features, further than by the
| tying of black silk handkerchief over
his head, so as to conceal his forehead
and shade his eyes. He wore neither
coat nor vest, and his arms were barred to
the elbow. At five minutes past nine all
was in readiness, and the order to bring
out the prisoner was issued by the
sheriff. In two minutes more he was let
into the yard with turnkey on either
side. He was then placed with his feet
resting on the ground between those of
| the triangle. His shirt was removed, and
he only retained his pants, boots and
cap. His wrists were first strapped Sc
curely to the timbers above his head,
and then his knees were fastened to the
frame in a similar manner. All being
in readiness, the high constable took up
his position on the right of the pris-
oner, and the fogger took his stand on
the left, when the "cat" was put into
his hands.
The terrible cat" as sensational re-
porters have SO often called it, is in it.
self very innocent and harmless-look-
ing instrument of torture, and any one
who did not understand its peculiarities
would hardly be inclined to fear its as
saults more than those of an experienced
and energetic life insurance agent. The
handle or wooden part of the "cat" is
} precisely like twenty inches cut off the
butt of light oak whipstock of the old
fashioned kind. The tails of the cat
consist of nine strips of cord, not heavier
than moderately heavy trolling line
cut in pieces, varying from twenty-four
to twenty-eight inches in length. In each
J of the tails several knots are tied at in
!. tervals of about one inch. At about
} one-third of the distance from the stock
to the points, the tails are loosely
} braided (only two or three turns), and
this without impairing the fexibility of
the lash, SO unites the tails as to bring
them all to bear within narrow space
and combines their weight. Detached
} from the stock, it is very doubtful if the
"nine-tails " would together weigh more
than an ounce.
| As a last precaution cloth was
wrapped around the neck of the prisoner
to protect it in case any of the tails OF
the cat should happen to wander in that
direction. For a few seconds the
{ Operator" handled the cat nervously
| and at length the high constable said
Cone" The tails of the cat went spin
ming around in circle, making sharp
, crisp rustling as they made their way
, through the air, and then like flash OF
; lightning fell kissing upon the back OF
; the prisoner, and ere the blow had fairly
reached its destination, the cat was
jerked quickly toward the operator, sc
that every knot in the tails seemed te
r take hold of the flesh like a veritable
, cats claw. Fora second or two the flesh
| of the victim quivered, and he writhed
from head to foot.
: Then he turned to the operator and
said: "For Gods sake fog me fair, and
don't strike me on the ribs" A great
purple ridge now showed the track oi
the first lash, and the high constable
, said "Two." Away went the tails hiss
ing through the air, and every knot
G struck like a red-hot claw into the
shoulders of the victim. As the cat was
drawn home with wondrous dexterity
! ! and force again the flesh quivered, anG
as the prisoner writhed he turned &
blanched face to the operator and begged
him to "keep one spot" The remain
: ing eighteen lashes were given in the
same manner, varied only by an oc
: casional remonstrance from the prisoner
1 who, though he quivered and writhee
under the torture, never complained O
f its severity, but only criticised the man
J, ner in which it was administered.
I; When the punishment was ended, th'
n ruddy face of the victim was absolutel.
colorless, and great ridge of bluisl
e purple as wide as mans hand, and ex
I tending from the point of the righ
a shoulder downward and diagonall.
j across the back, as we'll as the track o
s the first lash, lower down, which wa
: perhaps an inch wide, showed the ter
rible nature of the punishment he ha'
4 received, very little of any blood wa
q drawn, but wherever the cat fell it left
!: livid blood blister.
q Immediately after the whipping ha
;: been completed the prisoner was hande'
:. over to a Jail physician for such treat