Connecticut western news., 1881-11-23
THE WHIPPING POST.
Its Use in Virginia-A View of It's Work.

THE WHIPPING POST.
 Its Use in virginia-A View of It's
 Work.
 M. Quad gives in the Detroit Free Press the following experience in Vir- ginia
 "Did you ever see public whip ping ?"
 ssNo."
 "Well, let's ride over<t to Glendale. Old Turner is going to peel 8 victim this afternoon.
 I was at Malvern Hill, and Glendale is hamlet about four miles away. As we rode along the highway we found ourselves in the company of quite number of negro men and women, who were bound to the same place, and had the same object in view. It was known for circuit of ten miles around that Lish Taylor, 8 negro, had been sen tenced to thirty lashes for theft, and there was general desire on the part of the colorsd population 'sto hear him holler." The theft was the taking of 8 hoe or shovel-I forget which-trom 8 farmer, and the prisoner would doubt less have been let down easy if this had not been his second offense.
 Arriving at Glendale we found half dozen white people and about seventy five colored citizens on hand. Among the latter were about thirty women.
 "How far did you walk ?'' asked of one of them.
 "'Bout fo' miles, sah.''
 "And you came to see the whipping?" ssYes. sah."
 '.I shouldn't think you would want to see man whipped"
 "Deed, sah, but doan' keer so werry much about it, but my ole man am lame an couldn't come hisself. Ize got to tell him all bout it when I git home."
 Some of the crowd had walked seven miles, and nearly all of them over two, and it was plain to see that whipping l was sort of circus parade to them. There was much speculation as to whether Old Turner would lay it on hard or soft, and as to how the prisoner would bear the punishment {; but all dis pute was settled by little, old, squint- eyed darkey wearing 8 stovepipe hat with the crown caved in:
 "Who's doin' dis talkin' ?" he de. manded, as he mounted the steps and overlooked the crowd. ''What you uns sayin' dis an dat fur when you doan' know2 I tell ye dat whip am gwine to draw blood, an Lish Taylor am gwine to boiler like calf Ize bin right dar myself, an dat Mass'r Turner he doan' go light on nobody r
 l have seen hundreds of petty offend CTS sent to the jail or workhouse with out 8 change of countenance. Of the half hundred murderers and burglars I have heard sentenced, I never saw one of them ''take on'' as Taylor did when brought down to the post. He was a strapping big fellow, able to knock an OK down at blow, and yet he begged and whined and act ed the baby, and was on the point of having real good cry when the hoots and misses of the colored people around him acted as a brace. Still he trembled and cringed, and exhibited actual fear. If he had been going to jail for three months his face would have worn grin of satisfac- tion, and he would have felt himself hero. A large share of the crowd looked startled and anxious, showing that an impression had been made, and I heard one man whisper to another:
 "Fo' de Lawd, William, but wouldn't be dar fur de bes' fam in Vir ginny!"
 Old Turner, as everybody called him has done all the whipping at Glendale for years. His face is neither refined nor brutal, and I conld not see any change in it from first to last. He pro ceeded to business in matter of fact methodical manner. The prisoner wa ordered to "peel," and as he slowl. and reluctantly removed his coat Tur
 ner leaned against the whipping-pos
 and switched the ground with the whil he was to use. This whip was @ smal . raw-hide, about like those used with f saddle horse, and it had suspiciousl. red color for half it's length. The pris , oner was slow about removing his gar |. ments, and the executioner finally tool
 hold to assist him. Coat and vest an' : shirt were at length removed, aed Tay s Tor stood with only his pants on. Tn $ thermometer marked ninety degree | where he stood, and yet he shivere and shook like man freezing to death :. His arms were drawn around the pos . and his hands made fast at the wrists
 and then his pluck was all gone. If hi . sentence could have been changed t
 five years in State prison he would hay
 jumped for joy.
 a Old Turner wore the same nentrs # expression of countenance as he too II his station and swung his whip for tn ,- first blow. It was pretty smart cut
 and Taylor yelled at the top of hi s voice:
 Ia ooh, God! Oh, for de Lawd bu e somebody save mel Oh, Mass'r Tul l. ner, if you'll let me off I'll die for you II Had prisoner shouted thus in pt v lice court in the North the spectator ,s would have roared with laughter. Thel
 wasn't smile to be seen in the crow
 around the whipping-post. It was
 warning which made men tremble an women wipe their eyes.
 "--two-three- ee-four-fve-feu u I- blows, and boy ten years old woul