Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1881-01-06
Punishment.

as possible prevent its commission. It pro-
poses to do this by making an example Of the
criminal, working bis reformation or::putting
II beyond his power to again break tho law.
A century and more ago seyerer and more
numerous forms Of punishment were pres
soribed for criminals. Twenty or moro
crimes were punished with doath and in the
recollection of some of our people death was
the penalty for grand larceny, stealing
horse or negro, burglary and many othor
offences.
ST. James Gazette contains an account of
several old fashioned punishments, once in
vogue 10 England some Of which are peoul~
lar, for instance, tho ducking stool for scold
! and incorrigible women. Evory corporation
was required to provide duoking stool and
when no river was convenient duoking
pond. The stool was chair on which the
woman was placed and carried out into the
river or pond in view Of q large crowd and
duoked until her temper was cooled and her
tongue quoted. Then there was the cuck-
ing stool resembling tho duoking stool, which
was used for the exposure of Aagitious wo~
mon at their own doors, or in somo other
public place, as q moans of putting on them
tho last degree Of ignominy. Whorevor q
number of habitations gathered together,
there would be found a ducking pond for the
summary punishment Of petty offeuders of
various descriptions.
Another punishment was the whipping of
beggars and vagrants, statute in tho roign
Of Horny VIII enacting that ''beggars found
wandering about seeking their subsistence
from tho almes of thei benevolent, should 10
carried to some market town or other place,
and there tied to tho end of o cart naked and
beaten throughout such market town or other
place till the body should be bloody by rea-
son of such whipping" This was modified
in the roign of Elizabeth, SO that vagrants
were only stripped from tho waist up. It is
said that women were sometimes subjected to
this oruc punishment. Soon after this tho
whipping post which had On existence in
South Carolina within scoro of years and
is still found in Maryland, was erected at oil
court houses, and served to terrify offenders
who failed to realize tho difference between
meum and teum.
The pillory was also bequcst from tho
mother country and mahy Of our old citizens
can remember when it had an oxistonce in
South Carolina.
The writer mentions also the Drank or
scold bride for meddesome and tattlng wo-
mon. 1t consisted of pieoe of thin iron
with bridlo bit about two inohos long ind
one broad which was put in tho mouth and
the thin iron passed around the head and
fastened with paddock t tho back of the
head. 1t operated by the bit pressing down
tho tongue so it could not wag and work mis-.
chief
Thon there was the drupkard'e cloak, con-
eisting of q tub with arm holes cut in it.
Drunkards were punished by making them
carry this tub through tho streets with thoir
arms in the holes.
The pilliwinkles was mode of torture for
suspected witches and consisted in pressing to
DEATH
These cruel punishments have passed awav
and the tendency of tho age is to run to the
other extreme. Criminals now must be
pampered, educated, preached to, visited and
condoled with, until tho punishment for
crimeis to many n premium for it's commits
zion. They must not bo whipped, for that
would both hurt and disgrace thom. They
must be fed we'll, slept comfortably and
cared ior as tenderly rs if they wero net
lambs. How many thus treated regret the
expiration of thoir imprisonment and seek
as early an opportunity rs possible 10 oot
back to place where in idleness thev can
fare sumptuously. Is it wonder that crime
increases, or that good citizens often in no.
gravated times wreak swift Justice on the
offender without tie forms, delays and un4
certainties of tho law. That maudlin senti-
ment which holds that whipping rogue will
disgrace him, and cut off all hopes of his
reformation, has made petty thieyines a
pastime. 1t is not the punishmont which
brings disgrace on the offender, but tho orimo
ne has committed. There is little hopo Of
reforming man who seeks to live by steal.
ing in any other way than by the persuasive
power OF the lash. It oomes with such n
pleading forco as to convince thief tbot
stealing is not only sinful before God, but n
painful violation Of human law. Wo do not
advocate cruelty, but We are almost ready to
agree with what Dr.. johnson is reported in
the article in st. James Gazette to have euid
to Mrs. Knowles: "Madam wo have different
modes of restraining evil. Stocks for thu
men, ducking stool for the women, aad
pound for beasts" IIo might have added
very appropriately, 80 whipping most for
the special benefit of thieves and burplorsn
The gallows still has ito place in our Grim,
inal law, but there is but one orime, wilful
murder, punishable with death, tho punish
mont Of rape and arson being death proyid.
ed the jury does not recommend tho offender
to mercy. Neither tho gallows nor tbo uh;,