The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1881-05-26
The Whipping Post.

NHSdSSh III OucluCSSs anu
pursued his vocation with success. He was
a sober, industrious and respected citizen.
At the breaking out of the war he volun-
teered in one of the companies organized in
that city, entered the service of the Confed-
eracy and proved himself to be daring and
brave soldier. In one of the many Skin
mishes and battles it was his fortune to be
engaged in he received severe saber
wound on the head, which seriously affected
his health and left him but little of the en-
ergy and Judgment with which he had before
the war conducted his business. The least
amount of stimulants would derange his
whole mental organism, and unfortunately
he would sometimes indulge in strong
drink Really incapactated for business,
and laboring under the depressing and en-
ervating effects of the wound he had re-
ceved in the service of his State, his bust
ness ventures since the aar were not sue
cessful-he was reduced to poverty, and We
might say to irresponsibity for his acts
when under the influence of liquor. In
this condition he was detected by Il gentle
man in the suburbs of the city, taking some
meat from his premises /; he was arrested,
tried AMI sentenced to be whipped. He
pleaded for remission of the sentence, de-
claring that he could not and would not ell
dure such disgrace. He begged for the
name and reputation OF his three children
that the lash be not applied to him-that
death would be preferable, and that if the
sentence was executed, he would take his
Dan life. All his appeals and tears and ag-
ony would not avail. The cruel decree was
enforced-his back was laid bare and the
terrible disgrace inflicted. Writhing under
the torture of su h ignominy, and crazed
under the sting of the degradation that had
been fastened upon his innocent children,
his threat was carried into effect, and the
verdict of the inquest was death from his
own hands. BY means of laudanum or some
other opiate.
This sentence, this disgrace inflicted upon
brave soldier who had voluntarily offered
his life at the call of his adopted State
this infamy fixed.upon the innocent chill
dren, who knew no crime, and had COM
milted no offense, was in obedience to a
Virginia law, enacted by Legislature com
posed of the intelligence and wealth of the
State and who pretend to represent pro-
gressive civilization and christian people.
1t is singing commentary upon the
perverted notions of humanity and christi
anity which have found expression in this
barbarous and brutal enactment of the Leg
islature of Virginia. the poor creature
whose pleadings and tears and sufferings
could not turn aside the terrible sentence
that had been pronounced for a trivial Of
Tense committed under circumstances which
would have called for mercy from savages
whose services to the cause of his State,
could not be remembered to mitigate he dis
grace pronounced upon him whose chill
dren could not escape ION the ignominy.
the ever present ignomIny, elingingto them
and accompanying them wherever they
might go, and through life--this uhfortu-
nate. forsaken and disabled soldier could
find no escape from the lis of life and
sings of outrageous fortunes, except in
reckless plunge into eternity.
The poverty of Schmidt was really his
crime. measured by the examples given us
in the criminal history OF the State. Had
rich friends come to his aid condOning his
petty ofense in view of his gallant record
in war-or had bis own Golfers been suf-
ticient to prolong tie contest and availed of
the delays and uncertainties of the law. he
would doubtless have escaped the penalty
that had been pronounced against him. and
saved his innocent children from the awful.
living. ever pending doom that hangs over
them. Others who had robbed the State of
thousands, whose deliberate and well ma
tured plans to take from the people their
earnings and appropriate them to the gam
bling bells and other places Of vice,
whose offense could. find no palliatiOn
in law or justice, have been permitted
to go scott free because of their high
social standing and culture; but this
poor wretch, demented from wounds re-
ceived in defence of the homes and firesides
of Virginians. was doomed to inetfaceable
disgrace and his guiltless children to a worse
than living death. by Virs mia law. enacted.
in all probability, by some of those whose
property he had defended, while they were
securely entrenched behind bomb proof pro-
tections.
This whipping post law is disgrace to
tho Statn Whataypr rho plotiva nf ifs
enactment whatever the mistaken idea
which suggested tit stands as a glazing,
black stigma upon the civilization, the hui
manity of Virginia. There is no right in
morals or public policy involved in any leg
is1ative power to inflict disgrace or degra-
dation upon innocent children, and send
them out upon the world with an Infamous
brand upon them. 1t is a wrong that should
be corrected as soon as it is PRACTICAL bic to
do 50. Public sentiment must indeed be
vitiated il it longer tolerates such a stat
ute such a relict of barbarism, which is
excused upon false plea of economy. but
is shocking to the moral sensibilties of the
civilized world. The blood of poor Schmidt
cries out against 1.-THE wrong and dis
grace upon his innocent children, in whose
behalf he pleaded, appeals to Heaven
against it.