The Red Cloud chief., 1882-02-23
THE Goat" IN DELAWARE.

of the Past.
The whipping-post in the New Castle
iail-yard had seven victims yesterday.
Three boys, who had stolen something
like fifteen dollars, got ten lashcs apiece.
Twenty lashcs were applied To the backs
of four other prisoners who had been
convicted of larceny. Sheriff Clark did
not handle the cat in a particularly
forcible manncr, and the men who Were
strung up in the pillory didn't seem to
mind the blows much. The whipping
post has greatly dercncrated i'll late
wears. There was 4 time when it was
applied mdiscriminately TO thieves and
fclons of high and low degree, Now it
is mainly used as a scarc-crow for
chicken-thicveS, sncak-thicvcs and er-.
rant tramps known rs "peach-plucks.'
There are Delawareans living in this
city who remember as Children, or
Youths, a time when some of the Blue
Hens most respectable citizens were
put into the pen known as the pillery
and made ia eXpiate their OtfenSeS
against the law and morality by forced
embrace of the w~hipping-post.
AS a child the writer remembers hay
ing seen men who. after being whipped,
were by law compelled TO wearthc let
ter IF" (felon) overthe back 81 their
coats as long as they remained within
the boundaries of that State. Other
people, a little older, will rccoilect how,
in Dover, a man. who had been
a prominent church member and most
highly respectable citizen, for some act
of dishonesty was publicly whipped
and condemned TO wear the stigma of
disgrace, the letter .'F," as long as he
lived, or to abandon his home and bisi-
ness and take up his abode i'll another
State. He resolved TO stay where his
interests and affections inclined him to
remain. Although ne was a Storekeep-
or and his occupation neccsSitatcd his
constant appearance in public, he at
tended TO his business in person. IN If
is said by those who frcquentrd his
store as purchasers that he had his
stock so arranged and WAS so a,iroit in
his movements that no one ever caught
sight of the badge of his disgrace whilst
being waited on by him. In the old
time. when Delaware was more rigid in
her righteousness than she is to-day, it
was held by those who made and those
who administered the laws that di>hon-
cSty was much more heinOuS when en-
gagged in by those placed by social posi-
ton above want and amidst respectable
surroundings than when INDUCED in by
those tempted by necessity and evil
companionship. Consequently, when 4
prominent citizen was caught stealing
or forging. his punishment WAS always
made heavier ana more severe than that
melted out TO roguCS of either of the
classes contemporary known as poor
whites or free niggers." In fact, n
half century ago % large 4 proportion
of the criminals punished 10y whipping
was of the respectable class of society,
that 4 lady, on visiting Delaware some
Years ago, having heard that this, that
and the other distinguished citizen WAS
the descendant of some one who had
been publicly whipped, asked: DO
not all the aristocrats of Delaware de-
rive their patents of nobility from the
whipping-post?'
Toward the close of the last century
an eminent and well-beioved gentleman
of Sussex County, a public bcnefactor,
distinguished for piety, fell from his
high estate. He was a Magistrate, and
noted for wisdom and excellence of
Judgment. On one occasion there was
brought before him in his official capac-
ity some counterfeiterS. who had been
arrested for passing bad money, a large
amount of which was found upon their
persons. The Magistrate, rs was his
duty, took possession of the counterfeit
stuff, TO destroy. il was supposed. The
roUueS were committed for trial and
subsequently, pilloried and whipped.
Years afterward the neighborho"d was
flooded with bogus money! at length
traced to the squire who had com
mitted the culprits alluded Ia, aad who,
il was afterward discovered, had been
for a long tiGie passing the money he
had coniiscated ior destruction. Every
effort was made TO shield this beloved
and respected citizen from the conSe,
quenceS of his offenSe. but without any
avail whatever. He was whipped most
severely in the jail-yard at Dover, and
the Sheriff who inflicted the punishment
WAS so fearful that he might be accused
of partiality for n rich and respectable
criminal that he cut so deeply into tn,
flesh as TO cause the blood to run of
the end of the lash and down his OWL
hands. whilst the back of the unfortu
nate offender was a sight on which tn,
most stoical could not look without he
ing sickened with horror and pity.
Some ~thirty-five or so wears ago s
well-known and very able politician o.
Wilmington ran for Congress and came
".,I., &lr,n ,-ntn- or 100 1oatnl II.
spent more money than he could afford
and in order to tide over a temporar,
embarrassment forged the Endorsement
of his brother-in-law, a distinguished
physician of the city, to a note given b,
him, intending TO take it up before il
came to maturity and so escape any bad
consequences. 1t so happened that h,
was not on good terms with the brother
in-law, and this the Teller of the banl
at which the note was presented for dis
count knew 1t was therefore retained
until the matter could be inquired into
The Teller took occasion speedily to SET
the doctor, and said, suddenly: why
YOU have made Your quarrel up witt
j, and have commenced indorsins
for him, eh?n Il have done nothing
of the Sort" said the doctor, who wa
thrownoff his guard, and who. for famil,
reasons, would have cut his tongue on
before giving his relative away had h,
taken time to think before speaking
His after attempts to hush up the matteI
without avail. Political opponent
of the unfortunate culprit got hold o
the story, and he was indicted, tried
and found guilty of the crime of forg
ing, and sentenced TO be whipped. Tina
he would have been SO punished there i
no doubt had not his lovely and loving
wife gone to the Governor and TO tn,
Governors wife, and so wrought upor
the sympathies OF both as to Secure b.