The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1886-01-14
UNDER THE LASH. Z
HOW IT FEELS TO CATCH THE
CAT-O,-NlNE TAILS z
What Scientific FIossing Consists Of
Experience of !. Reformed eonvict-A
Case of Heroic Physical En-
duraace-Stubbornne q

sAss e,hcazo journal Intervhw.I 81 II
@stHow often have you been hoggcd.' was
asked In the course of long convrsa-
ton with Michael Dunn, the, reformed con-
vict, and influential member of the Chicago
Prisoners Aid society
''Six times; but only twiee-siace I be-
came a man. wag-Aoggcd four ti.Ies in
the Manchester Jail before was IL years
old, once in Van Diemen's land, and once
on the American man-of-war.''
''What does Il scientific fogging con-
sist OFF,
''The victim was stripped to his waist,
and his hands were tied to q c,Iirl-cs.rriag 20
or something else, sometimes together, but
generally stretched apart, and above his
head. The fogging was done in the army
by professional flagellators, on ship-board
by the boatSwain, and in Van Diemens
land. and Gibraltar by sergeantSs and other
officials who did nothing else, and whose
constant effort i5 was to reduce it TO fne
art. The instrument OF torture was 6. c.,.-
o'-nine-tail5, which was a whip-handle with
nine lashes of cat-gut or hide, each OF
which had nine knots in it, one at the end
The blows were aimed at the region of the
Shoulder-bladss, though when the -fsgella+
tors became unusually vicious they would
lash the much tenderer places on the small
OF the back.
Elm order to reacl, hottsh shouIder.blades,
left-handed fiagellators. The right-handed
fagellator would lash tho right shoulder.
blade, and then give way to the left-handed
operator, who wouid lash the left shoulder
blade. The usual number OF blows was
from 80 to POO, but sometimes as many IS
300 were given. l remember well that it
was 500 lashes,ttat nIv fathrr got when he
was drurnmed ont OF the English army
The fageilators affected great style in Civ
ing the blows, and would flourish tho. eat
over their heads III fantastic way. At
Gibraltar, they coFercd the foor, fist with
glittering white sand from tho beach anil
before each blow the cat was Tourished IN
such a way as 20 drag in, and become COW.
cred with the sand, so rs to add littla
TO the torment OF the victim
EFFECT OF THE BLOWS.
"What was tho effect of these blows on
the backs' - - - - - e
Every blow broke the skin ana drew the
blood. In Van Dieman's land the faceIIa-
tors, when no fiosging was going on, would
90 out into, the woods together and lash
the trees, to see which could tear of tho
largest pieces of bark. If they could whip
all the bark off n tree you may imagine the
effect on a mans back. The last time I was
logged got only eighteen lashes, but the
blood ran down TO my very heels fave-
known men to receive 600 lashes, and to be
taken straight to the hospital and die the
next day. ss-e--~- s-r------.--s-as- -
"How much logging was done in the
penal colonies!''
"An immense quantity oft, Iassytre you
I'm Van Diemen's land, every "Wednesday
was flogging day. and there were generally
ten or fifteen victims y barrclful of strong
brine was provided and as fast as the men
were logged a large coarse towel was dipped
into the brine and laid on their backs This
syas the most painful part of it. but it was J
10
two days in the week were devoted to fog
ging. At both places the worst characters
among the convicts were required to be pres
emit and witness the suirerings Of their COM
rades." - - go - i" E-aH ~
How does it feel to DO foggcds" 4 "a
''Well, the first blow Is terrific but the /
pain IS less as you so along withft. 1t
seems as il the nerves become numbed and
deadened.r The most noticeable. sen satio,t is
one OF fuliness and oppression around thc
heart
did the men dread it rnueh!, .gssf
Il can't say they did. They made a
practice of putting piece of stone or lead
into their mouths to bite on when the pain
was greatest. and with that bit OF comfort
they imagined that they did not suffer
mCeh. 1t was point of honor with them
not to utter the slightest cry Of pain. The
rule was the same among the boy convicts
ut Point Pure Any man or boy who should
groan or cry, though he received 800 lasheS,
was ridiculed and prosecuted by his COM
rades forever aftervard. / never knew Of l
moro than four or five who did it. In some !
instances there was o rivalry among them 4
rs to who should be hosgpd The oft-iiest,
and endure the greatest number of lashcs. /
Two men would get jealous of each other on !
Sccoarit OF these honoI.i, and each one would !
go to committing crinc right and left just /
to incur iiogging, and receive more lashes /
nrftt
out what was going on they would he We TO
stop flogging them in order Ia make them :
behave themselves.
CASE OF HEROIC ENDURANCE
But the most surprising case Of heroic /
endurance L ever witnessed occurred at .
Gibraltar. Among the convictS there was 4
a very thin, siclSly man named John Brown. I
He struck one of his keepers over the shin
with shovelhandle, and was condemned 1
to lie logged. When ii was known. many /
bets were made that he wouli cry ont But I
10 the surprise of every one, just tho first !
plaw Eas struck, he began 70 sing the then I
new and popular air, I'm Sitting on the |
Stile, Mary. As the lozcing progressed hs /
continued singing verse after verse uytff he
lad sung the song through without missing /
a syllable or q note; and it happened that
tie ssafg and the fiosginy ended at'the same
instant. Tho fiagcilators then dressed him
or with brine and babe him take himself Off /
to the hospital But Brown assured them
that he desired to return to work at once
and sure enough took up his whselbarrow,
and wheeled stone all day as if nothing had
happened. Ineed not say that after that
Brown was a sort OF deity with u.s. -
Did You use TO cry out much when You
were hoGCeds'
Not I had Is stubborn : VII Us any.
OK them When was stripped for fiogging
On the resolving ship, The boatsw ain fal
tered, and the commodore syyorc at him thai
IL he wouldn't do his duty. lIs Noaii iiusci
some one who would. | also shouted 10 him
lay il on. man; you can't hurt me- Hear
ing this, the boatswain' embarrassment gave ;
place 10 feeling of anger, and he laid it on