The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1888-05-03

elueu tueIelu continuously until dit0A
1880.
The First Congregational church of
Pawlet was gathered August s, ISL
and the first meeting house
was erected within forty rods
of the geographical center Of the
town, about the year 1885, which, after
the erection a mile south of it of anoth
er, in 1893, was called the 'Old Meeting
House." The four gentlemen last
named concur with me in the recollec-
ton that the "Old Meeting House" was
standing in 1918, some of us say until
1927.
AS nearly as can estimate, it was
about the year 1924, that my father and
were walking past the "Old Meeting
House"-our residence was mile and
half south of it-and he pointed out to
me the site of the "Whipping- Post,
1.-THE sign post of the statute) which was,
say fifteen feet in front of the north east
corner of the House; and the site of the
Stocks and Pillory about the same dis
lance in front of the southeast corner.
Nothing of the Post or Stocks, renamed;
but he described the structure of the lat
ter to have been as follows Two up
right posts or planks, having
between them near their tops
two boards filling the space be-
tween the posts, 80 followed in their
middle edges as to be adjustable around
the neck of the criminal and capable OF
being securely fastened in that position.
This was the pillory. And when put
into use, either the boards were lowered,
or the standing place raised SO that the
criminal could not stand perfectly erect.
Between the posts at the bottom were
the stocks, constructed agreeably TO the
statute, for holding the feet of the Grim
inal who sat upon q seat provided for
the purpose OF stood as before stated,
And thus it seems that this one instru
ment Of torture comprised both pillory
and stocks and that in common paTlance
those were convertible terms. The Post
was seldom called by its statute name
but commonly was spoken of as the
"whipping-post," though it was used
for the purposes named in the statute, as
well as for holding offenders who were
fastened to it while undergoing their
castigations. By statute, the officer
having an execution for collection, was
required to "set up on the sign post the
particulars of the goods seized, which
were ito be sold at the place where
posted, at an Outcry," and at the time
for the sale, 1.-THE officer shall cause
drum to be beat at the sign-post, to give
notice to customers to cOme"-and
hence, came the expression that one had
had or would have his property sold at
post"
Before my recollection commences,
the original sign-post had decayed and
mother had been set up nearly in front
of and some eight rods distant from
the new meeting house, which stood
upon spacious level green and about
that distance from the line of the high
way. This second post became rotten
during my boyhood ana near its site an
other was erected and handsomely en-
cased and capped with pine boards; and
the whole exterior was painted white.
Desiring to learn what others could
remember upon these subjects address
ed letters to my four venerable friends
before named; and will now give the
substance of their replies.
DIR. SARGENT.
Il don't recoIect ever seeing whip
ping-post or any sign of one, at the Old
Meeting House." Il went 10 town
meeting there once when about nine
years old" QS12 II remember the
whpping-post on the green opposite the
Congregational meeting house, a little
northeast, next TO the road. About
1916, / saw Simon Stone, the constable,
go down TO Jockey street, on horseback;
took Amasa Buckingham, boy about
sixteen years old on behind, went to the
whipping-post on the Igreen and whip
ped him. He had threatened to disem-
bowel, with knife in hand, old Mrs.
Darling"
JUDGE HOLLISTER
"Simon Stone was second constable at
the same time your uncle, Stafford Has
call, was first constable, whose term,
think, began in 1916; and the whipping
was done by Stone, who had the lad
tied to the post and wac whipped with
the whip the boy had stolen-the crime
whereof he was convicted" Il have
certainly seen with my own eyes, the
whipping post referred to; but know
nothing Of the plloTy, stocks, etc. 1t
stood on the green nearly in front OF
the Meeting House, perhaps eight rods
distant 1t was not BY the Old Meeting
House. Il have often heard my father
and others speak of the whipping-post
etc. The sticks we're made to enclose
the ANGLES so that the culprit could not
rise or protect himself from the stale
eggs or other missiles levelled at his
head. 1t WAS a pretty fix to place fel
low
Mr.. EDGERToN.
IL have faint recollection that there
was such an institution as a whipping
post, and my imagination locates it in
front of the Old Netting House. have
no recollection of such an appendage TO
our civilization as the pillory or stocks"
Elk SHERIFF STONE.
THE whipping post was IN front Of
the Meeting House on the Green, near
the street running north and south; was
, encased, / should think with pine
and painted white. My father was con
stable; and have frequently heard my
, mother tell of his whipping some one;
and recollection now is that he WAS tied
to post in front of what was then d
Fitch's store in the village. was then
about three years old"
l will add my own statement. In the
autumn of 1916, when l was about four
and half years old, accompanied my
two sisters, older than myself, to the
centre of the village of Pawlet, and hav
, ing taken position on the southeast side
of the street, about where large build
ing now stands, we saw the punishment
of whipping inflicted upon man who
: had heen convicted of theft, He WAS