The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1888-07-11
THE CAT -O-NINE = TAILS.
DELAwARE's PILLoRY AND WHIP
PING-PoST DESCRIBED.
Offences for Which Prisoners Are
Whipped and Put in the Stocks
at Newcastle-A WINNING Scene.

Whipped and Put in the Stocks
at Newcastle-A Whipping Scene.
The Chicago Times correspondent
sends that paper graphic description
of the scenes enacted four times year
at Newcastle, where prisoners are SEN
fenced to the whipping post and pillory
for various offences. Our informant
says:
The offences for which prisoners are
sentenced to the whipping-post are the
various grades Of stealing, from petty
larceny to highway robbery and burglary,
and the punishment is graded according
to the offence. The pillory sentence ac-
companies the higher grade offences,
and the number of lashes is larger to
those who aspire to lead in the profession
of stealing. The most celebrated whip
pings in Newcastle took place about
1871, when several celebrated bank burg
lars, who attempted to rob o Whining
ton bank, were made to stand in the
| pillory for an hour and were afterward
| given forty lashes. The punishment is
| the most severe in winter, when it is not
an unusual thing for the victim to stand
| for one hour in a cold rain and be literal
| ly covered with ice before taken down
and fiogged. Five lashes is the mini
mum and forty the maximum number.
The court that disposes Of these criminals
and imposes the sentences sits in Will
mington although this place is the
county seat), and is very austere body.
| The Chief-Justice is seventy five years
of age. Judge Houston, one of the
assistants, is seventy-four years of age,
and has been on the bench for thirty
three years. The other Judge, Paynter,
appointed two years ago, is as deaf as a
post.
For some offenses prisoners are put in
the pillory only and not whipped at all.
| A very few years ago prisoner con-
victed Of larceny was also, in addition to
the specimen sentence quoted, ordered to
wear convict's jacket for six months
after his release from prison. That por-
tion of the sentence, which had really be-
come dead letter, was repealed in 1883.
1t is a mistaken idea that wife, beaters are
whipped at the post, when, as a matter
of fact, only offenses that relate to steal
ing make the offenders liable to the
piliory and the whipping post.
The whipping and pillory in use
.here at New Castle are plain affairs.
First, there is heavy upright post about
twelve inches square and fifteen feet
high. About eight feet from the ground
is platform about six feet square,
through the center of which the post
runs. The platform is braced by numer-
Gus stays, arranged somewhat like the
ribs of a raised umbrella. On either side
of the post, about four feet from the
! ground, is an iron semicircle with fianges
| al -. Il. Al
post, SO as to swing loose. The other end
slips over staple, into which pin is
| placed when the wrist of tho victim to
be fiogged is placed against the post and
encircled with the iron. The portion Of
the post above the platform has cross
beam about five feet from the 1oUr, and
it forms large cross. The arms of this
cross, on either side, are cut through the
center, the upper portion lifting as a
hinge. Three openings are made in the
center of the arms, one for the victims
head and the other two for his wrists. The
upper portion of the arm is lifted up, the
prisoner places his head in the lower half
Of the center hole and his wrists in those
at the side. The upper part of the arm
is lowered and fastened at the end, and
the prisoner is secured. They are gener-
ally compelled to stand in a STOPPING
position, aud not on their toes, as some
aver.
The post and pillory are used between
the hours of 10 and ~ o'clock, and al
ways on Saturday morning. At 10
O'clock the Sheriff places those sentenced
to the pillory in position, the platform
being reached by ladder, and throws
the iail-yard open to the public. AS a
rule the spectators are few, but some.
times there may be as many as two hun
dred. They are not allowed to annoy
the men in the pillory, who never stand
there more than an hour, and who squirm
and twist with the painful monotony oi
their position. Then the prisoners to be
flogged are brought out one by one,
barred TO the waist. Their arms are fast
ened to the post, and deputy sheriff,
with list in his hand, tells the sheriff
how many lashes are to be given The
sheriff stands to the left, and as he
brings the lash down each time the de.
putty counts aloud. The cat .ocnine- tails
is not laid on heavily, blood is never
drawn sufficiently to run, and the sheriffs,
as rule, are very lenient. Nearly every
blow of the leather thongs makes welt,
especially upon white men, and the
sheriff distributes the cuts over the entire
back. When twenty lashes are given,
no matter how gently laid on, the vic
TINS back is in very tender condition
when the operation is over. The last
blow is, as a rule, the hardest, and gen.
orally surprises the victim, who imagines
that he is getting off easily. Black men
pay the least attention to the whipping,
and it is not an amusing thing for them
to jump and kick their heels, ask for
chew of tobacco, crack a joke, or laugh
as they are led back to their cells. With
the whites it is different. They squirm
a great deal and frequently give vent to
emphatic eKclamations. The crowd OF
spectators is ready to laugh at any SEM
blance of levity upon the part Of the
prisoners, and the one who has enough
grit to crack joke after his punishment
is repaid by the greeting of the crowd.
The last to be whipped are the men in the
pillory, if any there be- They suffer the
most, their backs and limbs having be-
come stiffened by standing in one posi-
tion.
The Shifting Sands.
A late Charleston letter speaks of the
naulaafaA fCpIftfI, g h. & IL.