The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-08-27
A CHAPTER ON EARS.
Peor,e WHO Were Punished Long Ago oy
Having Their Hearers Removed.

ANY mu;ilation of the ear which IN
yolyed the loss OF portion or all OF II
has always been mark of disgrace, In
one of the statutes Of Edward vi the
penal,y affixed for its violation is the
..loss Of an ear and perpetual infamy.
In those days the ceiluloid ear had not
| been invented and the loss of one Of these
members WAS a public badge Of shame
for life.
Following the retributive law Of Moses,
probably the punishment originated IN
The ecclesiastical courts. II is first mem
toned 10 tie trials Of oGenses against ne
church ard some Of the ecrlc5s cierical5
were no.cd ncn. yhr sentence 90 me
p..lor. nynIcntlv lad ihcaddiuEai rin-
/ tslslsLt o.. the ios4 u one "a bon edfS
added. Daniel Fooc, or Foe, later IN life
known az Daniel Defoe, wrote pamph-
let called THE Shortest Way with the
Dissenters, and lost his ears. Pope, in
his .'Dunciad, speaks of the author Of
Robinson Clusoe:' "Earless on high
stood unabashed Defoe."
He was placed in the pillory three
times. That instrument being on a raised
platform explains the line. In Defoc's
case. however, as in many others, his
punishment was rather a martyrdom,
and lif,ed him IN the esteem Of those
who believed as ho did.
Or. Bastwick, who published more
pamphlets than pills. concludes one Of
his ESSAYS with: From plague. pestileuce
and famine, from bishops, priests and
deacons. good Lord deliver us This
was 80 serious an alfrcnt that the doctor
was sentenced TO the pii'ory and to lose
both his ciF. The execution e his sem
lenco was a sort of public iete. His
friends Ga.hcred before the pi,iorr and
shouted words of announcement. His
wife climbed uron tine piilory and kissed
him. Whcu bis cars were cut 0T "she
put them IN q clean handkerchief, and
carried thcn home The celebrated
pryune Suffered q .mlar puuishwcuU
The n.m.5 of lesser criminals have
escaped the permanent records, but
Blackstone mentions number Of early
English parliamentary en.clrents maxi
ing the loss Of an ear penalty IN law.
Fighting IN a church a. cilrchy@rl by
acts pl -cl during the fifth and sixth
YEAR of the reign Of EdWa.d VI meant
the loss 0f both ears. Ii the prisoner
had mo- cars-whch implies that there
were ha5itual criminals $40 years ago
no Wa 70 &c branded with tine letter
+ in the chce.. in the second and third
year Of tEc e.me monarch combinations
among vic.ualors and artIii,ers TO raise
Che price of provisions g.. ;hc rate OF
labor .lr thc third oncnao was punished
by IT, pillory and to loss Of az ear
IAa at.,u,o 20. only e-tcaled o. the
combinations TO raise WAGES, but 10 reg
uiae the quantity az work or 20 lessen
the hour OF labor. In this degenerate
age the trusts and ether combines. with
the different labor unions. IT these laws
were enforced. would give the pubic
executioner active employment.
in later years the loss oi aa ear or part
of one has also been regarded as imply
ing disgrace. The ear is not easily lost.
ANY accident tlat destroys the caT
usually destroys the person wearing II.
One oi Tie fayoTi'e War7 If muu."iug
an enemy in a rough and tumble Fight is
to lite oG his car lndirepuiable braw.s
and in l1w rc-orts brute instinct makes
ear mutlation fit revenge for almost
any wrong. Jack SIade. the notorious
de.pcralo. in "a fit of rage. Is said to have
cut oil thc ears Of man NE had mur-
lcr-d. lie kept them in his pocket and
boastiuiiy exhibited them when IN
drunken and dangerous mood. When
he saw on the poker table a stake he
wanted particularly Jack played the cags.
Ringing them on the table they beat four
aces or a straight flush, for Jack had a
pistol in each hand the next instant. lie
always took the pot on the play.-Chi-
cagO News.