The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1889-03-08
ABOLITION or CHAM GANGS
They Are in Vogue in Few Places
Nowadays.


the vagrants and petty larcen-
lists are still made to work on the
streets and roads. but the shackles
and balls have been done away with,
ard the prisoners are kept from run
ming OF blythe moral influence OF a
tall, heayy-set man with double
barreEed shotgun tucked careleSsly
beneath his arm, In the majority of
the towns. however, though the law
by which offenders against the peace
and dignity of the commonwealth
may be committed TO the chain-gang
is still on the books. the whole system
has been tacitly dropped. Stockton
for many years worked a chain-gang
on her streets, but succession OF
diaboiical punishments inflicted on
prisoners who refused TO work at last
aroused the people to sense OF the
barharity of it, and the authorities
had to accede 10 their demand for its
discontinuance.
Along about 1882 n young German.
convicted of some trivial ofense, re-
fused to join the shackled band in the
streets. The chief of police, as a pun
ishmeIt, hung ox-chains, ABOUT his
neck and walked him up and down
before the courthouse until the pris-
oner dropped from exhaustion. Then
two policemen raised him 10 his feet
and compelled him to resume his walk.
while they prevented him from sink
ing again. At last several citizens told
the cnief OF police that if he did not
cease torturing the man they would
take him from his custody. Then he
returned him TO his cell. The prisoner
fer week or more was not expected
to recover. He did so physically. but
his mind was weakened by his punish
ment and he kept failing mentally
until it was necessary to commit him
TO the insane asylum.
The next case of outrageous torture
occurred four or five years ago, the
victim being an iilegitimate son OF a
Stockton banker. His father in the
early history of Stockton followed the
prevalent custom and lived with a
Mexican woman. He was not rich
man in those days, and she worked
with him to better their position. She
bore him several sons, whom he in a
measure looked out for. But as Steck-
ton grew the land which the pioneer
and his Mexican helpmate had secured
increased in value, and soon he found
himself wealthy Then he became a
banker.
Meanwhile, of course, the society of
Stockton had improved in tone, and
the pioneer in order 10 keep up with
it had 10 cease his relations with his
mistress. So he put her and his fam
lily away, though to his credit be it
said he partially provided for them.
The pioneer, having wiped out his
record, married a young white wo-
man and raised another family He
was rich. and this family were conse-
quently thoroughly respectable. 1t so
happened that his two daughters,
while driving in their neat little pony
phaeton, came across poor wretch
triced up to lamp-post by his wrists
SO high that he had either to stand on
tip-toe or hang by his wrists.
He saw them and shrieked out
curses at them as they drove away
alarmed.
The young man had recognized his
haif-sisters, and the disparity between
their position and his brought the
curses to his lips.
He hung there until the citizens in
terfered again. but the young man
was not cut down until after he had
lost consciousness.
The occasion OF the punishment, as
in the previous case, was refusal TO
work in the Changing. The bankers
Legitimate son had been committed
for visiting an Opium place.
The young man is now well-known
baseball player, and is considered one
OF the most valuable men in his team.
But the feeling raised bv these cases
only had the effect OF moderating the
treatment of the petty criminals who
had been committed to the county
Jail.
In April. 1856. however, barbarity
was committed by the chief of police
of Stockton that had the effect of end
ing the chain-gang in that city.
Edward Denber was committed to
the custo ~ of the sherifffor forty days
in default OF $40 fine imposed for n
trifling battery.
He said that his fine would be paid
within few days, and asked to be al
lowed to remainin Jail until the money
came.
But b. F. Rodgers, the then chief of
police. would not permit this. and Or
tiered Denber TO join the chain-gang.
Denber protested, but did work one
day. The next morning he refused 10
go out. Rodgers promptly ordered
him triced up. His hands were fast
ened behind him, and he was backed
up against the bars of cell. Then
his hands were strapped to the bars 80
high up that his body hung forward,
his head was lower than his shoulders.
and only the balls of his feet touched
the floor.
He hung in this bone-racking posi-
ton for five hours and a half.
The next day Denber, TO the sur
prise OF the brutal chief, persisted in
his refusal TO work In chains on the
streets.
Rodgers promptly had him trieed
up again, and orsfeFed that he should
be tTieed up higher than he was the
day before.
morning. At III O'Clock the police
sent for a physician. as they thought
Denber was dying. The doctor order d
/ hesi.ated 10 do so without the chief s
order. The Intervention OF James I'll.
Radd finally caused Denber to be re-
leased from the torture.
The indignation of the people OF
Stoe kt0n was intense at the outrage
| Chief Rodgers was arrested for abns-
| ing his prisoner, and escaped only on
the technically that Denber was the
sherif's prisoner and not his
! But that ended the chaia-gang in
Stockton.
In Stockton's new charter petty lar
ceny and vagraney are stlli punlsha-
BILE by commitment 10 the chain gang.
bat IL Is harlly likely that the iastiiu-
| ton viii ever ne revived.
At Modesto for many years chain
gang was kept az work.
About -four years ago. however, a
son OF one OF the slate harbor commits
sioners declined To CONE 10 court in
answer To subpoena, or committed
some other technical offense. and was
brought up ami given into the sher-
! it's custody for contemps Of court.
He was st once elappesi into the
changing. A threat al severe pun
| ishment If he did not work took the
| rebellion olst of him. and he actually
/ broke rock with the thieves and va
grants, ball and chain on his leg and
a depafy sheriff behind hins.
He proposed to make the authorities
| pay for it, however, when be got out,
and fied suit for damages. But be-
! fore the case came TO trial he Young
fellow got into another scrape consist
erably less crenitabie than even that
which brought him to The cllain-gang,
and on this account let the whole mat