Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1890-02-14
PERSIAN PENALTIES.
The Different Methods by Which
They Are Carried Out.
The Bastinado, MutIIation, I'M
priSonment and Death.

"e"'i'S v" 'hc Oiic soics Oh the lcet with
willow sticks. l saw this punishment
inflicted upon pcasa,l. for som, small
olTcIsc.
The cul nit was laid on hi; back. his
feet were dashed together ana he'd sole,
u:permost By passing through loop in
n horizon al pole. A blu Idle of sticks
that had BEEN rendered pliaut By soak
Ing in water was brought aud placed
clio C mt hand.
All being ready. two farrashcs seized
each stick and proceeded briskly TO
pelabor the upturacd feet. The PEASANTS
feet were hard and calloused from
habitua!ly walking bare foot and III der
these conditions his punishment was
probably less sc we're than it seemed.
The ilagelIatioa went merrily on un-
til fifty sticks had been broken over his
feet. Now and then the man would
sqnirm and give sorrowful groan of
"Al-l-ah!" but it was easy to see that
much Of this was hypocritical When
at length released, no rose to his feet
and limpcd slowly away, one of the
farrashcs fetching h,m smart cut
across the shou. dcrs to accelerate his
pace.
Fifty sticks is cons dcrcd very light
punishment; sometimes several hundred
are administered, in which case the
punishment is, of course, severe.
1t is not regarded us disgrace in
Persia TO have been bastinadoed. Most
OF these 50 dealt with are simply men
unab c to ply their debts. No one is
exempt from The bastinado except royal
personagcs.
Sometimes the Shah, dispeascd at
one OF his ministers or high state Of
ficials, orders him to be bastinado.d.
The Official, perhaps a dignitied old
gentleman, with venerable, flowing
beard, living in luxurious palace, mas.
ter OF fifty servants of his own, mcckly
Receives his punishment at the hands of
the kings Furnishes, aud deems it no
disgrace. Nobody points the finger OF
scorn at his neighbor who has been bas-
'inadoed, for none know upon whom
the displcasure of the ''powcrs that be"
may next descend in like summary
manner.
Sneak thieves arc punished by mu:ila-
ton. For the first often &C they are de-
prived of an car or the joint of the fore
finger. This is usually suni ;ic,t
warning. but if brought up second
time, of comes the right hand. The
hand is laid on a block and chopped OIL
with sword the wrist is then plunged
in kettle of boiling tar to stop the
bleeding.
When the lido European telegraph
line was built through Persia, the
natives used to cut and steal the wire
for making bracelets. This caused so
much annoyance to the telegraph com.
pany that the Shah ordered the hand, of
all persons found wear.ng telegraph
wire bracelets to lie chopped off. This
terr:b punishment soon pat an end to
the practice Of stealing wir,
In travelling throu III Persia I saw
many people with the right hand miss
ing; they are generally found begging
on the streets of the cities
The punishment of death is innictcl
for murder, highway robbery, treason,
and also for robbery from royal persons.
Desperate criminals are somctim IS made
examples OF by the most cruel punish
mcnts.
No female prisoners were in the jail
we visited. Women are never inca,cer
ated in public pris Oh in Persia. Afew
days forciblc detention in the houie of
priest is the usual punishment inflc:-
cd upon them for small offences. When
their crimes are such rs TO merit CAPT
tai punishment, however, no mercy is
shown them because they are women.
Near the city of Shraz is deep we'll
into which women guilty of certain
crimes are cast alive. The woman i,
conducted to the well, seated OH don
key, with her face turned toward it s
tail. She isfollowcd by hooting mob,
who fling mud Mt her and j.er at her
misery. Arriving at the well, she is
made to kncel down at its brink. A
word OF two is uttered by the pri,s::,
the executioner gives the wrctched VIC
man shove with his foot, and all i,
over.
One Dark, Black Night