The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1890-07-23

~ ra l.----Ast,s--
The FIRST mention OF whipping as a
punishment occurs In the fifth chapter
OF Exodus, where we find that Pharaoh
whipped the officers OF the Israelites
when they did not furnish the required
number Of bricks which they were COM
PEELED to make every day,
In ancient times says writer In
American Notes and Queries, the Rom
ans carried whipping as u punishment
farther than any other nation, and their
judges were surrounded with an array
Of divers kinds Of whips we'll calculated
to alright the offender who might be
brought before them. The mildest form
Of whip was Eat leather strap called
the Ierula, and one OF the most severe
was tho fdgellum, which was made OF
plated OK hide and almost as hard as
iron.
From ancient times the use Of whip
ping can be traced through the Middle
Ages down to, comparatively speaking,
more modern times, when II Is easier
to find record OF the use OF the rod.
In Queen Elizabeth's time the whip
ping-post was an established institution
in almost every village in England, the
municipal records Of the time informing
US that the usual fee to the executioner
for administering the punishment was
"four pence q head" In addition to
whipping being thought an excellent
corrective for crime, the authorities OF
acertain town In Huntingdonshire must
have considered the use OF the lash as O
sort Of universal specific as we'll, for the
corporation records Of this town mem
ton that they paid eight-pence ito
Thomas Hawkins for whipping two peo-
pie vt had the smallpox"
In France and Holland whipping does
not seem TO have been so generally
practiced. Tho last woman who was
publicly whipped In France by judicial
decree was Jeanne st. Remi de Valois,
Comtesse de Ia Motto, for her share in
the abstraction OF that diamond neck
lace which has given point to so many
stories
In connection with the history Of fiag-
ellation in France may be mentioned
the custom which prevailed there land
also in Italy, in olden times Of ladies
visiting their acquaintances while still
in bed on the morning Of the FESTIVAL
OF the Innocents," and whipping them
for any injuries, either real or fancied,
which the victims may have done to the
fair iagellants during the past year.
Among the Eastern nations the rod In
various forms played prominent part,
and from what we read China might be
said to be almost governed by It Ja-
pan is singularly free from the practice
Of whipping, but make up for It by hav-
ing remarkably sanguinary criminal
code.
Russia is, however, par excellence
home Of the whip and the rod, the Rus
SLAMS having been governed from time
immemorial by the use Of the lash.
Many Of the Russian monarchs were
adopts in the use OF tho whip, and we're
also particularly ingenious in making
things unpleasant for those around
them. Catherine II. was 80 particu-
larly fond Of this variety OF punishment
(which she often administered In per
sony, that 1t amounted almost 10 Q pas
sion with her. II Is related that abe car
ried this craze so far that one time the
ladies OF the court had 10 come 10 the
Winter Palace with their dresses 20 ad-
justed that the Empress could whip at
once II she felt 30 inclined.
While the instruments OF torture used
in Russia were Of great variety. tho
most formidable "punisher'' was the
knout, an instrument Of Tartar origin
and Of which descriptions dlfier. In It's
ordinary form It appears TO be heavy
leather thong, about eight feet In length,
attached TO handle two feet long. the
lash being ooncave, thus making two
sharp edges along It's entire length. and
when II fell on the criminals back 10
would cut him like a flexible double
edged sword. Running the gantlet-
was also employed, but principally In
the army. In this the offender had 10
pass through 4 long line OF soldiers,
each OF whom gave the offender stroke
with plant switch. Petor the Great
limited the number OF blows TO be given
TO $4,000, but unless IL we're intended 70
kill the victims, they seldom gave more
than 1900 At time. When the offender
was sentonced to . greater number Of
strokes than this, tho punishment was
extended over several days for tho rea-
son above stated.
Whipping, after dropping out Of sight
for time in England, was reintroduced
In England in 1867, In order to put q
check on crimes Of violence. The law
was so framed that the Judges might add
logging at discretion 70 the imprison.
ment to which tho Offenders wero also
sentenced. The first instance OF this
punishment being used was at Leeds,
where two men received twenty-five
lashes each before entering their nye
and ten years penal servitude for gar.
oting. The whip used In this instance
was the cat.o'-nine-tails.
The whipping-post is also still used
In some parts OF this country, notably at
New Castle, Del, where the "cat" Is
still administered for minor offensea
Judging from whipping that the writer
,nce witnessed, II appears TO DO very
-.lll ..N. .tah