Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1894-11-29
SHERIFF GlLLlS WIELDS THE "CAT."
First Instalment of the Punishment oi
Victims of the November TerIn--Five
Whipped and Two PillOried.

Victims of the November TerIn--Five
Whipped and Two PillOried.
The corporal punishment meted out to
the criminals in the Jail yard at New
Castle Saturday was remarkable for its
leniency and spectators who never miss an
opportunity to witness public whipping
declared they never saw the like of it in
their lives. 1t was Sheriff Gillis' first ex-
perienced with the ''cat" and the prisoners
who were fortunate to get their punish
ment on the first day of the new regime
are congratulating themselves to-day and
thanking their stars that New Castle
county has at last merciful sheriff.
The two hundred spectators who congre-
gated in the Jail yard to see the licking"
are wondering whether the statute ever
meant that criminals convicted of felony
should receive their medicine in homteo-
pathic doses calculated to make even some
Of the old school fellows stare with amaze
ment, and the long-term prisoners, whose
cells open off the main corridor, where
the blows of the cat are usually heard, are
wondering whether there was really any
whippings at all,
The whippings did not even raise an ah.
rasion of the skin on the backs of the men
who stood up TO the post to be Publicly
ilugged, ami more than one of the culprits
received his punishment with expressions
of levity and good-natured indifference.
Stephen Byard, an old time offender who
has 'hugged black Susy," as the prisoners
call it as often as any other man convicted
in general sessions court for felony, merely
smiled, showed his great white teeth and
thanked de good Lawd that he was living
any how" Stephen was so happy that he
nearly stumbled over Warden Francis who
escorted him back to his cell and to the
other habitues of the Jail he declared "dat
New Castles new sheriff is de stuff, :"
Byard got 10 lashes without raising welt.
Charles Hall, convicted of larceny, and
who will serve six months Imprisonment,
turned complete somersault on his way
from the post to the jail, so elated was he
over the leniency OF the whippings. 1t was
his first trip and he had been regarding the
cat with fear and misgiwngs.
Thomas Nowland and George Collins,
two white men, who were convicted of
burglary stood two hours in the pliory
and took twenty lashes without moving q
muscle.
Arthur Jordon, colored, got Is lashes
and came from the post smiling and
hurried inside the Jail.
Old Jim johnson, one of the men con-
victed of Noah Benson's murder, who
is given the freedom of the Jail yard
nowadays, stood and watched the whip
pings from position near the jail entrance
and laughed at the sheriff welding the
cato -nine-tailS.
Warden Theodore Francis, who called
out the names of the prisoners as they
came to the post, smiled at the exhibition
as did another Jail official who watched
the farcial whippings from window in
the prison. But it was Sheriff Gilis first
experience. and the spectators declared
that lie would learn how to WELD the lash
| by the time the next batch OF prisoners
are sentenced to be publicly chastlsed.
Five men in all were Whipped.