The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1894-11-07
WOULD WHIP THEN
Efforts Of Prominent New Yorksrv
In This Direction.
What It II Hoped to Accomplish Through
such . Law-To BE Employed Only
for Wife-Beaters and Brutal
ThusA

vive the system OF corporal punish
ment for certain classes of offenders
At lees, certain people in New York.
led by Elbridye 7. Gerry, will try 10
have the following made a law at the
next session of the Legislature.
Whenever a male person shall be
convicted Of felony consisting Of or
accompanied by the infection Of phys
ical pain OF suffering upon the person
of another, the court may, in its dis
erection, in addition 20 that penalty
now prescribed by law. impose an adj
ditlonal sentence Of corporal punish
rient 20 be inflicted upon the offender
in the prison 20 which he shall be sen,
fenced Such corporal punishment
shall BE inflicted in private in said
prison, in the presence OF the war,ier,
and surgeon thereof, who shall certify
the fact to the court wherein il was
imposed"
Commodore Gerry Is very much IN
earnest in the matter, and in an inter
view with a reporter for the New York
Recorder stoutly defended the plan on
the ground that it provided for the
only punishment that is really feared
by the brutes that it is intended To
reach.
Crime said he, "of the more brutal
and fendish character is frightfully on
the increase, especially in the case
where children of both sexes are the
victims Instances in which lifelong
injuries have been inflicted on girls
and boys Of a tender age are becoming
Do numerous that il is time something
was done To strike at the very root Of
evil. and | am sure the only weapon
that can be effectively used against the
brutes who. in their passions, exhibit
no thought or feeling FOR their victims
Is the lash
"Once let the brutal element Of tho
community know that the pain and
suffering inflicted by them on others
will be meted out on their own bodies
and the shocking state of affairs now
existing will be TO a great extent
wiped out | am thankful To say that
the creatures responsible for the of
lenses are foreigners. The grade Of
crime against which the resolution il
aimed is peculiar to men from other
countries And the only way 20 show
these wretches that they cannot In
dulge in such things IN this continent
Is the crack and the sting of the lash
1T has been enormously stated THAI
wife-benters are included among the
creatures against whom we are fight
Ing. This is not so. We are only a2t
vocating the lash for felony committed
by men Wife-beaters belong to an
other class of animals which may or
may not deserve good thrashing.
They. however, do not enter into tho
discussion Burglary with violence. as-
sauIt of any brutal nature-those ara
the offenders who. | maintain. should
feel the sting of the lash A conviction
OF twenty years, reduced by good be-
havior 20 twelve, has no salutary effect
on the callous element with which asn
dealing.
AS an instance, you, a law-abidine>
peaceful citizen, are enjoying n we'll
earned rest, a hardened brute Of a bur
glar. not satisfied with plumber, delib-
erately knocks you over The head, puts
your eye out. brushes in your skull,
mains you, beats you, and for this he
gets twenty years. Is that any sati,-
faction 10 you? DO you get q new eye
or another skull or a clean slxin2 No,
Then say let his punishment be pro-
portionate in come degree TO the Of.
Tense
Formerly crimes Of which specially
speak were punishable by death But
experience showed that the class Of
people that commit these crimes ~
personal violence don't dread death
Nihilists, anarchists, atheists and tho
more degraded classes scout the idea
Corporal punishment Is the only thing
the scarnps and raycals are afraid Of
A few years ia prison doesn't have any
deterrent effect A man comes ont OF
prison and he Immediately perpetTates
u similar crime. but IL hs understands
that he is going 10 get dose Of thai
which be inficts on other people. ho
thinks twice before he runs the riSk
1T Is nonsense 70 play the fool with
criminals and say that corporal punish.
fnent ia degrading and revival Of the
dark ages Are the abuses inflicted ON
little children 6cgrading7 Vas there
anything IN the dark ages more debaS
ing than the revolving acts which CO.
cur to-day There seems % bc n rnaxls
ish sensibility IN the oppoxition 20 cor
poral punishment II Is tina Oldest
form Of punishment known. and y Is IN
be found in the Mosaic law. Ihers
can he nothing brutal ia Il. provided
yon don't make the exhibition public
In Delaware they have a curious meth
Cd a fslon is sentenced 20 thirty
lasheS. fifteen 81 which are admins
tered lie Is then told % get out Of tho
state. and IL De Is found there after The
lan-e O, a week The balance Of th-
thirty lsshes awaits hin The plan
works admirably.
Again. Ia London. when the gnrrDt-
ers were tsrroriznz the city. the cat-@J.
nine-tailz was brought into play With
such effect that gsrrotsuZ Tas M
known 10 very short space of tine
W0uld sugEea. sny particular mode
81 aduiBisterirg The punishEDsnt7 10.
The ordinary Lash on he back 1oah
zee. al requirements IL 10 effective.
and II I've long enough the advisable
~ q Is leyalization viii come besors
tie next sesaloa Il Tie legislature"