The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1897-07-08

formed two circular openings, in which
the prisoners legs were set and held
fast. The upper timber was then
locked to the lower one.
One of the most cowardly, yet effec-
tive, elements of punishment by the
stocks was the abuse which the pris-
oner had to undergo at the hands of
the public. He often was pelted with
offensive, though not dangerous mis-
siles, and he endured jibes, jeers and
insults from any passerby who chose
thus to amuse himself. 1t was not
sensitive minded nor refined age and
prisoners in the stocks were held to be
proper sport. Often the offender bore
on his head or breast, to particularize
his character and offense, the name of
the violation of law for which he suf-
fered, or some opprobriOus specifica-
ton of him.
Similar in its effects, but more tire
some and more disgraceful, was stand
ing in the pillory. The head and some
times the hands, also, were confined by
the pillory instead of the legs. The
old English name, stretch-neck, ex-
plains its use. The culprit stood and
his head was thrust in tight grasp
through hole in a standing board,
which was in two movable parts, as
was the stocks. Hawthorne says the
pillory was held to be as effectual in
the promotion of good citizenship in
America as ever was the guillotine
among the terrorists of France.
Sometimes an element of extreme
cruelty was added by mailing the ears
of the criminal to the pillory. In the
Maryland archives of the year 1648 is
the record of the sentence of John
Goneere for perjury: "To be nayled
by both cares to the pillory, 3 nails in
each care, and the nails to be slit out;
and twenty good lashes." The same
year Blanch Howell, for the same
crime: "Shall stand nayled in the
pillory and loose both her cares"
Counterfeiters, forgers and defacers
of the records were usually punished
on the pillory; blasphemers also were
pilloried. Sharpers, impostors, swim
dlers and horse-t thieves were thus set
that their faces might become familiar
to the public and thus their powers of
swindling lessened. Quakers suffered
frequent punishment by the pillory in
the days when quakers were deemed
outcasts and rogues. The pillory was
in use in America till this century, and
in England also, where Lord Thurlow
was eloquent in its approval, calling
it the restraint against licentious-
ness provided by the wisdom of past
ages.
At the time of the colonization of
America the English temper seems to
have been in an extremely fractions
and unstable condition, and magis
trates in the old world were ingenious
and constant in devices to restrain the
ill temper of the public. The colOnists
brought their bad tempers to the new
world and they brought the punish
ments also. Scolding women seem to
have abounded in the most shameless
number and fashion, and in England
and America were restrained and tenn
pOrarily silenced by the ducking STOOL
This was simply chair, which, by
means either of rope and galIows, a
long beam like seesaw, or a long
shafted cart, could be ducked down
into the water. In this a scolding
woman was tied and ducked till she
was silenced and promised "to sine no
more"
A gag was more frequently en-
ployed than the ducking stool in
America.
The gag that was generally used was
in the form of cleft stick, which was
pinched on the tongue. 1t was decreed
for swearing, scolding, railing, revil-
ing, chiding, reproaching, lying and
husband beating. For the latter cruel
ty Sarah Morgan in 1871 was ordered
'to stand with gagg in her mouth" at
Kittery, Maine, at a town meeting,
with description of her offense
written on a paper and placed on her