The age-herald., 1898-02-19
 WHIPPING WITH EVERY SUN That Is the Penalty of Little
 Joe Lee, WHO IS A NAUGHTY BOY Attempted to Kill His Sister and Being Too Young for Lawful Penalty He Will
 Take flashing.
Special to The Age-Herald.

Atlanta, Ga, Feb. 1S.-Joe Lee is a little negro boy, just 10 years old. For the next thirty days he will be confined at the city stockade, and will be severely whipped every day by one of the officials.
 There is no law for this. In fact, 1t is in direct violation of all law. The case, however, is exceptional. While Joe Lee is a child in years and stature, he is a veritable demon in other respects. An or phan, he lives with his sister, and his con duct has endangered her life. The young woman desired to train him properly, but her colored neighbors objected and told her that she ought not to whip a father less and motherless boy. So the rod was spared, and the young imp was spoiled.
 The other day Joe attempted to kill his sister, and her patience was worn out, she had him locked up at the station house. The evidence made 1t plain that he was a murderous little devil, but under the law nothing could be done with him. He was privileged to commit any crime under the Georgia statutes without being liable to any penalty.
 What was to be done? The officials held a consultation, and then asked the sis ter, the boys natural guardian, for the permission to lock him up and lash him for thirty days She gladly gave her con sent, and for a month to come Joe Lee will get whipping on his bare back every day.
 It is admitted by all old-timers and by all who understand the race question in the south that this is the very best remedy that could have been decided upon. The lad will leave the stockade with a feeling recollection of the punishment which will last for years to come, and will possibly keep him straight. If the authorities had simply sent him to the chain gang for term it would have been no punishment. He would have performed his task, eaten hoo Nf nrfcn tnnc nd have grown stronger, bolder and more wicked Under the exceptional penalty which he must now suffer he will be re- minded every day by the blows upon his brutish back of the heinous nature of his conduct, and 1t will be an emphatic warn- ing not to repeat it.
 Humantarians, black and white, may protest. They will say that the victim is a mere child, and that gentler methods should be adopted. Still the facts of the case show that he was determined to kill the sister who stood in his mothers place So settled was he in his resolution that he was utterly indifferent to her kindness and care. demonical impulse mastered him, and nothing could satisfy him but the life of his protector and supporter
 Under these circumstances the authori- ties turned over new leaf. They could not send the young monster to the chain gang They had no reformitory for him. Common sense suggested an alternative. With his sisters consent. they couiu at least lock him up and have him whipped Tbis they will do and before they are through with him the little devil will prop- ably be a better, a sadder and wiser boy.
 It must be admitted that this is simply the revival of the old-time slavery method of dealing with negroes. Here in Atian.a' and in every southern community, before the war there was always an ofncHn whose business it was to cow-hide refrac- tory negroes. Masters and mistresses ire o,ently had trouble with their slaves. ihey did not want to send them to the pehi'ei.- tiarv for small thefts or other trif1ing or lenses. and in such cases they sent them to inc town marshal who knew his business and took pleasure in attending to It.
 Tn those days when the marshal or southern town received instructions u whin A negro, he stripped him to the vast t;ad him to a. post and gave him thirty-nine 1ashes with a raw-hde, taking goou care to make every blow tell. When the or fender was a stalwart black the Whlp was laid on in way that brought the p.oou at every stroke, but when he was young and delicate the punishment was tempered ,,,,ss marcv. Very often the culprits were nretty mulatto or quadroon house-maids' who had been insulting or disobedient to their mistresses. The marshal, Wneh He stripped these girls, naturally felt 100 hu mane to apply the lash very vigorously, ai, if has heen complained that he frequently
 
 of giving them what they deserved.
 The old system worked splendidly Tn other days and thousands of southerners who are familiar with the blacks and their condi- tions. are firln.y convinced that if 1t could be revived now it would be the best thing for both races. They contend that 1t does not punish the average negro 10 send nm to the chaingang for a short term Whlie he is there his work is not very hard. lie has congenial association and food ana shelter. comforts which are often lacking outside He leaves the chaingang Ljn bet fer condition than when he was sent there and is better equipped for his warfare upon society The whipping post, these old-fashioned southerners say, is the pest remedy Indeed, it was established In Georgia directly after the war, but when Gen. Ruger was made military governor he abolished 1t upon the ground that 1t was intended for the negroes and was a race discrimination. Perhaps this was a mistake, because 1t is still remembered here that one of the first men whipped un- der the law in Atlanta was white man who had been caught while attempting to play the sneak thief in bank in broad daylight.
 There is no doubt of the willingness of the Georgians, if the law authorized 1t, to bring all classes of offenders to the whip ping post, without regard to race, color or previous condition. They feel confident that their experiment with Joe Lee will be satisfactory.