The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-06-25
this town as building not fit for their

TINS town as building not fit for their
residence"
With many others of like character.
About the beginning of the century
woman was sentenced to receive Il
whipping in Worcester. Sheriff Cald-
well, a humane man, disappointed the
crowd that had assembled to witness
the spectacle, saying that the sentence
did not specify when the whipping was
to be administered. After the company
had dispersed, he carried out the order
of the court by laying the lash lightly
the required number of times over the
shoulders of the culprit, and then dis
missed her with the injunction to sin
no more, This was the last lnstarce
of the infection of this punishment
here. AS lately as 1911 a man was eX-
posed in the pillory on Court hill for
blasphemy.
Seventy-fve years ago the life of
Stephen Burroughs was one of the
most popular books of New England,
and it had an extensive circulation
throughout the country. Few CT the
present generation, however, are ia
miliar with either the name or career
of this notorious adVenturer, who, in
consideration of his exploits and many
escapes, fairly merits the title of the
American Jack Sheppard. Yet in his
character there was little that was biu-
tai or malignant, and no atrocious
crime is laid to his charge. He seems
to have been mischievous rather than
wicked. His whole life was tinged with
eccentricity. He possessed a benevolent
heart, and was distinguished Though
out his life for charity and Kindness
to those in misfortune. An exaggerated
idea of his misdeeds prevailed, and his
example was long held up as an awful
warning to the youth of America. In
the vast and increasing army OF de-
generates of today, stephen and ms
irregularities would attract compafa-
lively little attention.
He came Of good family; his father,
the Rev. Eden Burroughs, was one OF
the trustees of Dartmouth college, ana
received the degree of doctor OF dlVlnl-
ty from that institution. His mother
was well connected with prominent
families in Worcester county.
OF Stephen Burroughs enforced visits
to Worcester to account for his trans
gressiCns, only the last one will be no.
ticed here. In 1891 he was arraigned
at the legal tribunal to answer for Of
fenses of a heinous nature, alleged 10
have been committed in the neighbor-
ing town of Charlton, where he had
been keeping school. 1t appears, how
ever, that the charges rested upon
slender foundation for the most seri-
Gus one was abandoned; but there was
a strong disposition on the part OF the
court to convict, ard to impose the Sc
verest punishment on this daring oHen-
der. Burroughs in lis memoirs, admits
that he mad been guilty of some indis-
cretions, but claims that he was inno-
40 min y rua1 TO-DAY he
probably would escape with light Pc
nalty; then he was sentenced to re
ceive III stripes on the naked back,
and in addition was to sit one hour on
the gallows with a rope around MS
neck, then to be imprisoned three
months in Jail. He was also to pay the
costs of prosecution, and to give bonds
for his good behavior for seven years
This outrageous sentence was not fully
carried out, for after he had suffered
a portion of it, a mob assembled one
night and liberated him, and he quick
ly took his departure. 1t is assumed
that he never again visited worcester.
Burroughs died in Canada in lS40.
A great change has taken place in
sentiment, management of crime and
methods and extent of punishment,
within 100 years. From one extreme
It may be that we are In danger OF
going to the other, and in the gradual
of penalty for the act in
the consideration of offenses against
society, it may be made to appear that
the criminal is more sinned against
han SHINING. The notion of "degen-
aracy," with it's assumed scientific
basis. has the tendency probably to
.eiieve the mind of the offender of any
hing like a feeling of moral respon-
sibility; and as the average criminal
S far from being a fool, he is very
willing to be considered morbid
variation" rather than sentient and
accountable being, chuckling mean
while perhaps at the implied immunity
II must be admitted that along with
he advance of humane sentiments and
he coming in of the notions and
.heories of Morel, Lombroso, and the
whole school of criminologists, there
las been a vast and appalling increase
# crime. The figures of the United
states census show that from a ratio
# criminal in 3442 of the population
n 1850, there was an increase to l in
~ in 1880. These are facts for, serious
election and grave apprehension.