Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1899-10-10
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ATLANTIC HIGHLANDS, n. J., Sept. Is.
Ethan Palmer, . flower grower, 10
black end blue from the back Of bis NECK
% HE hesis - result OF the whipping
he received from hia friends and neigh
bora on sunday afternoon. They were
trying 10 save him from death BY lauda-
mum poisoning, and they succeeded. he
took { blg dose OF the poison, 90 be and
bis family Say, because be was made
frantic BY to0thache and wanted to
stop it quickly. The dose, without
doubt, would have killed him II Il hadn't
been for tho whipping.
Palmer lives Ia small farmhouse .
mile or 20 from the village. Besides
growing flowers for market be drives .
bakers wagon. He knows verybody 10
Atlantic Highlands ssd everybody likes
him. Lately be has been more or lees
Involved In business complications In
which be has had tho sympathy Of every
body that knew about them. When his
hired man appeared In front of the Zeb-
Icy house over the way just after noon
on Sunday aud shouted that Palmer had
taken the poison and help Was wanted,
tho whole neighborbood Was aroused.
One young man ran oil the way to the
village and clean across it to DR.. Van
Matters. In very little more than quar-
ter Of IN hour the physicians buggy
came whirling up the hill, over the rail-
road crossing, In cloud Of dust. He
went up into Palmer's room, where Mrs.
Palmer and the elder Harry Zebley were
punching and shsking the unconscious
man, trying TO rouse him. The doctor
took one look ct the patient, another at
the empty bottle labeled "Lludanum"
on the floor. He gave hypodermic In
jections TO couoteract the effect OF the
opium, and then prescribed the treatment
BY agitation, which developed, rs the
afternoon went on, Into q sitter LAM
basting than any Atlantic Highlands
small boy ever dreamed Of In his worst
nightmare.
Harry Zebley and his grown son Har-
ry picked Palmer up and carried him
down to the front Of the house, where
there Il verands twenty feet long.
Pslmer's appearance a. he swung help
lessly between the two Zebleys called
forth groans Of commiser alton from the
crowd OF women who gathered 1t the
house. The young man who ran for the
doctor, and who Il thoroughly athletic
Individual, went ~out Into the orchard
and cut i've or six switches from the APP
pie trees. The smallest OF them Was m
Inch In diameter at the butt end. He
took one Of them In bis right hand, tuck
ed the rest under his left arm and fell In
behind the Zebleys ~ they tramped with
Palmer up and down the verands. At
every step he whacked Pslmer's back or
legs with the switch.
',0h, dear, Il does seem so cruel" the
women murmured to one another. After
the hfth or sixth blow some OF them
clamored for the whipping to stop. It
Was not right they said, that men should
be allowed TO use another man 40, when
he wasn't able to protest or help him
self, and everybody could see II wasn't
doing the least bit Of good.
But the whipping went right on. One
apple switch after another was worn
out across Pslmer's back and legs. The
walk up and down the verapda was so
short and pecessitafed so many turns
that the men who were supporting
Palmer found themselves becoming
dizzy. They took him out across the
street and walked him up and down the
sidewalk for an eighth Of = mile above
and below the house. At every limp,
dragging, helpless steps they made him
take, the switch came singing across
hls legs. The first lIctor's arm gave
out, and another took his place and then
two others. Two men were kept busy
by cutting and trimming switches.
Some OF the whippers preferred to use
bundles Of rods tied together and welded
In both hands. As Palmer Was carried
up and down the sidewalk, twenty or
thirty Of his neighbors walked In front,
behind and on both sides, advising,
asking questions, and giving directions
for laying on the whips.
The whipping began at about hslf-rast
one O'Clock. At about . quarter Of four
Pslmer's eyelids began to witch snd to
lift sluggishly. Word went through
the crowd that he was saved. The
crowd that walked with him doubled.
Five or six men caught up switches and
began TO lay them on. II sounded as
though five men were beating AZ many
carpets most vigorously. Little by lit
tie the signs OF returning consciousness
appeared. By hslf-past 8 O'Clock, after
four hours Of steady logging, Palmer
was able to walk by himself. The men
at his side singIy guided him and kept
him from stumbling. The whipping
still went on. DR.. Van Mater then said
that he thought enough had been done
md that Palmer could be kept awake As
long ~ was necessary without more
violence. He went up to Palmer and
asked:
"How do you feel, Ethapy'
I'm all right" said Palmer, drow sily.
I'm all right. But I guess I've been
stung by bees considerable" He reach
ed vaguely around to the place where
the most OF his stripes had fallen. "Dsrp
those bees" he murmured, "they do
sting awful"
IL was not until morning that he knew
what had actually happened to him.
He will have no opportunity to forget,
however, for many day to come. At
present he 10 sleeping face down and
eating his meals from the msntelpiece.
He Was up and about his work to-day,
although he said he didn't feel frstrate.