The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-01-26
WHIPPING POST FAVORED.
JUDGE NORWOOD GIVES 1T HIS
STRONG ENDORSEMENT.


Judge of the city Court Thinks That
IF 1t Were to BE Used as Means
of Furnishing All Misdemeanor
Offenders 1t would Fill Long
Felt Want and Do Real Good.
Bibb County Grand Jury Praised
for the Recomm endatiOn-Crimi-
nal Class of savannah Does Not
Mind the Chain-Gang n Single
Whit-Others Agree with Judge
Norwood in His Beliefs.
The action of the grand jury Of Bib
county, in recommending that the whip
ping post be re-established in Georgia, for
the punishment of misdemeanor offenders
under age Of IS, has aroused much discus
sion and received some generous indorse-
ment in Savannah.
Judge Thomas NJ. Norwood of the City
Court is convinced that the establishment
of the whipping post, as a means of pun
ishing all misdemeanor offenders, of what
ever age would result in a real good 10
the state and that it would work speedily
and well for the suppression Of crime. The
Bib county grand jury, in Judge Nor
woods opinion, deserves the grateful
thanks of the people of Georgia for the
recommendation, and he is of opinion II
the Legislature would follow it by the
enactment of a law along the line sug-
gested, or on a broader basis, 1t will have
done more for the good of the state than
has been accomplished In long while.
II believe" said Judge Norwood, that
the prospect of punishment by whipping
would deter many of the negro criminal
class from the commission of the crimes
of which they are now cons SANITY guilty
aud which punishment by Imprisonment
in jail or on the chaingang does not serve
perceptibly to diminish. The chaln-ganS
is filed always with about the same pris-
oners, and as fast as they are released
they will commit the same petty offenses
for which they have already done time, be
arrested tried in the City Court and sent
back again."
Every Friday in this court there are
tried from twenty to forty misdemeanor
offenders They are guilty for the most
part of petty larcenies and other crimes
of the like unimportant character, assault
and battery, vagrancy and the like They
have been guilty of the same offenses
half a dozen times before, for which they
have been punished, and they will be gull
ty of them at short intervals, the inter-
walls being made up of the terms of i'm
prisonment on the chain-gang which they
serve until the end of the chapter"
"They don't mind Imprisonment on the
chain-gang at all, and its prospect, upon
their detection and conviction, does not
urge them to refrain from the commits
sion of any petty crime they may have
in contemplation. When they are on the
chain-gang they are well clothed, better
fed than they are when they are at liber-
ty, we'll treated as long as they behave
themselves, and not overworked. The
work they do is in the open air, they are
all good friends and jolly companions and
they enjoy themselves hugely. To them
imprisonment is not a punishment"
Il believe, though said Judge Nor
wood that if the whipping post were es-
tablshed and If these constant offenders
realized thai they would nave TO eXpiate
their petty crimes there, many a one Of
them would be deferred from committing
some theft at which ne would not now
hesitate for a single moment"
AT any rate, it is evident 10 anyone
who has investigated the subject, that
some change in the law, some new form
of punishment, is urgently demanded. The
number of petty offenders tried each week
in the City Court seems to be on the in
crease, and certainly the chain-gang is
failure either as a reforming or deterring
influence. My own opinion is that the estab b.
lishment of the whipping post for misde-
meanor offenders would fin a very urgent
need and that its good results would be
quickly evident The Bibb county grand
jury has the proper idea, and the Legis-
lature would do well to heed the sugges-
ton that it has made"
Others who were spoken to on the sub
ject had approximately the same views
upon il as had Judge Norwood and echoed
practically what he had said. Capt. John
r. Dillon. whose long experience as clerk
/ to the Board of Commissioners of Chat
/ ham County has fitted him to pass a cor
rect and well-founded opinion as to the
+ merits or dement's of the convinct sys-
4 tenn said that the recommendation made
/ as to the punishment of boys under 16 at
! the whipping post was a good one and
/ deserved TO be followed. Capt. Dillon has
noticed, as indeed has every one else who
| has investigated the question, that the
fear OF Imprisonment on the chain-gang
/ is not sufficiently strong in the breast of
/ the negro petty thief of Savannah to keep
! him in the straight and narrow path and
! that he rather enjoys his stay on the
! chain-geng than objects to it. Capt. Dill
ion believes that were the whipping post
established some of the boys who are
now going with so much rapdity to the
dogs might be saved and become decent
| men.