The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1905-03-24
WHIPPING POST A
CRUEL PUNISHMENT
Report on Elmira Reformatory
Shows Habit Has Grown
D~EMoRALizEs OFFICIALS
Constant Use Of Paddle Has a Ten
dency to Cause Them to Lose All
Sympathy with Human
Suffering.
DEMoRALizEs OFFICIALS

Washington Star; The Widespread
general discussion at the present time
OF the Whipping post as a possible cor
receive and r~eiornatolN punishment
for Wife beateIS makes of considerable
current interest and Importance the
report of the investigation of tilr lIi-
mira. n. Y. ~l'efurmatory by the New
York state board of charities i'm 1905.
The opponents of the whipping post
have devoted considerable effort to-
ward demonstrating that the puniSh-
ment OF whipping has just the
site of the good moral effect intended.
The conclusions and findings of fact
vi the board so to SHOW, perhaps bet
,er DIAN anything else, the degenerate
ing moral effect of The punishment up-
On the whippcr as We'll as the whipped.
Tine conclusions of the board follow in
part.
A Cruel Punishment
THAT the form of corporal punish
memt NuoWn as spanking or padding
adopted by the general superinleildent.
ana tacitiy recognized by the mani
aR-rs, is a Very severe and cruel pun
i,hnlent, capable of doing serious I'M
jury physically and morally To the
convict punished thereby. and which,
If used at all, should never be applied
except in extreme cases.
THAT spanking OF padding as APP
Ilied by the general superintendent
under the fanclful title of physical
treatment, is frequently Inflicted by
him IN a very brutal and inhunlan
maulcl. The Instrument or paddle
used Is a heavy leather strap one foot
ten inches long, three inches wide and
ne.lriN a quarter of an inch thick, af-
fixed to a strong hickory handle one
foot Two ihoues in length, the paddle
Weighs che pound when dry. and three
ounces more When soaked in water.
That during the spanking the pa
tient is required to stand with his I'm
gers on the sill of The window above
hin and keep his mead Turned to the
right away from the paddler. and that
II for asking mercy or from me am
cuIsh OF the spanking on .rom any
other cause he turns his head. he is
immediately struck a blow over the
head ar directly OF the fac" by the
general superintendent, Who is iuyari-
ably the paddler, with the heavy pad
die, frequently causing What is called
"A black eye, or cutting the skin of the
face OF the head, SO as 10 caust. bruises,
and al times causing blood 10 flow
from the conNict'S nose, 50 as to dalIb
The Wall I'm front of him and the mar
HE floor ON which he stands. These
blows are also sometimes struck With
the Wooden handle of the paddle With
like effect.
Brutality.
That very rutal treatment is in
4A lfAtl tIbti .illN- ttI NIb llAStSi
the spanking or who is SION In tisrob-
Ing for ii. in such cases two or more
powerful assistants seize the man and
usually throw aim to the marble floor.
where he is kicked and pumlneled into
subiectiou, the blows being given ON
the face, IN the head. or i'm the stomach.
or anywhere that can he reached, This
is done in the general Superimtemdent's
presence aud with his tacit approval
.u.@ rs u regular pi3tctlve and CON
s.ltui's a part OF the punishment
The evidence of other officers ARD
oonNiets statistics Nour committee that
the punishment inflicted was OF a hrutaI
and most vicious nature. Furthermore
WIN the force OF robust officers pres
ont. such brutality was absolutely nm.
necessary, for the testimony shows mat
many OF the c"nNicts Nh" suffered ii
We're lads of slight physique. oftei
weighing less Than 10 pounds. while
the otticers present We're always strong
athletic and heavy men, weighing eacl
from $50 to 20 pounds.
The evidence further shows ira
Kicks ana blows We're frequently ild.
lnil.isiefed ny lhe Keepers upon llfna'e'
outside OF the BATH room. and when tl'
general superintendent was NOT present
initt al"tl1er mode OF discipline or COZ.
paial punishment consists IN blows VIII
we open httna or closed INST given 10.
the superintendent upon 'lie head %
~ WI ''hN -" p'''St' ~ I'M
ihe evidence SHOWS mat these DION
arc "i'eh times given Win sfea' Sc
Verify ahd thitl inc CONVEX IS sfeete'
WIN them before a Word mas nee
s!"keti 10 hlfl oS the general Sulellll
iehdeht.
How the Padding Habit Grew.
THAT the nunh"r of >patkin.s o
paddlimgs given yearly. ms taken fror
the records of the r~eforrnatorN, is in
cfeasins very much more rapidly tina.
tie actual number of conVicf
confined in the Institutions. TIL
general superintendent t~esliiies that h
llddled ten conVicts during the fins
five Years of the early history of tn
lHstitttlol' During the laS' me Neai
,rtddled o, spanked Was LAG. and man
,,r IN. men wp,.. paddled more tina
once. some of them as MANY as lie
times. and therefore the total nun
bcr of paddlings is as follows:
For the year ending September, 81
1889. Pol: 1890. $50. 1891, 5331; 1872, 62l
1888, 6s1. a total OF 2.5Is.
Thus the span4il,ss Mere very few