Licking Valley courier. [volume] (West Liberty, Ky.) 19??-current, 1913-12-04
ODD WAYS OF LAW
Record Of Strange Punishments
and Stranger Crimes.
RsvIew Of New and Old World Codes
German "DuckIns STOOL" Among
strangest-Not for Witches
and scolds.

"A llttle Wnlie ago juvenile OHeHuor
was sentenced by the presiding judge
In an American court Of law to six
Saturday afternoons In bed. He was
thus deprived of his weekly holiday,
and several Of the newspapers that
chronicled the incident grayely In
quired whittier our modern ideas Of
justice were leading us. Those who
are inclined to agree with the news
papers, however, and denounce the
sentence as tending to make mock
cry Of justice, will do we'll to bear in
mind that not only In America is 1t
becoming the fashion to make the
penalty fit the crime. Original forms
of punishment are no longer the ex.
ception, but.the very curious rule.
In one of the towns of northern Ger
many the ancient ."ducking stool has
been revived. But whereas, our an.
cestors employed the ducking stool for
witches and scolding women, the pres
ent revival is employed to cure hs.
bitual intoxication. A chair Is fasten-.
ed to the end Of long pole balanced
over the edge of the water tank. The
drunkard is tied into the chair, tho
pole is tipped up and he receives q
complete sousing.
A man In one Of the gold producing
states of America was recently
charged with violent assault upon his
wife, and was obliged to pay the PEN
atty In armanner that must have
severely discouraged that particular
species Of offense. The sentence OK
the court was that he should be I'M
prisoned for one month, during which
period he was to be taken from his
cell every morning and tied to post
In the leading thoroughfare. Here he
was to stand for two hours exposed TO
the public gaze, bearing around his
neck a large placard inscribed in bold
letters with the words, wife Beator. "
Every morning the wretched culprit
stood in the public street surrounded
by crowd of women and children
who appeared to take peculiar pleas
ure in discussing the unfortunate
mans home life and his character,
and expressing sympathy with his
wife. 1t was bitter penance. remind.
ing one Of the old British institution,
the stocks.
In another American city a man,
who was arrested for street fighting,
was offered the choice of month in
jail or Jogging. He chose the latter,
and was logged by the court official
from the prison gates to his home,
bowling pietously, to the great happi.
ness of mob of onlookers.
Strange as such punishments appear,
there are countries which can boast
of stranger crimes. In certain 81.
lesian towns a lady wearing train Is
{ liable TO srfest, the penalties being
graded according to length OF the
train and the obstinacy of the offend
err. The law has been passed in che
interests Of health, the danger that
infectious diseases may be communi
, Gated through the medium Of trailing
: skirts being well known.
A tradesman In a small German
I town who, at public meeting, recent
, ly disturbed the audience by inces
SAINT sneezing was arrested, and II
was only with difficulty that he proved
to the magistrate he had not purposely
, committed this breach OF the peace
A sudden sneeze Is liable, 1t is true
TO startle nervous people in the i'm
mediate vicinity of the sneezer. But
1t has been reserved to the German
intellect to discover anything criminal
in It, Just as 1t has been reserved tC
Great Britain to prosecute men ant
women for sleeping out O. nights.
. II you call man liar In certain
American states you are liable to pros
3 ecution 1t is merely misdemeano
in some districts, punishable by fine
= OF % cents, but in Texas the offensive
. use of the word is followed by ln'
OF $25, and Georgia you are likely Il
be punished by fine Of $1,000 or I'm
? prisonment for year, or both!