Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1913-11-28
Record Of Strange Punishment,
and Stranger Crimes.
Review Of New and Old World c..
German "ouekins Stool" Ano,s wv
stranoest-Not for Witch.
and Seolds.

A little while ago a Juvenile o,.,,.-
was sentenced by the presiding tuSsa
In an American court of law ., ,s1ss
Saturday afternoons In bed us
thus deprived of his weekly bo,,a.S
and several Of the newspapers ,ss.
chronlcled the incident grave,v !.
Quired whittier our modern ides, :.
justice were leading US. Those W.
are inclined to agree with the nsvs
papers. however, and denounca N.
sentence as tending to make a NM,
cry Of justice. will do we'll to bea, !,
mind that not only in America 4,
becoming the fashion to make n.
penalty fit the crime. Original ,o,n.
Of punishment are no longer the ~.
ception, but the very curious rule n
In one Of the towns Of northern q,
many the ancient "dncking stool" h.,
been revived. But whereas, our \.
cestors employed the ducking stool a,
witches and scolding women, the pr..
ent revival is employed to cure h.
bitual intoxication. A chair is tasts..
ed to the end Of long pole BALANCED
over the edge Of the water tank, n.
drunkard is tied into the chair II.
pole Is tipped up and he receive, /.
complete sousing.
A man in one Of the gold produc,p,
states of America was recently
charged with violent assault upon Mn
wife. and was obliged to pay the Den
atty In manner that must have
severely discouraged that particular
species Of offense. The sentence Of
the court was that he should be i'm !
prisoned for one month, during which
period he was to be taken from bis
cell every morning and tied to post
in the leading thoroughfare. Here be
was to stand for two hours exposed to
the public gaze, bearing around bio
neck large placard inscribed in bold
letters with the words, Wife Beaten"
Every morning the wretched culprit
stood in tho public street surrounded
by q 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 biz
wife. 1t was bitter penance, remind
ing one of the old British institution,
the stocks. I$3
In another American city man.
who was arrested for street fighting
was offered the choice Of month IN
Jail or a fiogging. He chose the latter,
and was flogged by the court official
from the prison gates to his home.
bowling pietously. to the great happt
ness of a mob of onlookers. S
Strange as such punishments appear.
there are countries which can boast
OF stranger crimes. In certain s. y
lesian towns a lady wearing train
liable to arrest, the penalties being
graded according to length Of the
train and the obstinacy of the onend.
or. The law has been passed In the
interests of health, the danger that
infectious diseases may be communi
Gated through the medium Of trailing
skirts being we'll known. 38
A tradesman In small German 4
town who, at a public meeting, recent I
ly disturbed the audience BY lnces
SAINT sneezing was arrested, anu
was only with difficulty that he proves
to the magistrate he had not purpose'y
committed this breach OF the peace \
A sudden sneeze Is liable, 1t is true I
to startle nervous people IN the I'M
mediate vicinity Of the sneezer' but
it has been reserved to the German \
intellect to discover anything criminal
in it. lust as it has been reserved "
Great Britain to prosecute men anu
women for sleeping out o nights
II you call a man liar in cefun
American states you are liable to plot )
ecution. It is merely misdemeaaW
in some districts. punishable oy ~.
of Is cents, but in Texas the onens'.
use of the word is followed by nu'
of s25, and Georgia you are llkel' =
be punished by a fine OF sl.oov'o'
prisonment for a year, or oo'n'