Year: 1878

RIcHMoSp. Va. Dec. . 1873.


The bell rang. the outer door Of the City Jail was
opened. and twelve o'clock NJ in iled sixteen pris-
ones. the quota of the Police Court on Monday
morning Among these three colored women
two Of whom ran nimbly up the steps leading TO the
range of cells in which female prisoners are confined
The third reniined below in the yard, with her arms
akinbo wistfully cycling a stout brown post
about feet in height and three
feet in circumference. This woman wss Nancy
Lynch. old offender and the object OF
her scrutiny the whipping post. Nancy Is a
thorough specimen OF the most degraded type of the
female negro thief and yagran She is black, medium
sized. with the HAT nose. thick lips. knky hair and
seni.savage expression peculiar to class Of her
race She is an old Jail BIRD and was sentenced to
receive twenty-five lasles to-day for stealing iron
from the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad Company
1t was not her rst acquaintance with the terrible
whipping post which, however she seemed TO regard
with deadly enmify


No thief 'ere felt the halter


With good opinion Of the law


All the other prisoners had been searched and locked
up and an Official iu the yard then called to at
tendant. Throw me down that ti,-kcr;" whercupon
acowhde about half inch in diameter at the bntt
and tapering down IT, point was tossed into his
hand Nancy looked at this instrument Of torture
and perceptibe shudder psssed through her frame.
The official then said Take down your clothes, Nancy,
and hug the sidder." The poor criminal turned an
imploring look and said, Mus take all otf?


Yes, and hurry up You know what You have 10
do


Nancy proceeded slowly 70 upbutton her dress in
front. moment she stripped to the waist.
her upper clothing talling down over her hips and
exposing to the gaze of the few bystandcrs glossy
black skin from the shoulders to the waist. Her
back strongly marked with previous stripes, and
in moment more she had embraced the ''widder, as
the whipping post is familiarly called by criminals.
On the opposite side of the post iron bracelets.
which used to fasten refractory prisoners when
they whipped. but Nancy needed none OF these
appances she held the post firmly. and in less than
thirty seconds the punishment was inflicted.


WHIPPING.


Sbe grippcd the post. her head turned toward the
official. and. he raised the cowhide seemed to
herself for the lashes. As could count
the twenty-five stripes were laid not heavily, but
each making horrible white mark on the black skim
During the indiction of the first dozen the victim
did not bulge hairs breadth, but the re-
mander descended in rapid succession, she writhed
and twisted in great agony, and hardened criminal as
she began to cry. the fairly pouring down
her checks. When the whipping was over some one
in the crowd remarked to her, Il hope this is the last
whipping you will get here, Nancy. Her reply
Il hope ts hope dey will send me to dc Pen tentary
FIR life when leaves dis pacewas not very consol-
ing. She this morning indicted for burglary
also. and will certainly the State for term OF
years in the Pcutentary at the expiration OF her
present sentence of thirty days in jail.