Year: 1870

NEWCASTLE Del, May 13, 1870.


have come here to witness one OF the great
institutions OF the great little State Of Delaware
namely, her pflory and whipping post-and have
before me at this monet a m0de-only


MODEL-OF THE DREAD PUNITIVE INSTRUMENT.
constructed, not by cunning artist or mechanic,
but, marvellous to relate, by some poor devil OF
criminal while Ia prison, after having endured the
pangB OF The lash on his naked back,
as well as having submitted his neck and
wrists to the plllory. Can you fancy q
more peculiar case of insensibiAty to shame
than that, or it possible that the fellow was
impeled to do 1t by keen relish for the ludi-
crous, or singular freak or spite against his execu
toner9 When look at the clumsy model, includ
ing as 1t does most unlovely representation OF the
Sheriff, who does the whipping with his own legal
hands, am half tempted to believe that the con-
structve genius OF the criminal was called into play
chiefly with the grim object OF porraylng the
Sheriff as the most uncouth Of figures, and thus
paying back that much dreaded Official in
the most telling Of all manners-by ridi-
cule. They tell me, however, that the criminal
did 1t to earn little money wherewith to supply
himself with tobacco and 1t Is certainly confrina.
ton Of the theory since he has disposed Of his model
for trihing consideration.


But, however clumsy be the model 1t is a fair tao
strate Of the institution itself. stout perpendicu
lar post containing transverse platform some dis
tance up. and still higher up frame Of wood paral-
lei with the platform, making In rough way
the figure Of two crosses, constitutes the
skeleton Of the implement. The upper
frame contains holes big enough to admit
the neck ana wrists, and is at such dis
tance from the platform as to enable the
victim when In position to have his back curved
considerably forward, while his legs rest upon the
platform-an attitude not In the slightest degree
graceful and assuredly very little promotve OF
bodily comfort. The frame is divided into two
pieces, the upper one OF which can be raised 80 as
to allow the criminal to have his neck and wrists
adjusted In the horrible trap. Imagine criminal
suffering this species Of punishment once for an
hour and then returning to his old vicious habits
in the State Of Delaware. They say 1t don't
often happen that victim is found twice
in the same x, which is not taxing credulity much
to accept as positive truth. The lower part Of the
instrument, or that between the ground and tn
platform, is devoted to the whipping, and am In
formed 1t often happens that criminal is under
gong the tortures and contumely OF the lash below
while on the story above some other luckless devil
and wrists bound in the cruel frame, from which TO
struggle for release is only to add to the suerings


In the model have before me this is the cases. that
ia, there is criminal on story No. 1, and another
criminal on story NO: 2. the Criminal enjcying the
citizen Of African decent, while the fellow under
n neath. undergoing the ashng, is some poor white
and wrists firmly secured to the post. 1t is mon
strous looking figure, this white victim. having an
the size Of The entire body. The Sheriff
INTENDED to portray Richardson, the present Officially
Mnp as s Of ns
with terrific vigor upon the naked nesh Of the vc.
tim The Sheriff Is cnsseed by the prison artist
also with extraordinarily square legs, square chest
and very ferOcious whiskers-such whiskers as per-
tain to the Bowery blood and thunder dramatic vii
la ns, or as one used 10 see years ago on the man
who played the slave overseer at the Old National
tnsat1e 6aSn In Harriet Beeoher stoves "oncle Toms


Sheriff Richardson could go into any court and be
him heavy damages for the villanous libel on his
person, character and calling contain "a In this pr-
son o o. ann e n o 10 rs aea Ros
Of unsklled chiselling couldn't he contrived.


THE REAL WHIPPING POST.


The real instrument whereon criminals are
whipped and piiloried in this ancient town ls as
have stated above, very much like this model. 1t s
long by apout thirty feet WIDE surrounded by solid
stone walls nearly twenty feet high Grim, vener:
there for centuries and acted as silent witnesses OF
the terrible scenes enacted in the jaggedy


oa o aes eoaa thew ne
What scenes of suffering could they not reiate--
what stories Of crime, expated by the lash and pill





sentmentasm. My purpose is simply to give q
plain, urvarnished report o, what and hear OF
idea Of those old walls boarding up the criminal
records OF ages and by some supernatural agency
scription, dashed across me at the moment In connec
ton with what was writing, and permitted 1t to
flow into words imperfectly upon this paper. And
there let 1t rest, at least for the present


The post itself is should judge, fifteen feet high,
standing in the middle OF the yard Ihave nothing TO
add to the description OF this real implement d1heent
from what stated in regard to the model, except TO
note that the victims hands during the operation OF
| whipping are secured BY means OF curved tron
| semi circular bands, just large enough ana tight
| enough not to squeeze the wrists or permit the
| criminal to slip them out: $1,000,
OFFICIALS.
had come here armed with note OF Introduction
| to Shertf Richardson, whom found seated in his
| ONCE in o wing OF the Court House. aud deeply
| occupied In poriny over legal documents Of some
pressed his Willingness to afford me every facility
TO view the prison Institutions and though evident
ly much Engaged, volunteered to conduct me forth
with to commence my inspection. accepted the
offer, and together we started OH Passing through
one Or two narrow p passages at the a BACK & OF the
iron bars, double locked and bolted The bolts were
| removed In moment and tnc keys turned,
| ADMITTING US TO THE PRISON.


| Here the Sheriff turned me over to Mr.. James Wise
| warden, and Mr. Mark Wild superintendent of the
workshop, who cheerfuly. accepted the duty Of
showing me everything Of interest in the prison.
The inspection was at an opportune moment the
Jury s 81 tine county a was s then making an
an open sesame to everything. But the whole thing
| might be done in fifteen minutes. The prison Is
small, containing but thirty eight cells Workshop
| sewing room and quarters for the officials The cells
are in two rows-one on the ground floor and he
other story above, with balcony running around
the latter much like all prisons that have ever seen.
| Cleanliness was tile general order. The prisoners
were all well behaved though consisting Of criminals
OF every grade, from the murderer down to the petit
larcenlst. About tw0tirds OF them are blacks, and
| Of the whole number four are females, one being a
| white woman confined as vagrant, poor aban-
dOned-lOOking creature. shOeleSS and stocking e5s,
wearing peculiar hardened expression, which
might have been the result OF familiarity with crime
| or OF the desperation and recklessuess sometimes
begotten by long years OF poverty. She occupied
| what is called


THE SEWING ROOM,


all alone in her glory 8nd squatted on an upturned
pail with her rags gathered about her miserable body
| was stitching away-''siich, sttch sttch'-but not
with the melancholy story OF Tom Hood's ''Song OF
| the Shirt' to ennOble her wretchedness. Though
they have poor house here, stll they send hard
ened cases OF vagrants to the prison punishment