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Copyright, 1913, by the Star Company. Great Britain Rights Reserved.
6
Ought We Revive the Barbarous
A Distinguished American Judge
Says That the Lash, as Used in Dela
ware and England, Is the Only Way
to Stop Atrocious Assaults and
Crimes Against Women and Children
I N this day of enlightenment and
tender care for the defective
and erring members of Vhe com
munity there are still intelligent men
and women who say that we should
revive the whipping is>st for certain
crimes.
1 England still uses the cat-o’-nine-
tails as a punishment for atrocious
offences against the person, and has
recently made It applicable to the
hideous crimes of the white slavers.
In our country, the tine old State of
Delaware has always employed the
cat as a punishment for thieves,
wife-beaters and other criminals. A
statement on tills page by the Gov
ernor of Delaware indicates that the
{State is well satisfied witli the pun
ishment and Intends to stick to it.
Nevertheless It is probably true
that the majority of Americans re
gard flogging as barbarous. The ten
dency is in the other direction. The
movement to abolish capital punish
ment altogether is very strong. Re
cently the State of Colorado, in its
solicitude for the murderer, has of
fered him a choice between shooting,
poisoning and electrocution—all hu
mane forms of death.
In connection with these humani
tarian tendencies we must note that
atrocious crimes against women and
children, murders, burglaries and
crimes of violence are increasing.
Judge Lewis L. Fawcett, a Brook
lyn judge who has become noted
for his severe dealing with burglars
and other violent criminals, has just
declared sharply in favor of reviv
ing flogging throughout this country.
"The lash,” said Judge Fawcett,
“has done more to reduce crime in
England than anything else. . . .
What we need here for gangsters,
white slavers and Black Handers is
just that sort of punishment. A
good lashing and a little salt In the
wound will tame the most ferocious
c.i iminals.
"Under the English system, when
tile wounds from tile lashes have
lu lled tlie surgeons open tile wounds
and apply salt. Tills operation is
performed several times before the
six mouths have expired. Couse-
•tuently lie becomes a tamed citizen."
The argument of Judge Fawcett
and others who think like him is
that the agony and humiliation of
the lash is the only punishment that
can reach the sensibilities of the
brutes who commit atrocious crimes
against women and children, it is
a barbarous punishment for a bar
barous nature. Imprisonment means
nothing to these brutes, and even
the death penalty often fails to ter
rify them.
Strange to say, experience lias
shown that they have a certain kind
of self-respect, which is wounded
when they are publicly Hogged.
Most of them are powerful brutes
physically, and the humiliation of
being whipped is more than they
can bear.
The suggestion to revive flogging
In New Yark has been severely
criticised by persons Interested in
I Fat, Uncomfortable. Looked Old, Felt
Miserable, suffered witb Rheumatism. Asthma,
Neuialjfia. When I worked or walked. I puffed
like a l'orpoise. 1 took every advertised medi
cine I could find. I Starved. Sweated. Exercised,
Doctored ami changed climate, hut 1 ruined my
digestion, felt like an invalid, but steadily gained
weight. There waa not a single plan or dru*
that 1 heard of that 1 did not try I failed to
reduce my weight 1 dropped society, as I did
not care to be the butt of all the jokes. It
was embarrassing to have my friends tell me 1
was getting Stout, as no oae knew it better
than tnyaeli.
SOMETHING HAD TO BE DONE
I began to study the cause of FAT When I
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agio. I could have
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I look fifteen years younger My Double Chin
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now. 1 can climb a mountain. I am normal
in size- 1 can weigh just w*hat I want to weigh.
1 am master erf my own body now, I did not
starve, but ate all 1 wanted to. 1 did not take
Sweat Baths. 1 did not Drug. I used no
Electricity, or harmful exercises, but I found
the Simple. Sane. Common Sense W'AY of re
ducing my weight and I applied it. I have
tried it on others My Doctor say* I am a
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ailing. I am now a happy, healthy woman.
Jsow l am going to help others to be happy.
I have written a book on the subject. If you
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To all wh« send me their name and address I
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yourself and be as happy as I am. Write to
day, rs thi^ advertisement may not appear again
in this paper.
i HATTIE BIEL. 1115 Barclay. Denter. Colo.
Apparatus Used in Flogging “White Slavers” at Newgate
Prison, London.
the cases of atrocious assao/t. It
was argued that the other punish
ments inflicted had failed to produce
any terrifying effects on those en
gaged in this hideous traffic.
The devotion of Delaware to the
whipping post is a particularly in
teresting chapter of American his
tory. It is favored by every member
of the State judiciary, by the police
and officials. They point to the sig
nificant fact that not for the past
ten years has a single “crook" of
a dangerous class been caught in
Delaware. The reason has been ex
plained by the "crooks" themselves.
They would feel degraded beytanl
expression at having to receive a
flogging with the cat-o’-nine-tails at
the hands of a Delaware jail warden.
Men like the late “Jimmy" Hope,
the notorious bank burglar, woijd a
dozen times have preferred to take
chances with the combined police
and detective forces of New York or
Chicago than the small police force
of a city like Wilmington, Del., be
cause capture would have meant
"hugging old Susan," as the whip
ping post is called.
While the horror of the post keeps
the professional thief outside the
boundaries of the State, the petty
thief continues to take his chances
with Delaware justice just the same.
In a great many cases thieves are
whipped time and time again, until
their hacks appear to become hard
ened to the rawhide thongs, and
whatever self respect they may have
had has been destroyed.
The law whereby wife-beaters are
punished at the post lias been re
cently revived. It was in force dur
ing Colonial days, but after the Civil
War it was discovered that a woman
desiring to get rid of a husband
would not hesitate to go upon the
witness stand and swear that he had
beaten her. As the man once
whipped is disfranchised for life,
the law- was for a time repealed.
Then aggravated cases of wife-beat
ing became numerous, and so the
punishment was revived.
The whipping post in Delaware
has been a means of punishing law
breakers since its early history. In
the chronicles of Diedrieh Knicker
bocker is a reference to it. in 1656,
the punishment was administered at
the pleasure of the Governor, there
being no regular laws. The first
official whipping occurred in 1679,
when Agnita Hendricks, a depraved
woman, was whipped with twenty-
seven lashes. Wltnir. a few months,
she repeated her offense, was whip
ped with thirty-one lashes and was
banished from the State.
The first code of laws for the
punishment of criminals was passed
in 1717 by a General Assembly com
posed of delegates from "the coun
ties of New Castle, Kent and Sussex
upon the Delaware and the Province
of Pennsylvania.” It provided that
the punishments should be the same
as then in force in England. Thiev
ing and various other crimes were
punishable by flogging in Great
Britain, and consequently they be
came so in the colonies. In addition
to the whipping post, the pillory
and the stocks were introduced.
They condnued in force until 17S9,
Manners of Young People at Summer Resorts-
E verywhere at this season of
the year there is joy in open-
air amusements and recrea
tions. Golf, polo, tennis, bathing,
motor-boating, sailing and canoeing
are among the varied pleasures
which fill the days at country clubs
or seashore, or mountain and lake
resorts.
Athletics and out door sports of
every description form an important
part of the life of the young men
and girls of the present day. Ease
and grace, well-developed muscles
and a good constitution are gained
by these sports. An important con
sideration is not to become so ab
sorbed in sports or in the cultiva
tion of physical perfection as to for
get the relative value of things.
Out-door sports may be an educa
tion in many ways. When games are
played collectively they help to
teach good manners, self-control,
obedience to a leader, or the yield
ing to an umpire. Courteous ac
quiescence to what may seem an
unfavorable or an unjust decision
from an umpire is a test of temper.
Rules for referees and polo players
are that decisions are given de
cisively and no discussion or re
mark by the players is allowable.
Strict compliance with the rule for
players is therefore quite a training
in manners. Although all the world
does not play polo, this hint of the
etiquette of the game points to the
fact that good manners should be
practised on a tennis court, or a
baseball field, as well as on a polo
ground.
in out-door contests of skill, girls
and young men may learn to under
stand something of each other’s
characters. Discoveries of the quali
ties of good temper, generosity to
ward an adversary, forbearance to
ward others, courage in defeat may
he made: or the undesirable quali
ties of selfishness, ill-temper, vanity
or meanness may be unveiled. It is
a pleasure to observe that, as a gen
eral rule, fine characteristics come
to the front in sport.
A frank, pleasant, wholesome in
tercourse may b§' developed between
girls and young men in out-door
pastimes. There is joy in the com
radeship which brings them to
gether in the recreations of Summer
time. There may not be a thought
of sentiment, but, even in the mod
ern craze for being a “good sport,”
young people are young people, and
will wander, as Tennyson tells us,
in the “new world which is the old.”
The only note of warning is in not
becoming interested too suddenly in
new and untried friendships. Some
times there is a rude awakening. It
is well to be a trifle reticent and re
served.
There is something to be said as
«to the fitness of things in Summer
amusements. The sense of freedom
from restraint tempts feirls and
young men to go to extremes in
what they call having a “good time.”
Some people think they are not hav
ing a “good time” unless they are
making a noise. They forget that
this is an indication of crudeness.
Enthusiasm does not mean loud
ness. No one admires a hoyden and
a man wearies of a noisy comrade.
A girl may be very blithe and gay
without losing the womanly attri
butes of gentleness and dignity. She
has herself to blame if she is lightly
spoken of or placed in the category
of "Summer girls.” The word is ob
jectionable. It conveys what it in
tends—the suggestion of a flashy,
flippant girl, loud in dress and man
ner, whose aim is to attract atten
tion. If she makes chance acquaint
ances with men, or carries on fool
ish, sentimental affairs on the plea
that it is only a bit of Summer fun,
she is lowering not only the best
standards of manners, blit of woman
hood. Perhaps her parents may be at
fault for not guarding her from be
ing forward, reckless, lacking in the
fine graces of life.
Parents get the credit of being
very ignorant or very negligent.
Girls get the reputation of being in
tolerant and rebellious about any
sort of restraint. Very annoying and
distressing complications might be
avoided if parents and the young
people themselves would recognize
that there are certain conventionali
ties of society which are intended
to guard girls from having even the
appearance of being in a false posi
tion. The world does not judge
kindly when these laws are disre
garded.
In regard to evening pastimes, for
instance, it is not the custom in the
best social life for girls to go alone
with men to evening parties, thea
tres, restaurants or public places.
In small towns, or places where
social rules are modified, at least
there may always be a regard for
propriety and a mother can be care
ful that her daughter is under
proper protection. It is best that a
girl should be with a party of friends
and that an older woman should ac
company young people when going
to public places.
Free-and-easy manners in girls are
never admired by men. A man may
like to amuse himself with the
“jolly” girl, or the "free-and-easy”
girl, but in his innermost heart he
likes the modest girl, one who is too
reserved in her womanliness to in
dulge in undignified behavior any
where. The “free-and-easy” girl who
has lavished attentions, notes, gifts
and telephone messages upon him
is sometimes astonished to find that
he is seriously charmed away by the
reserved, almost demure girl, whom
she never suspected to be a rival.
Common sense as well as dignity
should guard a girl from the wrong
influence of those who say that
present-day objectionable manners
or customs may be followed, and
that because others do certain things
which are bold, or verging on im
propriety, there is no harm in doing
the same. Wherever there is a
questionable thing it is best to keep
By MRS. FRANK LEARNED,
Author of “The Etiquette of New
York To-day.”
on the safe side of reserve. To fol
low an exaggerated or an immodest
fashion, or to take conspicuous
romping steps in dancing is to lower
one’s standard.
The standard that a girl sets will
always govern a man’s manner to
ward her. If he is lacking in re
spect, she has herself to blame. He
will never take a liberty, nor will he
make a rude jest or tell a doubtful
story if she shows that she does not
allow freedom of action or speech.
Free-and-easy manners on a bath
ing beach are very objectionable. It
is certainly very far from good form
for girls and young men to lounge
on a beach in bathing suits, or to
race and romp up and down a beach
in bathing attire, shouting and at
tracting attention.
If men fail to observe the cour
tesies it is from associating with
girls and women who are indifferent
about high standards, who care noth
ing for deference and allow rude
ness to go unrebuked.
Chivalry exists in men to-day as
much as ever and can always be
called forth. A man should be as
chivalrous in his conduct toward
the girls he meets as he wishes
other men to be toward his sister.
It is noticeable that a young man is
very careful about his sister’s be
havior and very critical about her
men friends.
Respect for woman is a trait of
nobility in true manliness. Much of
a young man’s education of charac
ter depends on his association with
women who have high standards.
Too great freedom and laxity in
manners is a dangerous character
istic of the present time. Much de- 1
pends on the women and young girls 1
to maintain a higher tone if they
would preserve the purity and sim
plicity of manners. The well-bred
girl or young man will be as well-
behaved on a golf course or on a
beach as in a drawing-room. The
occasion is different but the inher
ent refinement will not be lost.
W HILE the State, of Delaware
has been held up to criti
cism throughout the coun
try for the continuation of this mode
of punishment, it is, to my mind,
one of the most effective barriers to
vicious criminals in their acts that
we have on the statute books to-day.
The City of Wilmington, which
contains about half the population
of the State of Delaware, is on a
direct line of communication be
tween four of our largest Eastern
cities, namely, New York, Philadel
phia, Baltimore and Washington.
There are three trunk line railroads
running through the City of Wilming
ton. The situation of Wilmington
makes it, therefore, a very fertile
field for the professional crook or
criminal in his movements to and
fro between these large cities. A
professional criminal or crook has a
greater degree of intelligence than
most people give him credit for,
and accompanied with this intelli
gence is generally great nerve. The
sentence of a public whipping is
more than the .pride of such men
can stand, and it is not the jail sen
tence, but it is the whipping post
that makes this State, and particu
larly the City of Wilmington free
from depredations I have mentioned
above.
Clime is at a minimum in the
State of Delaware, and I attribute
this largely to the fear and public
disgrace of the whipping post. The
whipping post is also used for wife
beaters, and I think every one will
agree with me that this is a most
deserved punishment for men who
have this strain within them.
We are not menaced by the so-
called white slave traffic in Dela-
were, hut 1 have always thought that
if the whipping post was provided
for the people engaged in this
species of crime it would be an ef
fective punishment for this nefarious
practice.
Arc* You
FAT?
I Was
ONCE.
i Reduced
the treatment of criminals. Dr.
Beverley Robinson, discussing the
subject, wrote:
“It brutalizes both prisoners and
keepers. It is revolting to our
senses, it is barbarous, unfeeling
and worthless. It should be tol
erated in no civilized community.
It is to me a disgrace for any State
or people to tolerate it."
In England flogging has always
been regarded as a valuable means
of punishment, discipline and edu
cation. Until a generation ago sol
diers and sailors were flogged al
most to death with the cat-o'-nine
tails for the most trifling offences
against discipline. In the law courts
a severe flogging was the accom
paniment of nearly every sentence.
Between 1860 and 1870 there was
a movement against excessive flog
ging, hut many influential English
men have never ceased to uphold it.
About that time a law was passed
that flogging should only be ordered
in cases of atrocious assault. For
these offences the punishment has
always been freely inflicted. The
tendency recently has been to in
flict it more frequently. Judges have
availed themselves more often of
their power of ordering it.
Now the law has been amended,
making it permissible to order the
lash for criminals convicted of traffic
in “white islavery." The judges
may order as much as one hundred
lashes with the cat-o’-nine-tails. Thus
the punishment is extended beyond
Until Recently the Whipping Post Was Combined with the
Pillory in Delaware.
when a particularly severe punish
ment was inflicted upon a negro con
victed of attacking a woman. He
was compelled to stand four hours
in the pillory with his ears nailed
to it, and when hie was taken down,
his ears were severed close to hfc
head. Afterward he was banished.
The punishment of criminals as
late as 1830 was not confined to the
state courts, but was administered
by the justices of the peace, and
old records show that offenders were
sentenced by a ‘squire,’ taken out
side of the building and flogged by
the constable.
In Wilmington the whippings took
place in the city hall park, the lash
being handled by the chief of police,
then known as the “high constable.”
The law providing for the whip
ping of women remained in force
until 1852, when it was stricken front
the statute books as barbarous.
Practically all of the whippings in
Delaware at the present time take
place at the New Castle County
workhouse. Arrangements have been
made by the officials of other coun
ties, by which their long-term pris
oners are boarded at the workhouse,
and consequently they are flogged
there.
In the past the methods of whip
ping were different in each of the
three counties. In New Castle
County the post was two stories in
height. Planted in the centre of the
old jail yard at New Castle (ntfw
torn down)- was a twelve-inch post
about twenty feet high. Ten feet
from the ground was a platform
upon which the prisoner stood when
in the pillory. The pillory itself
consisted of two side arms to the
post, the arms being so split that
the upper half raised on a hinge.
In the arms were two small holes at
either end and a larger hole in the
centre. In these the prisoner placed
his head and hands, the upper part
was lowered,, locked with a clasp
Delaware Devoted to Whipping
By Governor Charles R. filler, of Delaware, in an Interview.
How the Lash Is Given to Thieves and Wife-Beaters in
Delaware To-day.
and he was securely fastened as if
held in a vise.
Fastened to the post, below the
platform and about three feet from
the ground, were two iron semi-cir
cular bands. When a prisoner was
to he flogged, he was made to put
his hands through these manacles,
which were fastened with a clasp
and he was held firmly. In Kent
and Sussex counties the post con
sisted merely of a rough log stuck
in the ground.
The present post employed at the
New Castle County workhouse is not
the imposing structure of the past,
because the pillory has been abol
ished, but it is just as effective.