TARRING AND FEATHERING.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), 15 February 1883, Page 3

TARRING AND FEATHERING.

" 3lost people,"' said a prominent Xuvada limn to a newspaper reporter, " don't know what a terrible punishment tarring , and feathering , really is. They suppose that it is nothing worse than a, badge of infamy, rather uncomfortable, perhaps, but not painful unless the tav gets into the eyes. This is a great mistake. J. helped to daub Jones. He was a vile beast, a disgraec to humanity, and he deserved what he got for endeavoring to ruin an innocent young girl, and fox , grossly insultiujr respectable women on the streets." But I had no idea until 1 saw that fellow plastered what a tough deal the process is. We painted him all over pretty thick "with a broom, and some enthusiastic vigilants poured a few gallons of tar on. his head. Then the feathers, taken from a big - pillow, -were dusted on him, and he stood out Avhite and fluffy in the starlight like sonio huge and grotesquelooking bivd. He had to put bis clothes on over the Avhole mess, and then he was ridden on a rail for fifty yards or so, and we put him on board the west-bound train at midnight with instructions, not to conic buck on pain of being hanged. " I saw him on the train. He was sitting with his head on his arms on the back of the seat in front of him. The tar was so thick on his head that it covered the bailout of bight, and his poll whoue in the light of the car lamps like a black rubber ball just dipped in the water. The poor fellow -was groaning, and I couldn't help feeling mean

at having taken a hand in the job. lou see the body is covered with short hair, and when tho tar hardens a little the slightest movement causes acute pain, as if one's beard were being pulled out with pincers, hair by hair. Then there is the stoppage of all perspiration, which would soon kill a man if he didn't make lively time in getting scrubbed. Besides, the smell of tho tar turns the stomach, and about half-an-hour after a man has been coated he must feel mighty sorry he wasn't hanged. Then comes the scrubbing with oil. It took two Chinamen and :i darkey three days in Tiucyee to reduce Jones to a mild brown. The rubbing makes the skin tender, and the body must be as sore as a boil for weeks." '"Do you think they -will tar any trumps in Reno'shortly ?"' asked the reporter. " I don't know," replied thcAVashoeman, ''but I hope not. No such punishment should be inflicted on man except for some crime for which death would hardly bo too severe a penalty.