THE DOMAIN RAPE. Goodward's First Flogging. (From the Auckland " Star," April 21.)

Te Aroha News, Volume 1, Issue 47, 26 April 1884, Page 3

THE DOMAIN RAPE. Goodward's First Flogging. (From the Auckland " Star," April 21.)

Henby GoomvAKD, who was convicted at the last criminal sessions of the Supreme Court of rape on the person of Ellen Payne, and was sentenced to five years' imprisonment and two floggings, received the first instalment of his flagellation within the precincts of Mount Eden Gaol at 6.30 this morning. The proceedings were strictly private, the only persons present being the Deputy Sheriff (Mr G. W. Basley), Dr. Philson (Gaol Surgeon), Mr Keston (the governor of the prison), and the warders. The prisoner, when brought from his cell, seemed quite composed, and did not exhibit any feeling during the process of pinioning. In place of the old-fashioned ' ' triangle" formerly in vogue in flogging in the army and navy, two upright poles were used. To these the prisoner was securely tied, a collar of leather being placed round the neck to protect that part of the body. The sentence of the law was carried out by two warders of the gaol, whose gloomy faces showed clearly that the task was not a congenial one. The "cat" was composed of knotted twine, and apparently calculated to inflict severe pu aisnment. At a signal one of the vrarders stepped forward " cat in hand," there was a sharp "swish " through the air, and "number one" fell on Henry Goodward's body, leaving a discoloured mark from the shoulder to the ribs. The prisoner squirmed, but emitted no sound. The flagellant inflicted eleven other blows, each oi which left its mark on the bruised back of the prisoner — now fairly quivering with pain. But he retained his senses, and gave no vocal indication of the agony he was suffering. Another warder now stepped forward, and taking the instrument of judicial torture from his fellow, administered the remaining thirteen blows. At the fifteenth or sixteenth stripe a little blood name from the bruised and excoriated back of the victim, and the twitching of the muscles and wriggling of the body increased, but not a cry did he utter. The sentence of the law having been fulfilled, the prisoner was escorted from the scene. It is probable that the flogging will not keep him from work more than a week. The second instalment of the flagellation will be inflicted in June. We understand that the gaol authorities experienced considerable difficulty in obtaining the services of the two warders to administer the flogging, and they only complied with the order when they ascertained that they must obey the behest of their superior or lay themselves open to dismissal from the service^ It is stated that it ie unusual to require warders to perform such an office, whi must be revolting to any but those possessing utterly callous— we had almost said brutalised— natures. Our informant gives us to understand that the innovation was first mooted by Captain Hume, Inspector of Prisons, when that functionary was in Auckland gome two months ago, and that one of the warders sent in his resignation sooner than lay himself open to be called upon to perform an action so revolting to his sensibilities.