ANOTHER FLOGGING IN GAOL.

Tuapeka Times, Volume V, Issue 254, 12 December 1872, Page 5

ANOTHER FLOGGING IN GAOL.

At half- past ten o'clock on December 2 the punishment of flogging was inflicted on the prisoner Plammer for refusing to work on Bell Hill, aud other acts of insubordination, as announced in our paper of Saturday. Dr Hnlme, Mr Caldwel), the governor, and several of the gaol officials were in attendance. The flageellator was a tall muscular man, 1 spe dally engaged for tho duty, and, judging by the manner in which he wielded ihe "cat," he is no novice at that kind of work ; he was formerly attached to H. M. frigate Black Prince. The prisoner was brought from his cell between tw > of the officers, and appeared slightly pale from nervous excitement. The expression ofhis face was somewhat anxious, but he walked very collectedly •vrKtototwUl.-^-bCT-ilic' U'lunyl-or-Bin -if i>o -ImA made up his mind to the punishment, an>l after baring himself to the waist, stood with a hand grasping each front leg of the triangle. The flageljator tied him with the straps, under the direction of the officers, and then took his position with the " cat," testing the correctness of the reach by laying it gently on Plummer's back. The signal having been given, tbe flagellator swunsf the cat twice round his head to give the blow impetus ; and with the third sweep brought it down on the right shoulder. The stroke was given with a will, the tracks of the cords, and the dents of the knots being easily traceable on the skin. " One," called out the officer. Again the tail swept round in the air, and then down on the same place. "Two." called out the counter of the lashes. The bJows were repeated regularly in the same manner ; and between each blow the flagellator drew his fingers through the tails of the cat, to untwist and let them hang freely. The effect upon Plummer as regards pain was undoubted ; his thinner, fairer skin, threatened to give place to more suffering than Gallagher's as it proved, for after the third cut, the muscles of the ehoulders quivered slightly, he began to moan and wince terribly, aud continued to do so to the end with that peculiar sibilant drawing-in of the breath of one in intense pairi. -The effects were the same as in the case of Gallagher, the diagonal pink lines growing scarlet, and running into one another, till there was a broad scarlet band, which quivered and flushed and changed to a purple color ; there was an involuntary shrinking of the muscles on tbe right shoulder, aud the convulsive twjtching increased in intensity up to tbe final strode. Twenty-four, twentyfive lashes fell, tfajeu a loud voice cried "Stop," and the prisoner wast ca*t loose, to walk quietly away From the triangle to hi> cell, there to meditate on insubordination and its consequences. There was no appearance of fainting ; the blood was ready to -start through the bruised skin, but not a strand of. the cat was 'stained. That the punishment was deserved, the account given of Flummer's misdeeds fully bears out. ."We quite agree with Mr' Baron. -^lartin, who lately said:— "ln dealing with brutes of prisoners, or wild beasts who kick, bite, and commit all sorts of barbarities, viojent and brutal attacks on warders, destroying the cell furniture, abusing % Governor, or hurling his cell panujcan or night tub at the gaol officers, nothing is so effectual as the lash."