In the early 1880s the NSW Legislative Assembly enacted laws to permit flogging in certain cases of perceived hooliganism.
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The Mercury reported on such a case in 1884.
The report read:
About 10pm on a Sunday evening a number of youths knocked on the door of James Kerr’s Adelphi Hotel claiming to be travellers and asking to be served.
Kerr admitted the group and started to serve the requested drinks at the bar. He then heard someone running through the back and noticed three bottles of whisky missing.
Kerr woke his lodger Henry Clarke and they ran down Devonshire Street to a paddock and found the group who had run out of the pub. A brawl took place with punches and bricks thrown and Kerr and Clarke jumped some fences and went back to the pub.
The Adelphi was on the eastern corner of High and Devonshire streets.
The next morning Kerr reported the incident to the police and the group were arrested and taken before the bench where Michael S******** was sentenced to 96 hours in gaol and 20 lashes, Henry H******* and William C*** to the same hours and 18 eight lashes respectively.
At the gaol the triangle and horse were erected at the rear of the hospital. C*** was strapped to the horse, a leather band placed around each arm and leg and his buttocks exposed. A strap
containing nine thongs was used. In C***’s case the punishment was not severe owing to his youth. He appeared to suffer the chastisement keenly.
H******* was then lashed to the horse. A strong robust fellow he at first appeared unconcerned, but after the leather was applied three or four time he flinched and appeared to suffer pain. His buttocks were very much marked, though there was no breaking of the skin.
S******** was strapped to the triangle and his back was bare. The instrument used for the infliction of punishment in his case was the real cat-o-nine tails, made of whip cord with knots in the lower end.
The strokes were rather severe and S******** uttered a succession of groans, the cat was laid on the back and by the last stroke the skin was very much contused, though there was no actual cut apparent. One of the tails struck him under the jaw.
The Mercury “hoped the castigation of the three young fellows will have a beneficial effect on their future lives and conduct, and that it will act as a warning to others.”
- PETER BOGAN for the Maitland and District Historical Society
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