Corpun file 5776 at www.corpun.com

The Times, London, 20 November 1871, p.6

Equitable Retaliation.

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On Saturday morning Bernard Regan, 30 years of age, and Samuel Lilley, 22, both of notoriously bad reputation, who had been convicted at the last sessions of the Central Criminal Court of robbery with violence, and sentenced each to seven years' penal servitude, underwent a preliminary flogging in the goal of Newgate, that being a part of their sentence.

It was a peculiarity in both cases that the crimes were committed in broad day, and both of the prisoners had also been previously convicted and punished.

[...]

[...] Regan, who had been previously convicted in 1867, and at eight other times, was sentenced by Commissioner Kerr to seven years' penal servitude, and to receive 30 lashes with the cat. [...]

The flogging on Saturday was inflicted in the presence of Mr. Sheriff Benett, Mr. ex-Sheriff Jones, Messrs. Crosley and Beard, Mr. Gibson, the prison surgeon, and some strangers. Neither of the convicts, though nearly a month had elapsed since their trial, knew when that part of their sentence would be carried out until Saturday morning, shortly before it was actually inflicted. They were subjected to it separately in one of the prison wards by Calcraft, in the presence of the authorities; each convict, as he was brought in, having been first stripped naked to the waist and had his arms pinioned by the wrists to the sockets of a wooden machine, which precluded all possibility of escape or evasion.

Regan, a stout, muscular man, first underwent the penalty, which was inflicted with a lash consisting, it is said, of nine thongs of stout whipcord, knotted in places, and a handle two feet long. The strokes are given slowly and regularly across the back from the right shoulder downward to the waist. The convict bore the punishment courageously until the twelfth stroke, when he writhed a little and uttered a suppressed murmur. After that he begged that he be flogged fairly, meaning, it is understood, that the lashes not be applied so much to one part of his back; but no heed was taken of the demand; and on receiving the rest of his 30 strokes he was released and taken back to his cell.

The convict Lilley, somewhat boyish in appearance, was next brought in and subjected to 25 lashes. As his punishment was being inflicted and halts were made in it he repeatedly called out to the executioner to keep on and not to stop. On the 25th stroke, that being his complement, he was liberated and conducted back to his cell. Corporal punishment had not been inflicted in Newgate since May, 1870.