Corpun file 22875

The Argus, Melbourne, 9 March 1892, p.6

The Lash at Pentridge.

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On Monday the public executioner and flagellator, Jones, was called upon to carry out no fewer than four floggings with the cat-o'-nine tails and one birching on prisoners undergoing sentence. The first case was that of the old man John Dunne, who was recently sentenced at the Bendigo Assizes to 15 years' imprisonment and two floggings of 15 lashes each, for criminally assaulting a little child, his step-daughter. This was his first instalment. The next prisoner dealt with was a middle-aged man named John Tyrrel, who was also recently sentenced at the Bendigo Assizes, the offence being a criminal assault upon a child under nine years of age, and the sentence two years' imprisonment with one flogging of 15 lashes.

A boy, 16 years of age, received a birching of 25 strokes. This was the lad who was recently convicted for an indecent assault upon a child under nine years of age at Kew, the daughter of a much respected resident of the locality. The lad's name is Robert Livingstone Waterstone, and his sentence was two months' imprisonment, with six days' solitary confinement and 25 strokes from a birch.

James Simpson, a young man of 23, was recently sentenced by Mr. Nicolson, P.M., at Carlton to six months' imprisonment, and two floggings of 15 lashes each, for indecent exposure. The flogging which he received on Monday was the first, and the second and final instalment will be given in about six weeks time. The final flogging was given to George Nicholson, a man about 40 years of age, who was recently tried and convicted at Port Melbourne for violently assaulting a child under nine years of age. His sentence was five years, with two floggings of 25 lashes each, the last of which was that received on Monday. This was one of the most severe floggings ever given at Pentridge, and the punishment in each case was inflicted with unflinching severity.