It had been almost impossible to get any sleep in the jailcell. Mike sat alone in the inhospitable environment; Aaron was three cells away, and the cement walls seperating them forbid any communication. For at least 14 hours they had sat there; the sun had set and already risen and gloomy grey sunshine spewed through the tiny window.
Mike figured he had slept for an hour or so; he had laid restlessly on the creaky little bed, his feet shackled together so that he could barely walk. Nothing but sleep could really be done in the tiny cells, and the sound of footsteps coming brought an ominous end to his brief imprisonment.
It was Mike's stepdad, with a couple of brutish guards. The guards unlocked the huge metal door as Mike's dad spoke to his imprisoned son.
"I will not hear a word from your mouth, boy, until after the sentencing. You definitely have shamed me and your whole family, and now you are getting what you really deserve."
With that, and not a word more, Mike was led away, down several long hallways and out the door, to the courthouse which was across the courtyard. The courtyard was, of course, where punishments were carried out. Three platforms stood next to each other, each made of rustic wood and standing about 8 feet above the sandy ground. One was a gallows, with its ominous trap door and L-shaped post, to where the convicted man was strung up and executed. The other two platforms had interchangeable contraptions; right now one was set up with two wooden crosses, designed for holding a man face-out for all sorts of punishments. The other platform held a single whipping post, with its wrist cuffs halfway up the post and two ankle cuffs on each side of the base, spread out about 4 feet from each other.
They reached the courthouse, and after climbing a flight of stairs, they reached the courtroom. As they were to be tried and sentenced immediately, Mike was led right to the front, where Aaron was already standing, his ankles also shackled and his hands cuffed behind his back.
As the usual courtroom dialogue began around him, Mike noticed that several of his friends from school were there, along with his old English teacher, and many other familiar faces. Mike caught Aaron's eyes for a second; they simply both smiled slightly at each other, then turned back to the front.
The judge entered. His name was Samuel Fetting, and Mike had seen him around town. The man had a severe look about him, as if he never smiled. Mike knew that he wasn't a very kind man, and knew that his punishment wouldn't be kind, either.
The judge began to speak to the court and the two young men (there were no lawyers; there usually weren't any available in Perry, and trials with eyewitnesses didn't require them.) The punishable crimes were buggery and public indecency, and it was a second count for Aaron (Mike hadn't known that!) The judge asked if either boy had anything to say, and since neither of them could think of anything, the sentencing began immediately.
Mike's sentence was read first.
"Michael, you have been tried and convicted of buggery in the first degree and public indecency. These crimes are intolerable and so disrespectful to this community, and I will have you punished severely as I see fit. The following is to be conducted on this day, immediately after this trial is ajourned; You are to be taken out to the courtyard, and stripped naked, and tied hand and foot to a whipping post, where you will receive 60 lashes to the back with a whip. The whipping will be conducted by the jail warden, who will be instructed to whip you until your back is bloody. Upon execution of said whipping, you are to be bound naked to the exhibition post, where you will hang for 2 hours on display for the entire community to see. At the end of this 2 hours, you are to be taken immediately to the jail imfirmary to be treated, and after such is done, you are to be imprisoned for a period of six months."
Mike didn't know what to think. He had been spared penile impalement somehow, but the severity of the whipping sentence was frightening. What if he was beaten unconscious? What if he died from the whipping? Many men had before.
Mike barely heard Aaron's sentencing.
Aaron, as a second offender of this horrific crime, I had every intention to put a noose around your neck and hang you until cold. But, given your tender age, I thought otherwise, as you still could have a chance to change your terrible ways. Being found guilty of both crimes above mentioned, I sentence you to the following. You are to be taken to the courtyard immediately after this trial, at which time you will be stripped naked. You will then be strapped hand and foot to the whipping post there, and you will receive 80 lashes upon your back with a whip, delivered so as to draw blood. At the end of the lashing, you are then to be strapped to the exhibition post, strapped around the chest, waist, thighs and feet, as well as the hands, to forbid any movement whatsoever. The jail warden will then proceed to pound two 4-inch steel nails through the meat of your penis, and you will remain nailed to the post for three hours, at the end of which you will be taken to and treated at the infirmary. After said treatment, you will be delivered to the jail, where you will be imprisoned for 2 years. During this imprisonment, you will be whipped a total of four times, each time with 60 lashes on the naked back, delivered by the jail warden. these lashings will be spread out during your sentence."
"This trial is now adjourned. Guards, take the boys immediately to the courtyard and ready them for punishment."
(to be continued)