Note 93 — Chapter XIV

At the Court of Assize, at Springfield, the 2d Tuesday of September last, Daniel Bailey and Mary Rainer, of a Place adjoining to Sheffield in that county, were convicted of Adultery, and were sentenced to suffer the Penalty of the Law therefor, viz. to sit on the Gallows with a Rope about their Necks, for the Space of an Hour; to be whipt forty Stripes each, and to wear for ever after a Capital A, two Inches long, and proportionable in bigness, cut out in Cloth of a contrary Colour to their Cloaths, and sewed upon their upper Garments, either upon the outside of the arm, or on the back.—Boston Evening-Post, Oct. 9, 1752.

A case of incest in Deerfield: "the man was set upon the Gallows with a Rope about his Neck for the space of one Hour, to be whipped in his Way from thence to the Goal 30 stripes, and to wear a Capital I of two Inches long, and proportionable Bigness on his upper Garment for ever. Sentence against the Woman, for special Reasons, we hear, is respited for the present."—Boston Evening-Post, Oct. 7, 1754.

At the Superior Court held in Cambridge last week, one Hannah Dudley of Lincoln was convicted of repeatedly commiting Adultery and Fornication with her own Mother's husband, an old Man of 76 years of age. She was sentenced to be set upon the Gallows for the space of one Hour, with a Rope about her Neck, and the other end cast over the Gallows, and in the way from thence to the Common Goal, that she be severely whipped 30 stripes, and that she for ever after wear a Capital I of two inches long and proportionable bigness cut out in Cloth of a different Colour to her Cloaths, and sewed upon her upper Garment on the outside of her arm, or on her Back, in Open View. [No further mention is made of the step-father.]—Boston News-Letter, Aug. 16, 1759.