Lisbon, and has been a great Thief."

We extract the following from the "Boston Chronicle," Nov. 20, 1769:--

We hear from Worcester that on the eighth instant one Lindsay
stood in the Pillory there one hour, after which he received 30
stripes at the public whipping post, and was then branded in the
hand; his crime was forgery.

Lindsay was probably branded with the letter F, by means of a hot
iron, on the palm of his right hand; this was the custom in such
cases.

In Boston, in June, 1762, "the noted Dr. Seth Hudson and Joshua How
stood a second Time in the Pillory for the space of one Hour, and the
former received 20 and the latter 39 Stripes." In the same town in
February, 1764, "one David Powers for Stealing was sentenced to be
whip't 20 Stripes, to pay tripel Damages, being £30, and Costs. And
one John Gray, Cordwainer, for endeavouring to spread the Infection of
the Small Pox, was sentenced to pay a Fine of £6, to suffer three
months' Imprisonment, and to pay Costs." In New York in January, 1767,
"A Negro Wench was executed for stealing sundry Articles out of the
House of Mr. Forbes; and one John Douglass was burnt in the Hand for
Stealing a Copper Kettle." In the last half of the eighteenth century
it appears to have been a capital crime for negroes to steal. At
Springfield, Mass., in October, 1767, "one Elnathan Muggin was found
Guilty of passing Counterfeit Dollars, and sentenced to have his Ears
cropped," etc. On reading these quaint accounts we are led to inquire
whether the punishment for crime in "olden times" was more severe than
at the present time. Many people think it was, and justly so, and