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It seems to have been quite common at one time to sell prisoners.  At the Supreme Judicial Court in Salem, in November, 1787, “Elizabeth Leathe of Lynn, for harbouring thieves and receiving stolen goods, was convicted and sentenced to be whipped twenty stripes and to be sold for six months.”  Also at a session of the same Court, held in Boston in September, 1791, six persons were convicted of theft and sentenced to be whipped and pay costs, or to be sold for periods of from six months to four years.  At this same Court one Seth Johnson appears to have received what seems to us a rather severe sentence, although of course we do not know all the circumstances of the case.  He was convicted of theft on three indictments and was sentenced to be “whipt 65 stripes and confined to hard labor for nine years.”  The Court at Salem, before referred to, passed on one Catharine Derby a very heavy sentence for stealing from Captain Hathorne’s shop.  It was, “To sit upon the gallows one hour with a rope about her neck, to be whipped 20 stripes, pay L14 to Capt.  Hathorne, and costs of prosecution.”  This is almost as bad as the old saying, “being hung and paying forty shillings.”

This practice of selling convicts was nothing more or less than making slaves of them,—­for a limited period, of course; but perhaps it was in many instances a punishment more to be desired by the victims than being confined in prison, especially if they were well treated.  The prisons in those days had not “modern conveniences,” and probably in some cases were hardly decent.  The condition of the jail in Portsmouth, N.H., in February, 1789, is thus described by a prisoner who made his escape from there by digging through the chimney.  His account is interesting in this connection.  The paper from which we take it says:  “But for fear his quitting his lodgings in so abrupt a manner might lay him open to censure, he wrote the following on the wall:—­

“The reason of my going is because I have no fire to comfort myself with, and very little provision.  So I am sure, if I was to stay any longer I should perish to death.  Look at that bed there!  Do you think it fit for any person to lie on?

      “If you are well, I am well;
      Mend the chimney, and all’s well!

    “To the gentlemen and officers of Portsmouth from your humble
    servant,

    “WILLIAM FALL.

    “N.B.  I am very sorry that I did not think of this before, for if
    I had, your people should not have had the pleasure of seeing me
    take the lashes.”

The whipping-post and stocks were discontinued in Massachusetts early in the present century.  On the 15th of January, 1801, one Hawkins stood an hour in the pillory in Court Street (now Washington Street), Salem, and had his ear cropped for the crime of forgery, pursuant to the sentence of the Supreme Court.