New Haven v. Thomas Hogg
New Haven v. Thomas Hogg | |
---|---|
Court | New Haven Colony Court |
Decided | 1647 |
Verdict |
|
Charge | |
Case history | |
Subsequent action(s) | Sentenced to flogging and imprisonment |
New Haven v. Thomas Hogg was a criminal case which took place in
Background
Thomas Hogg was a servant from
Charges
Five years after Spencer's execution, Hogg was implicated in what was described by
Theophilus Eaton, governor of the colony, and his deputy brought Hogg to a barnyard where the crime was supposed to have taken place. They ordered him to scratch the sow under her ear,[3] after which "there appeared a working of lust in the sow, insomuch that she powred out seede before them."[1] Hogg was then ordered to scratch another sow, but she was not stimulated.[1][3][6][7] The governor and deputy governor were frustrated that, despite their experiment, Hogg denied the charges. Without the confession, the "impudent liar" could not be hanged[3] because the requirement of two witnesses could not be met.[2][5] Instead, he was convicted of lying and stealing,[5] for which he was severely whipped and incarcerated.[1][3] While imprisoned, Hogg was kept on a "mean diet and hard labor, that his lusts not be fed."[3]
Aftermath
The situation left a permanent mark on capital punishment jurisprudence.[3] Hogg appears again in court records in 1648, when he was admonished for failing to appear for guard duty.[1][5]
References
- ^ a b c d e f Chehardy, Kimberley N. "'Wickedness Breaks Forth': The Crime Of Sodomy In Colonial New England". Retrieved 2 February 2013.
- ^ ISBN 0801878918.
- ^ ISBN 978-1558498471. Retrieved 2 February 2013.
- ^ ISBN 0275955516.
- ^ ISBN 978-1558497726.
- ISBN 0465024467.
- ISBN 978-0742599741.