“Aladdin of London”, a 1907 volume by Sir Max Pemberton, is an interesting little tale. At the centre of the plot is a young woman whose fate is the subject of much debate:

First up, there’s a small matter of alleged fraud and blackmail by our heroine’s family; the authorities decide that she might spill the beans as to what’s gone on:

A smile hovered upon the Count’s face in spite of himself. “In a week,” he was saying to himself, “Lois Boriskoff shall be flogged in the Schusselburg.” In truth, the whip was the weapon he liked best—when women were to be schooled.

He’s persuaded to spare her: a scheme is hatched to uncover the truth, but goes wrong:

Why could he not have telegraphed to the Chief of the Police to arrest the girl as soon as might be and to flog her into a confession. The whip would have purchased her secret readily enough, then the others could have been arrested… Sergius blamed himself very much that he had permitted a finer chivalry to guide his acts.

Matters soon take a turn for the worse, when we learn that “The Count has been assassinated—we believe by a woman.” Lois is implicated, arrested and flung into prison. Her friend visits the chief of police to try to secure her release:

“I am asking you these questions because I wish that justice shall be done. If you can do nothing to clear Lois Boriskoff, I am afraid that we shall have to flog her.”

“That would be a cowardly thing to do. It would also be very foolish. She has many friends both here and in England. I don’t think they will forget her.”

“Wild talk, Mr. Kennedy, very wild talk. I see that you will not help me. We must let the Governor know as much and he will decide. I warn you at the same time that it will go very hard with you if the Count should die—and as for this woman, we will try other measures. She must certainly be flogged.”

Zaniloff did not like the turn affairs had taken. He determined to see the Governor-General without a moment’s loss of time. Meanwhile there could be no earthly reason why the girl should not be flogged. Whatever happened the Minister would approve that.

The policeman agreed to contact the authorities in England:

“The telegram shall be dispatched immediately. While we are waiting for an answer I will command them to bring you some breakfast to my own private room. Meanwhile, as I say, the girl must be flogged.”

Waiting to see Lois, her friend then witnessed a flogging “as he stood at the window above, too fascinated by the horror of the spectacle to move away and not unwilling to know the truth”:

Many police assisted at this—driving their victims before them to a rude bench in the centre of the yard. There was neither strap nor triangle. They threw their man down and held him across the plank, gripping his   wrists and ankles and one forcing his head to the floor.

The whip of a single lash, wired to cut and leaded everywhere, fell across the naked flesh with a sound of a cane upon a board. Great welts were left at the very first blow… the most stolid were broken to shrieks and screams despite their resolutions. The laugh upon defiant lips became instantly a terrible cry… As they did to these poor wretches so would they do to Lois…

Fortunately, the girl ended up being released unharmed, no doubt entirely unaware of her many close escapes from the lash. And we do all love a happy ending, don’t we, readers?