A proper ‘cat’ from London

The “Victorian Villains” book I wrote about last time, has yilded another interesting paragraph on prison punishments:

11 January 1872. The punishment of flogging with cat-o’-nine-tails was inflicted in Newcastle Gaol this morning, upon prisoner named John Smith. He was convicted… of a garotte robbery in Newgate Street, and was sentenced to four years penal servitude, and also to receive eighteen cuts with the cat-o’-nine-tails. … The instrument employed on this occasion was a regulation “cat”, having been expressly sent from the Home Office for the purpose.

There’s something sweetly provincial about this. “Oh no, our quiet prison has a real villain to deal with, but we don’t have the means! Write to London and ask them to send a proper cat-o’-nine-tails!”