VP Beast Butler?

[Hess1865]

To get back to Butler, about 25 years ago I read a bio about him called 'Stormy Petrel'.
While reading about his rule of New Orleans, a line said that Butler had closed 'all the whipping houses'.

Whipping houses???

I had never heard of such a thing, so I immediately had to look it up.
Now of course this was before the internet, and I had to hit the local library, where I found the answer.

A 'whipping house' was basically an establishment where, if you were too old and infirm, or faint of heart, you would send your misbehaving slave(s) and pay someone there to whip them for you!!!!!

ASTOUNDING!

I can't begin to believe places like this actually existed!
And what kind of sadist sicko would do this for a living???
I'm not trying to stir things up here more than it already is, but I'd appreciate more knowledge about these 'whipping houses'.