''Man Catcher''

By Crusader1307

‘’Man Catchers’’ were devices used to control unruly Prisoners and later Slaves. They took on various forms of construction, depending on the Age. Normally, these ‘’Catch Poles’’ were long wooden affairs, roughly 8 to 10-feet in length. Attached to the front of the Pole, was a metal collar (often with sharp spikes or studs). Once placed around the neck of an Offender, should this person try to apply pressure to run, they could be injured about the neck. The nature of the injuries would not be so much life threatening, as painful. In cases of use on Slaves (sometimes called ‘’Slave Catchers’’, the same applied. Not all ‘’Catchers’’ had metal rings, but leather straps – which, when tightened – could cause an offender to ‘’choke’’. Examples of this form of ‘’punishment-control’’ could be found in use from around the 15^th to 20^th Century.