The chief judiciary was the sachem. He also functioned as the jury, sometimes with the additional counsel of other wise men, and in most cases he carried out whatever punishment was decreed.[409] Regularly recognized crimes were robbery, adultery, murder, and treason. For theft, the first offense resulted in a degrading public rebuke. If the offender stole a second time, he was beaten by the sachem “with a cudgel on the naked back”. The third offense resulted in a more severe beating, and he “... hath his nose slit upwards, that thereby all men may both know and shun him”.[410] Adultery was punished by the wronged party, who would beat the offender, sometimes to death—in which case his death could not be revenged. The adulterous wife was kept or sent away at the husband’s wish. If the husband was the offender, his wife might leave him, but there is no other form of punishment recorded.[411] Death was the punishment for murder. The regular procedure was to bring the offender before the sachem, who would pass judgement. The condemned man was then blindfolded, compelled to kneel and was bludgeoned to death by the sachem. Revenge was eagerly sought by the kinsmen of a murdered man.[412] They might take matters into their own hands and seek out the offending party, especially if the formal channels of justice did not first offer them satisfaction.[413] This was more likely to happen when the suspect belonged to another tribe.[414] If he were a valuable man, his sachem might be reluctant to execute him.[415] In lieu of the actual offender, one of his close relatives might be executed for the offense.[416] It was also possible to escape retribution by purchasing forgiveness of the offended group of kinsmen if enough wampum or other goods could be given.[417] Treason also was usually punished by death.[418] When the offender fled before his treachery was discovered, the sachem sent special messengers with his own knife to find and execute the guilty party. The head and hands were brought back to the sachem as proof of a mission accomplished.[419] This procedure was also used to dispatch suspected leaders of intrigues against the sachem when it was feared that a public execution might throw sentiment to the side of the traitor’s faction.[420] Etiquette required that all punishments, whether beatings or death, were to be borne with a show of outward calm. If one were to cry out, show pain, or try to escape, it was considered to be an unspeakable disgrace.[421] Serious disputes that could not otherwise be worked out might be settled by combat between the two parties involved. In this case, each man was armed with his bow and a quiver of arrows. They would cast lots for a choice of the tree to use as a shield. From behind their respective trees they would shoot at each other until one or the other was killed. The scars of wounds received in this kind of combat were displayed with a great deal of pride.[422]