Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1860-03-22
Prison Tortures-A Chinese Court.

From letter received by Mr.. J. NJ. An
druss, of this city, from his nephew in Hong
Kong China, we are permitted to make the
following interesting extracts. The letter
bears date of November 13, 1852:
have recently returned from trip to Can
ton, where gathered many items Of intelli-
gence which will be Interesting. We were so
fortunate, shortly after our arrival, as to Sc
cure the services of Rev. Mr.. Gray, stationed
there as chaplain, who being we'll Eersed in
China affairs played the eicsrone greatly to
our advantage. We commenced our explora-
tons by visiting the prisons. happening to hit,
most fortunately, on a criminal court day
We were the first persons ever taken by our
guide into a Chinese court The magistrate,
a very high ManGarin," !" knew Mr.. Gray, and
upon our entering, stopped the court. We
were introduced and invited to take seats,
which, after a great deal of bowing and sala-
ming, we did.
The Mandarin and ourselves were the only
persons seated in the court-the magistrates
assistants always standing during hours. There
were several interpreters present to question
the prisoners on trial. and to answer the Man.
DARN. That functionary never demeans him
self by speaking any other dialect than the
Strictly Mandarin dialect" There was quite
a number Of prisoners, all with manaCles upon
their limbs and necks, awaiting their turn for
trial One of them was fastened upon an
instrument Of torture, called the " rack " used
to eXtort confessions, true or false, from their
victims. This rack resembles carpenters
saw bench The victim is made to kneel, the
rack is then placed upon its end. against his
back. His eve (or tai) is passed through a
hole in the end of the rack and tied fast to
the upper feet, which strains the cords of the
neck horribly. .r ...s
A bandage is then placed across his forehead
and fastened to the end Of the rack. A slip
moose is put upon each thumb, by which his
arms are thrown behind him and upwards, and
also made fast to the upper feet. A slip-noose
is also put upon each big toe, which is drawn
upwards and made fast at the same point, and
are drawn so that the victims knees are about
one inch Gear Of the floor, thus leaving the
whole weight of the hody suspended by the
thumbs and toes. The victim was kept upon
the rack about half an, hour; and when cast
loose, fell upon the floor, having for the time
being lost all control of his limbs He was
left lying as he felI-until his blood resumed its
circulation, when chain was put about his
neck and he was led away to the dungeon
He was no doubt, convicted Of the crime with
which he was charged, as he was desirous of
kneeling before the Mandarin and pleading for
mercy, but was not permitted so to do.
We followed the prisoner, and saw him
thrust into a room with some thirty others, all
of whom were condemned to death The cell
was very small, excessively warm, and the
CT 10 Tbo
cell had not single article of furniture in it,
and all the occupants were entirely inude.-
They greeted US with Chin Chin, Taipan"
and " Cunshaw Taipan,' which was, How
do you dof' " Give us present.
We saw; also, on our visit, several convict
ed felOns undergoing the punishment Of the
canGue" which consists of a square board
wish a hole in the center. and which goes to-
gether on hinges. 1t is put upon the victims
shoulders, with his head through the hole
The canqucs" are of different sizes and
weights, according to the age and the decree
Of crime. Offenders are frequently compelled
TO wear it from four to six months, during
which time it is impossible for them to lie
down, and they are compelled to sit and sleep
upon their launches. Several of them had
eaten and slept 50 long in one position that
| their skin was chafed through, and they were
almost covered with raw sores.
Among others whom We saw confined, vas
the mother of Tai Fling Wang, the great rebel
chief, of whom the Mandarins, or Imperialists,
stand in great fear. They have never been
able to defeat him, and have offered large re-.
wards for his capture, without success. The
Imperialists have arrested his mother and all
his relatives, as far as they have been able to
trace them His mother is d woman of small
stature, and nearly seventy years of age, with
hair as white as snow. She had heavy chains
upon her ankles and chain also around her
neck, with stone fastened to the end, which
traiIed npon the ground. The other relatives
of the rebel chief were also in chai1s The
females were embrodering, and the males we're
knitting undershirts, using small linen twine.
We likewise saw many rebels in chains, with
their ears cat off, and Others who had been
hamstrung, who were unable to rise upon their
feet, but dragged themselves along with their
hands -Neieark Mercurh -- .-