Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1860-02-15
aailg Iitaiaiau.
From the Correspondence Of the Newark Mercury.
Interesting from China-Prison Torturos
"A Chinese Court


From the Correspondence Of the Newark Mercury.
Interesting from China-Prison Torturos
"A Chinese Court.
Fron.a letter received by Mr.. |. N. Andrusss,
of this city, from hs nephew in Hong Kong, Chi
ma. we are permitted to make the following intpr
esting extracts letter bears date of Novcm
ber 18th, 1859:
~ have recently: rctuzped from u trip To
Canton, where gathered many items ofntc-
genco which will be interesting. We were so for
tunate, shortly after our arrival as to secure tho
services of Rev. Mr.. Gray stationed thcie us chap
lain, who being we'll verscd in China affairs, play-
cd the ccerone greatly TO our advantage. We com.
menced our xplorations by visiting the prisons,
happening to hit NEST fortunately. on criminal
court day. We were the first persons ever taken
by our guido into n Chinese court. Tho mngis-
trate, IA very high Mandarin knew Mr.. Gray,and
upon our entering, stopped the court. We wore
introduced and invited to take seats, which, after
great denl Of bowling and salnamng we did.
"The Mandarin aud ourselves were tho only
persons seated in the court magistrates AS
sistants always standing during honrs. There
were several interpreters present to question tho
prisoners on trial. and to answer tho Mandarin.
Thnt lunctionarv never demcans himself by speak
ing any other dialect than that strictly 'Mandarn
dialect. There was quite number ot prisoners,
all with mauacles upon their limbs aud necks
awaiting their turn for trial. One OF them was
fastened upon nm instrument oftorturc called tho
rack" used TO cxtort confession, true or false from
their victims.--This rack resembles u carpenters
saw bench The victim is made to kpecl, tho rack
is then placed upon its end, against his back. ii is
cue or tail il PASSED through hole in tho end of
,he raek, and tied fast to tho upper feet which
suans the cords ol his neck horribly.
"A LandaIe is then placed across his forehead
aud fastened u the end Of the rack A slpnooso
is pu' upon each thun b. by which his arms ar,
drawn bthind him and upwards, and also made
fast to the NJ per feet slipnoosc is also put up
on each big toe, which is drawn upwards and
made fast ut the same point, and are drawn 30 that
the victims knees about ono inch clear OF the
1oor-ihus leaving tho whole weight OF tho body
suspended by the thumbs and toes. Tho victim
was kept upon tho rack about half OH hour, and
when cast loose fell uIrn tho floorhaving for tho
time being lost all control of his limbs. llo was
left lying rs he fell until his blood resumed its cir
culution, when chain was put about his neck
and he was led away II the dungeon. lilo was no
doubt convicted of the crime with which he was
CHARGED us he was osirhus of kneeng before tho
Mandarin ani pleading for mercy but was not
permitted SO to do.
I'VE followed the prisoner, and saw him thrust
| into ii room with some thirty others, all of whom
were condcmncdto death. Tho cell was very
| small, excessively warm. and the stencil from it
was, to us, unendurablc Tho cell had not n
single article of furniture in it, and all tho occu-
| pants were entirely nude They greeted us with
:Chn Chin Taitan, and 'Cunshaw Tairan,' which
was How do YOU do 2 Give us present.
1--WE saw also, on u visit, several convicted fel-
ons, undergoing the punishment Of the 'Canquc,
which consists Of square board with hole in
| the centre, and goes together with hinges. 1t is
put upon tho victims shoulders, with his head
| through the whole. The 'Canques' are Of differ
ent sizes and weights, according to tho aye and
| the degree of crime. Offenders frequently
compelled to wear them from four to six months
|
down, and they are compelled to sit aud sleep
| upon their launches. Several Of them had eaten
| and slept long in one posture that their skin
was chafcd through, aud they were almost coy
cred with raw sores.
| Among others WHOM we confined was the
mother ~ Tai Ping Wan, the great rebel chief, Of
| whom the Manlarins or lmperialists, stand in
great fear. They have never been able to deioat
him, and have offered large rewards for his cnp-
| ture, without success. The Imperialists have ar
rested his mother and all his relatives. as lar as
they have been able to trace them. His mother
| isa woman OF small stature and nearly seventy
| wears If nge: with hair ny white rs snow. She
| had heavy chains upon her ankles. and chain
also around her neck, with n stone fastened to the
| end, which trailcd upon the ground. The other
relatives Of the rebel chief were also in chana.-
| The females cmbroidcrins, and tho males
| were knitting undershirs, using small linen
| twnc. We likewise saw many rebels in chains,
! with their ears cut off, and others who had been
| haulstrung, who were unable to rise upon their
feet, but dragged themselves along with their
| hands.
1--WE next visited the Mohammelan Mosque,
where charts Of the pictorial language
| Tho Mnhomnedan pagoda is an immense brick
structure supposed to have been built 70 years
B. G. It's immense weight had sunk it into the
ground, so thaewe could'j just see the arch of the
door. tree Of quite large dimensions grow,
ing upna the top, the roots of which encrusted it
on the outside, We also visited n temple where
they worship Confncius. 1t contains an image Of
the object wurshirpod. and is the only one OF tho
kind inJhe empire. 1t erected few years
since at the suggestion Of Gov Yeh. The base
,, of the image was shattered bya ball from IN
English frigate while shrling tho city in 1856.
We visited also the 'Flowery Pagoda,' which is
said to be 1900 years old There is tradition
connected with this pngoda to the effect that its
founder stated, upon its connection, that if the
top should ever fall, there would be trouble in
Canton. 1t so happened that the top of it fell in
Scptem err 1856, and the English sholed the
city in October of the same year. The portion
which FELL struck the roof ofa joss house, passed
| entirely through, struck priest who was wor-
shippiu ug and killed him"
GALLANT YouNG LADY.--A beautiful young
lody, Miss I******l Of Mobile. had quite an nd
venture in one Of the St. Charles street omnibus