Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1861-03-27

CHnEss .JusT1cE.-We copy the following extract
from the Hong-Kong correspondent of the N Y.
Times Of January 1e, 1851. 1t gives an account of
the treatment Of prisoners in the Courts Of Justice
in that pagan land, where the light of the Gospel
has shed but few ofits ameliorating rsys:- -
"On recent visit to Canton under the guidance
Of the excellent clergyman of the English Mission,
was taken, among other remarkable places, to the
Chinese prisons and courts Of justice The prisons
cover large areas of ground ncosed by stone walls
and the interior spaces divided into low filthy dens
with heavy bamboo wickets, quite like cages for
wild beasts Hordes of the widest looking demons
were packed in these cages, some with huge square
frames Of planks around their necks, so that they
neither lay or stand; others with their thumbs
corded tightly together behind the back, their tails
tied to their heels in such position that the poor
tortured wretches forced to knee on boards OF
blunted nails. Others again. chained tightly that
their wrists and ankles were eaten away BY the
rusty iron to the bare bone, men and women alike,
while in the open courtyard were groups more OF
menaced creatures stretched half naked on the pave.
ments, covered with vermin and devoured by dis
ease. In one small pen saw an old woman Of 30
years, who with troop Of her relatives-some
quite children, but all chained, lis the mother Of
the famous Taepae-W Wang, the successful leader OF
the rebels at Shanghai In the Courts were three
or four mandarins attended by scribes, who did
their business with far greater dispatch and with
less abuse than ever did the Chief Justice Jefries
on the Bloody Assizes. From 8 crowd Of pinioned
prisoners one was dragged into the courtroom at
time. A question would be put to him, sometimes
two, but never more than three when, if the reply
was not satisfactory, which it never was apparently,
brawny brute, at quiet motion from the Judge,
would approach the culprit and with hard leather
contrvance similar to small fire bellows, he would
deal the most awful blows on the mouth and nose,
until the bones were crushed or until the prisoner
confessed. This instrument was very properly
named in Celestial language-Jaw Crackers. The
bamboo, likewise, was not forgotten, and byway, 1
suppose, of some variety to the jaw-breaking mon
otony, prisoner would be bent back, neck and
heels like an inverted bow, and whacked in the
most cruel manner over knees and ankles till frac
ture confession took place, and not unfrequently
both together. So soon as this Tartar justice had
been administered the wretches were merely labeled
by slip of bamboo and dragged from the chamber.
only one horrid looking object die under this
torture rather just after he had been carried out
in basket and given his keeper the trouble of put
ting the kang yoke around his dying throat All
bore their infections without an audible murmur,
and seemed to be insensible to suffering. Some /
was informed, who had resisted the persuasions Of
their judges assisted by jaw-breakers and kneecap
crushers, were labeled for decapitation and borne
away but whether to the cages or the execution
ground, they evinced no sign of regret or anxiety"