Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1868-06-16
CHINESE moDEs OF ToRrURE.

The torture Of the bedstead Is resoFted
10 in order 10 eXtort money. The victim
is put on q wooden rack-fat on his back
and bis neck, wrists and ankles are fasten-
ed down by boards having curves made
large enough for the purpose. These in
struments are pressed down on the part Of
the body to which they are fitted, and are
then fastened under the bedstead. Be
sides all this, sometimes pole is fastened
at right angles 10 q bar Of wood placed
across his ankles--the pole extending to
his chin and pressing against II 80 that his
head will be thrown backward and upward.
In this position he is made 10 pass the
night, unless the jailoT relents, or he comes
to their terms. No one Is willing TO sleep
the second night on such bedstead if he
can arrange matters with his keepers.
The torture Of the frame of the hOWery
eyebrow requires the aid Cfthe pencil for an
Ineligible description. One mode is 10
tie up the victim by one wrist and one an
kle, his head turned upward another is to
tie both wrists and both ankles with the
head downward. By either method the
entire weight Of the body is brought to
bear upon these delicate portions of the
human frame. The punishment occasions
intense agony. s ~
The torture called "the monkey grasp
ing peach" is employed by mandarins
TO compel a prisoner 10 confess his guilt.
The weight OF the body is sustained by one
arm, which is placed over a slender hOri-
zontal pole several feet from the earth,
while the other arm and this, are passed
under the legs and tied together by the
thumbs below the knees. No part Of the
body is permitted to touch the ground
Let the reader suffer his thumbs 70 be tied
in this way, even with his feeion the floor,
and he will soon realize the terrors Of this
irightful torture.
The torture Of the cage is caused BY
compelling the culprit 70 stand on tipt0e
with his head protruding through il. The
hole is Just large enough for his neck
During the latter part Of the reign Of
the Emperor who died in 1850, 4 noted rob
Der was compelled 70 stand in public in such
a cage in the suburbs Of Fuchau, until be
died in agony.
The torture Of the tube is caused by put
ting a large tube of bamboo, or a small
tub or pail, turned bottom side up, upon
the head Of the culprit; incense is then
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ascend into the prisoners head-cover. As
the smoke cannot escape through the top,
the victim endures indescribable agony, or
is sufiocated, unless the instrument is re-
moved.
Another mode of torture il 10 compel
the prisoner 10 kneel on chains or bits Of
Crockery. His arms are outstreched, and
he is severely whipped il he dares to lower
them. Again be may be made to kneel
on these sharp and uneven substances with
his hands tied behind his back. The
Chinese say that in the case of stubborn
criminals, il happens quite often that sew
eral hundred blows, inflicted with a rattan
thong, are laid on the prisoner while he is
in this painful position.
A hendish mode of torture occasionIv
used upon state prisoners is called the hot
waiter snake. Hollow pewter tubes, made
in the shape of snakes, are 80 constructed
that they can be wound round the arm Of
the prisoner. Another, and the third coil,
Is sometimes wound round the body.
Boiling hot water is then poured into the
months of these snakes, aud as IL runs
through the hollow tubes il burns into the
unhappy victims flesh, and occasions the
most exquisite torment This devilish
continuance is still occasioniy used at the
capital on state prisoners.
The torture Of the shirt of iron il even
more diabolical than the boiling snakes
A shirt-ike garment, made of very fine
iron wire, with intersiices soae thing like
those Of fishing net, is pui upon the prise
ner, the clothing from the upper part OF
the body having been removed A cord
is attached 20 il in such a way that when
pulled the shirt will press down closely o,a
the body, and the skin and flesh will pro-
trude more or less through the intersticep-
A knife like instrument il then passed
over the wire on the outside, cutting ar
rssping off the protruding skin and flesh
The operation is repeated at the option
Of the dispenser Of Justice.
The torture Of the whip Of hooks is no
less lnhuman. A large Aamber Of vsry
tine hooks are securely fastened 10 HAND.
fui oithe hbres of hemp. The WHO'S i
tken used ss q whip with which 10 beat
The prisoner in order 10 elicit a confession.
When a blow is given with this whip,
'aany OF the hooks will stick to the body
81 re victim, and unless a salts factory cOn-
lesion Is forthcoming, the whip is pulled
Of lerked back by main force and anothss
blow given. The operation As repeated NJ
aording TO the dictation Of the presiEAing
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