Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1868-06-24
chius,s Moda Of Torture.

is pnt on wooden rack-fat on bis back
and his neck, wrists and ankles are
fastened down by boards having curves
made large enough for the. purpose.
These instruments are pressed down on,
the parts of the body to which they are
fitted, and are then tied under the bed
stead Besides all this, sometimes apole
is fastened at right angles to bar of
wood placed across his ankles--the pole
extending to his chin and pressing
against il 30 that his head will be thrown
backward and upward. To this position
he is made to pass the night, unless the
jailers reIent, or be comes to their terms.
No one is willing to sleep the second
night on such bedstead. ii be can ar
range matters with his keepers. 81 ~
The tortures of the frame of the howery
eyebrow require the aid Of the pencil for
an Ineligible description. One mode
is to tie up the victim by one wrist and
one ankle, his head turned upward an
other .is to tie botL wrists and both ankles,
with the head downward; by either
method the entire weight is brought TO
bear upon those delicate portions Of the
human frame The punishment occa-
sons intense agony.
( The torture called "the monkey grasp
ing peach " is employed by Mandarins
to compel prisoner to confess his guilt
The weight Of the body IL wholly sus-
tanned by one arm, which is placed over
a slender horizontal 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 totouch
the ground. Bet the reader suffer his
thumbs to be tied in this way, even with
his feet on the floor; and he will soon
realize the terrors of this fearful torture.
Z The torture of the cage is caused by
compelling the culprit to stand on tiptoe
with his head protruding through the top
of it. The hole is just large enough for
his neck, and if he attempts to rest him
self by drawing up his legs, the weight
of his body is brought to bear on his
neck. During the latter part Of the
reign of the Emperor who died in 1850,
a noted robber was compelled to stand in
public in such cage in the suburbs of
Fuchau until he died in agony. ngt n
The torture of the tube is caused by
putting large tube Of bamboo, or a small
tub or pail, turned bottom side up, upon
the head Of the culprit; incense is then
lighted and so placed that the smoke
shall ascend into the prisoners head
cover. As the smoke cannot escape
through the top, the victim endures In
describable agony, or is sufocaied, unless
the instrument is rem owed ~.
. Another mode Of torture is to compel
the prisoners to kneel on chains or bits
of crockery. His arms are outstretched,
and he is severely whipped ifhe dares to
lower them. Again, he may be made TO
kneel on these sharp and uneven sub
stances with bis hands tied behind his
back. The Chinese say that in case OF
stubborn criminals, II, happens quite
often that several hundred blows, in
ficted with rattan thong, are laid on the
prisoner while be lis in this painful po-
A Geudish mode of torture occasionally
used upon State prisoners is called the
hot-water snake Hollow pewter tubes,
made in the form of snakes, are SO con-
strncted that they can be wound round
the arms of the prisoner. Another, and
the third coil, is sometimes wound round
the body. Boiling bot water is then
poured into the mouths of these snakes,
and as It runs through the hollow tubes
it burns into the unhappy victims flesh,
and occasions the most exquisite tor
ment This devilish contrivanee is still
occasionally used at the capital on State
prisoners. rrsi -
The torture of the shirt of iron wire is
even more diabolical than the boiling
srakes. A shirt-iike garment, made Of
very fine iron wire, with iuterstices come
thing like those OF fishing net, is put
upon the prisoner, the clothing from the
upper part Of the body having been
removed. A cord is attached 10 it in
such way that when pulled the shirt
will press down closely on the body, and
the skin aud flesh will protrude more or
less through The intersuces A kuite-,
ike instrument is then passed over the
wire on the outside, cutting OF rasping
of the protruding skin and flesh. The
operation is repeated at The option Of the
dispenser Of Justice. ed
The torture Of the whip Of hooks is no
less inhuman. A large nnmber OF very
Cue hooks are securely fastened 70
handful Of the 6bres Of hemp. The
whole is then used as whip with which
70 beat the prisoner IN order 70 elicit a
confessiou. When q blow is given With
this whip. many Of the hooks viii stick
70 thebody Of the victim, and uniess
ss,isfsctory confession is torthconiur,
the whip Is puiled or jsrked back hy
main force, and another blow giveo. fhe
operation = rspesisd, secoTdinE % 'ss