American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1874-05-02
How Celestial Culprits Are Punished.

How Celestial Culprits Are Punished.
The Mandarin of Pekin. who CORE
spends in point of power with an Ameri,
can Trial Justice, only clothed with a lit
| tie more summary jurisdiction, admins
tiers justice morning and evening every
day in his own house. Attended by his
Secretary and inferior officers, some OF
| whom bear iron shackles and others pan
tsees, he sits at his table whilst the hapless
| accused wallows on his unworthy stOm-
ach upon the carpet at his feet. A num-
Der OF small sticks lie on the table before
him. Being convicted of any petty of
| fense the culprit is Immediately chastised
| and released. The Mandarin signifies the
extent of the chastisement by throwing
one little stick after another upon the
floor, each one that falls being the signal
for five strokes of the bastinadO.
| In superior cases there is a multiplicity
of tribunals and delay of Judgment
which the most fastidious criminal in New
York might well be content with, the En-
peror himself being at last invoked 20 de-
eide the thing.
| When Celestial sinner is arrested a
chain is put round his neck and fastened
with paddock, and on the smallest re-
sistance an inferior officer, who precedes
him, drags his head well nigh off his
body, whilst another, who brings up the
rear, jabs him scientifically in the back.
| When he is brought out for trial, man
goes before him beating gong to attract
the notice of the public, a small red flag
is stuck into each of his ears with the
| same object, and two officers run behind
him to keep his head up by rapidly -deliv-
cred blows with cleft cane.
| Applying the bastinado, which is the
favorite award of insignificant nlisde-
1 l.
the culprit on the floor and laying ON the
pan-tsee with energetic precision to the
| posterior. The pan-tsee is a thick piece
| of split bamboo cane, the lower end of
| which is about four inches in width and
| the upper end small and smooth to render
| it more convenient. A Mandarin always
| has one attendant in his train, who always
| accompanies him wherever he travels
! bearing a pantsee, which, at the nod of
! his master, he administers to any chance
offender, and the best of the joke is that
the delinquent is no sooner released from
the bastinado than he returns his humble
thanks to the Mandarin for the good care
he takes of his education. Another pun
| ishment in favor for petty otenses is by
twisting the cartilages of the ear in
peculiar and most painful fashion. The
Chinese merchant, or tradesman, who is
guilty of fraud or unwarrantable knavery
novel and eXcruciating pattern. Two
upright posts are driven firmly into the
ground, and a cross bar fixed thereto from
which he is suspended by the shoulders
and ankles, a situation so painful TO bear
that two officers are kept in attendance to
periodically relieve his sufferings by
supporting him with a bamboo passed
under his breast. A Chinese boatman
being convicted of a minor crime is COM
>..1l xr-I,, lot off of
justice prevents him from fiinching, an
other grasps his pig tail and bestows a
number of blows upon each side of his
face with a sort of double battledore, made
of thick leather. An interpreter, who
talsifies his interpretations, is made to
kneG and large piece of bamboo cane
is placed behind his knees and trampled
upon by two officers of justice standing
on each end and producing more or less
pain as they approach to or recede from
him. That grand embodiment of torture
called the rack is also Chinese institu
ton. This supremacy diabolical inven-
ton is used chiefly for the purpose of eX-
torting confessions, a circumstance which
shows that the Chinese are just about
three centuries behind Christianity and
no more The instrument they use is
composed of a thick, strong plank having
a continuance at one end to secure the
hands and at the other end a double
wooden wise. The wise is formed of three
stout uprights, two of which are movable.
The ankles of the culprit being placed in
the machine, a cord is passed round the
uprights and held fast by two men. The
Chief tormenter then gradually intro
duces wedge into the spaces, thus gradual
" tightening them until the pressure on
the ankles reduces the bones to a jelly.
Another refinement of Chinese cruelty is
that of placing a small quantity of I'M
Stacked lime inside piece of cotton cloth
and usingit by way of a poultice to the eyes.
The wooden collar is another severe pen
atty. 1t is formed of heavy pieces of
wood, closed together, and having hole
in the center which fits the neck of the
offender, who, when it is fastened to him,
can neither see his own feet nor put his
hands to his mouth. It's weight is from
fifty to sixty pounds some of them weigh
200 pounds, a load beneath which many
an unfortunate has expired. Three months
is usually the period Tor which it is worn,
an officer of justice being detailed to see
that is not put off during that space of
time. The wooden cellar is usually the
reward of gambling oribreaches of the
peace though it is sometimes the punish
ment of insolvent debtors. Malefactors of
a gross type are exhibited publicly, fast
ened to blocks of wood by chains, or
Gagged like wild beasts. A prisoner who
endeavors to escape is subjected to ham
stringing, and, when the tendons have
been severed, chunam, a species OF NOR
tar, is applied TO the wound. Danish
ment from his native province Is the pen
atty awarded to Chinaman who strikes
his elder brother or incurs debts tor
gambling. If the sentence is one of per
petual Punishment, he goes to Tartary. As
he Journeys he carries mat and PAIN
leaf, which are all the necessaries OF