The Western advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1872-1874, 1874-05-02

convince his relative that he had been
made the victim of practical JOKE
Ne'o Haue'e Union.
How Celestial Culprits Are Punished.
The Mandarin of Pekin, who CORE.
sponds IN point of power with an Ameri-
can Trial Justice, only clothed with lit
tie more summary jurisdiction, adminis-
| ters Justice morning and evening every
gay In his own house. Attended by his
| secretary and. inferior officers, some of
whom bear iron shackles and others pan
tsees, ne sits at his table whilst the hapless
accused wallows on his unworthy stom-
ach upon the carpet at his feet. A num-
| per 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 multiplicity
| OF tribunals and delay of Judgment
which the most fastidious criminal in New
York might we'll be content with, the EN-
peror himself being at last invoked to 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-
slstance an inferior officer, who precedes
him, drags his head we'll nigh off his
| body, whilst another, who brings up the
rear, jabs him scientifically in the back
When he is brought out for trial, a man
goes before him beating gong to attract
the notice of the public, 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
iavorite award Of insignificant misde-
meanors, is effected by Strengthening out
the culprit on the floor and laying on the
pan-tsee with energetic precision to the
posterior. The pan-tsee is 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 pan.tsee, 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
lshment in favor for petty otfenses is by
| twisting the cartilages Of the ear in q
peculiar and most painful fashion. The
Chinese merchant, or tradesman, who is
guilty of fraud or unwarrantable knavery
in business, is punished by swing Of q
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, situation 80 painful to bear
that two officers are kept in attendance to
periodically relieve his sufferings by
supporting him with bamboo passed
under his breast A Chinese boatman
being. convicted of minor crime is COM
PEELED to kneel, and whilst one officer of
other grasps his pig tail and bestows a
face with sort of double battledore, made
of thick leather. An interpreter, who
falsities his interpretations, is made to
kneel 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-
tion. This supremely diabolical inven-
tion is used chiefly for the purpose of ex-
torting confessions, a circumstance which
shows that the Chinese are 1ust about
three centuries behind Christianity and
no more. The instrument they use is
composed Of thick, strong plank having
cOntrivance 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, 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
| ly tightening them until the pressure on
the ankles reduces the bones to a jelly.
Another refinement of Chinese cruelty is
that of placing small quantity of un-
Stacked lime inside piece Of cotton cloth
and using it by way of 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 for which it is worn,
IN 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 orlbreaches 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
st1inging, and, when the tendons have
been severed, chunam, 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 for
gambling. If the sentence is one of per-
petual banishment, he goes to Tartary. AS
he journeys he carries a mat and q palm
leaf, which are all the necessaries of a
Chinaman's housekeeping, at any rate
when in exile. Capital punishment is
awarded for robbery with violence, for
wearing certain specified orna-
ments, as we'll as for all acts
of homicide, whether Intentional or acci-
dental; frauds Of the Government; seduc-
ton; the use of abusive language to a
parent; plundering the dead, or high
treason. The method employed is either
by strangulation or decapitation. The
first is the most general mode, the latter
being reserved for the most aggravated
offenses. A Mandarin who is deemed
worthy of death is not usually treated as
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