Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1874-05-01
marriaxe Of an Actor ia CHINA.

| Marriage OF an ActOr ~
We quote the subjoined extraordinary
story from the Shanghai correspondence
of the London Times dated February IL.
The writer prefaces his statement with
the explanation that the stage is the
lowest of professions in China, and that
play actors and BARRIERS are the only per-
sons excluded from competition at liter
airy examination:
There has recently been acting IN
Shanghai q celebrated tragedian named
Yang Yehlin. Young, handsome and
clever, this man is reputed to have
worked havoc in the hearts OF his female
auditors. At length he created grand
passion which has resulted in his ruin.
A young Cantonese lady, the daughter
Of well-to do Chinaman living in
Shanghai, saw and admired him, pinned,
grew sick and refused to be comforted.
The father washed his hands clear ofthe
affair and went south, with the knowl-
edge, it is alleged by the damsel, of
what would follow. However this may
be, the girls mother at once opened me-
gotiations for matrimony, went through
all formalities prescribed by Chinese
custom, and eventually handed over her
daughter to the actor as his wife. One
would have thought this ended the af-
fair, and that social ostraeism was the
worst the lady and her husband had to
encounter. But that would be to calcu-
late without China and Chinese Manda-
Tins. 1t chances that the Che Hsien, or
Magistrate of Shanghai, is a Cantonese,
and therefore, of course, sympathizes
with that class of the Shanghai popula-
ton.
No sooner was the news abroad than
Cantonese society here few, metaphor
ically, to arms, accused Yang Yeh.lin of
abduction, procured his arrest and tor
ture, and the punishment and imprison-
ment Of his wife, who persisted that there
was no abduction at all, that the mar
rage was formal and proper, and that
she liked and meant to stick to her hus-
band. Scandal says the Canton guild
went so far as to offer &c, 900 taels to the
magistrate to decapitate man who had
brought disgrace upon family with
which so many of them we're connected.
SO far, however, the Che-Hsien dared not
90, but what be might-and the might
for evil OF Chinese Mandrin is great
he did. He ordered the wretched Yang
loo blows with the heavy bamboo on the
ankle-bone-the torture of which may be
conceived by tapping ones own ankle
lightly with ones own cane-hed him
strung up for twelve hours by the
thumbs, with the arms reversed and
drawn up behind the back, the effect be-
ing Of course to strain and partly dislo-
cate the shoulders, and he allowed to be
fixed round his neck an ingenious collar
which presres in the apple OF the throat
and produces constant sense Of chok-
ing and irritation, aggravated continually
By the inevitable cough. Scandal fur
Their says that Yang was able to bride his
jailers with e200 to free him from the
last incumbrance; but your readers will
admit that the first two punishments
were enough for marrying handsome
girl on her own proposal The girl her
self got 100 blows on the face with
leather strap, the effect of which is, of
course, to reduce the features Temporal
rily to pulp.
The Shunpao Joined worthily with the
foreign press in denouncing the iniquity
of the magistrate and the cruelty OF the
torture, and found supporters and con-
tributors among all the northern men,
who hate Cantonese, and among whom
judicial torture is unfrequent. The Can,
tonese raved and replied, but the Shun-
pao and its Northern friends denounced
the proceedings with renewed emphasis.
The magistrate made common cause
with his countrymen, but the Taotai was
reported to sympathize with the north
erners, and to blame the conduct of
Che Hsien. The Cantonese sworei that
they would burn down the premises of
the offending paper, and they demanded
the arrest and punishment of the native
staff; but the foreign municipality put
on two or three extra policemen in the
neighborhood, and the Consul informed
the officials that foreigner was the
bona hde editor of the paper, and by
English law the editor was responsible;
they must proceed against him if they
had aught Tor which to seek redress. The
Taotal was delighted with reply which
chimed in with his own party feeling,
and tha magistrates and the Cantonese,
metaphorically, tore their hair with rage
and despair.
They did not execute their threat of
incendiarism. No doubt it was only in
tended from the beginning as so much
pressure to help their project OF arrest
ing the Shunpao writers. But they have
decided to start an opposition paper,
which they will distribute gratis until
the Shunpao is crushed: and in the
meantime they refer to the Viceroy, at
Nankin, their request for the punish
ment Of its native staff. Yang Yeh-lin
and his wife, in the meantime, lie in
Jail, the victims Of convential dislike
to actors.