Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1875-05-22
CHINESE MODES OF TORTURE.
The Manner in Which the Mnndarins COM
pei their Prisoners to Confess.

pei their Prisoners to Confess.
A San Franciscan who has passed sew
eral years in China supplies the Golden
Era with the following specimens of Ce-
lestial torture:
The torture of thebedstead is resorted
to in order to extortmoney. The victim
is put on a wooden rack-fat on his 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 it, so
that his head will be thrown backward
and upward. Inthis position he is made
to pass the night, unless the jailers re-
lent, 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 tortures of the frame of the
fowery elbow requires the aid of the
pencil for an intelligent description.
One mode is to tie up the victim by one
wrist and ankle---his head turned up
ward; 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 pain.
The torture called themonkey grasp
ing peach, is employed by mandarins
to compel q prisoner to confess his guilt.
The weight of the body is wholly sus-
tained by one arm, which is placed over
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 knee.
No part of the body is permitted to
touch the ground. Let the reader suf-
fer his thumbs to be tied in this way,
even with his feet on the floor, and he
will soon realize the terror of this fright
full torture.
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
himself by drawing up his legs, the
weight Of the body is brought to bear
on his neck. During the latter part of
the reign of the emperor who died in
1850, noted robber was compelled to
stand in public in such cage in the
suburbs of Fouchan until he died in
agony.
The torture of the tube is caused by
putting large tube of bamboo, or a
small pail or tub, turned bottom side up,
upon the head of the culprit incense
is then lighted and so placed that the
smoke shall ascend into the prisoner S
wooden head cover. As the smoke can
not escape from the top, the victim en-
dures indescribable agony, and is
suffocated unless the instrument is re-
moved.
Another mode of torture is to compel
the prisoner to kneel on chains or bits
of crockery. His arms are outstretched,
and he is severely whipped if he dares
to lower them. Again, he may be made
to kneel on these sharp and uneven sub
stances with his hands tied behind his
back. The Chinese say that in the case
of hardened criminals it happens quite
often that several hundred blows, in
fiicted with a rattan thong, are laid on
the prisoner while he is in this painful
position.
A fiendish mode of torture, occasion,
ally used upon State prisoners, is called
the hot-water snake. Hollow pewter
tubes, made in the form of snakes, are sc
constructed that they can be wound
round the arm of the prisoner. Another,
and the third coil, is sometime wound
round the body. Boiling hot water is
then poured in the mouths of these
snakes, and as it runs through the hoI
low tubes it burns into the unhappy vic
TINS flesh and occasions the most ex
quisite torment. This contrivance is
still occasionally used at the capital OIL
State prisoners.
The torture of the shirt of iron wire il
even more diabolical than the boiling
snake. A shirt-like garment, made O.
very fine iron wire, with interstice'
something like those of fshing-net, il
put on the prisoner, the clothing from
the upper part of his body having beer
removed. A cord is attached to it il
such way that, when pulled, the shir
will press him closely on the body, anC
the skin and flesh will protrude, more O
less, through the interstices. A knife
like instrument is then passed over tn
wires on the outside, cutting or raspin.
off the protruding skin and flesh. Thi
} operation is repeated at the option of tn
dispenser of justice.
The torture of the whip of hooks is nj
J less inhuman. A large number of yer,
fine hooks are securely fastened to