Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-02-10
4 Court Scene IN Canton.

A correspondent of the New York
Evangelist, in very interesting letter re-
Gently published, thus describes visit to
. court in Canton, China:
The court room was very plain. A
couple of judges sat behind tables, before
whom number of prisoners were brought
in. The mode of proceeding was very
foreign to American or European ideas
There was neither jury nor witnesses.
This simplifed matters exceedingly.
There is no trial by jury in China.
While we baggle and boggle about i'm
paneling juries and getting testimony,
and thus trials drag on for weeks, in
China no such obstacle is allowed Ito i'm
pede the rapid course of justice, and,
what is more, there is no lawyers to per-
pick the Court with their arguments.
but the Judge has it all his own way.
He is simply confronted with the &C
cused, and they have it all between them
While we stood here number of
prisoners were brought in; some were
carried in baskets Gas they are borne to ex-
ecution), and dumped on the stone pave
ment like so many bushels OF potatoes
others were led in with chains around
their necks. As each ones name was
called, he came forward and fell on his
knees before the Judge, and lifted up his
hands to beg for mercy. He was then
told of the crime Of which he was accused,
and given opportunity if he had anything
to say in his own defense. There was no
spparent harshness or cruelty toward him,
except that he was presumed to be guilty,
unless he could prove his innocence; con-
trary to the English maxim of law, that
man is to be presumed innocent until
he 10 proved guilty. In this, however,
the Chinese practice is not very different
from that which exists at this day in so
enlightened country as France.
In one case two men were accused of
robbery with violence capitol offense-
but by the Chinese law no man can be
punished with death unless he confesses
his crime, hence every means is employ
ed to lead a criminal to acknowledge his
guilt. Of course in case of life and
death he will deny it as long as he can.
But if he will not confess, the court pro-
ceeds to take stringent measures to make
him confess, for which purpose these two
men were now put to the torture. The
AOuC VI WI lu1C was Iu1S AuClC WClc
two round pillars in the hall. Each man
was ON his knees, with his feet chained
behind him, so that he could not stir. He
was then placed with his back to one of
these columns, and small cords were fas-
tened around his thumbs and great toes,
and drawn back tightly to the pillar be-
hind. This soon produced intense suffer
ing.
Their breasts heaved the veins on their
foreheads stood out like whipcords, and
every feature betrayed the most excruci-
ating agony. Every few minutes an Off
Ger of the court asked if they were ready
to confess, and as often they answered ''No;
never would they confess that they had
committed such a crime" They were
told thatif they did not confess, they would
be subjected to still greater torture. But
still they held out, though every moment
seemed an honr of pain.
While these poor wretches we're thus
writhing in agony, turned to the Judge
to see how he bore the spectacle of such
suffering. He sat at his table quite un-
moved; yet he did not seem like brutal
man, but like a man of education, such as
one might see on the bench in England or
America He seemed to look upon it as
in the ordinary course of proceedings, and
necessary step in the convection of a
criminal. He used no bravado, and offer
ed no taunt or insult. But the cries of
the sufferers did not move him, nor pre-
vent his taking his accustomed ease. He
sat tanning himself and smoking his pipe,
as if he said he could stand it as long as
they could. The sight was to painful to
witness more than a few moments, and I
rushed away, leaving the men still hang
ing to the pillars Of torture. I confess 1
felt relief when went back the next
day, to hear that they had not yielded,
but held out unfinchingly to the last.