The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1881-09-18
CHINESE JUSTICE.
Visit of d Jasnit Missionary 60 4
Chinese Tribunal Of Justice

As we entered all eyes wer'
turned on US, and a movement 0.
suspense was perceptible through
out the assembly. Two men witt
great boards, yellow caps and ret
| girdles, formed d very surprising
apparition. For ourSelv es, at the
First glance we cast into the ha / We
felt Il cold perspiratioa come over
us, and orr limbs t0ttered under us.
We were ready to faint. The first
object that presented itself on ell
tering this Chinese judgment hail
was the accuSed-the person on trial.
He was suspended in the middle of
the hall like one of those lanterns of
whimsical form and colossal dimen-
SiOnS often seen in the great pa
godaS. Ropes attacheL to a great
beam in the roof held him tied by
the wrists and feet, so as TO throw
the boiy into the form of a bow.
Beneath him stood five or six exc
cutloners armed with rattan rods
and leather laShes, in ferociouS atti-
tude, their clothes and faces spotted
with bloOd-the blood Of the
unfortunate creature who was
uttering stiaed grOans, whilst his
flesh was torn almost Ill tatterS. The
audience present, at this frightful
spectacle, appeared quite at their
ease, and our yellow caps excited
much mole attention than the spec
tacie Of torture. Many laughed, in
deed, at the horror visible in our
faces. The magistrate, to whom our
coming had been hastily announced
rose from his seat us soon as he per-
ceived us, and crossed the hall TO
meet us. AS he passed near the eX-
ecutioners he had to walk on the
tips Of tues, and hold up his beauti-
full silk robes, that they might not
be SOiled by the pools of half-cOag-
| ulated blood, with which the floor
| was covered. He saluted us smil-
ingly and saying he would suspend
the proceedings. for a moment, con-
Quoted us TO Il small room situated
behind the judges seat. We sat
down upon diYan. and were some
1
our cOmpOSure. The project Of
KoWang-tsi hien was nearly 40 years
OF age; his features, the tone Of his
voice, his looks, his manners, all eX-
pressed so much mildneSs and good
ness that we could not recover from
our astOniShmenJ. 1t seemed to us
impossible that this should be the
man who had ordered the frightful
measure we had just witnessed, and
so strong feeling of curiosity took
possession of us, that we asked
whether we might, without indiS-
erection, put some questions to him
concerning the terrible affair he
was then engaged in. Con the con-
trary" he replied, II should desire
that you should understand the ma
ture Of this trial. You appear to be
aStOniShed at the extreme severity
towards the criminal; the torture he
is undergoing has moved you to
TcOmpaSsiOn. The emotions that agi-
tated your hearts on your en- trance
into the hall mounted to your faces,
and became visible to everybody.
But this criminal does not merit any
consideration; if you know his co.,
duct you would certainly not think
| was treating him with too much
rigor. | am naturally inclined to
mildness and my character is averSp
from all cruelty. A magistrate, also
must be the father and mother OF
his people. What great crime, then,
has this man commit ted to be sub
iected to so horrible a torture ?"
'This man is the chief Of a band of
ruffians, who, for more than a
year past, have been committing
0utrages ON the Great Rive =,
which they were IN the habit
of traversing night and day, i'll
a large boat. He has pillaged con-
siderable number of merchants
junks, and committed more than
fifty murders. He has ended by
confessing all his crimes, but he per-
sists in not denouncing his cOmpan-
ions, and | am obliged to employ
these ex rene methods to reach all
the guilty. When one wishes to
destroy a tree, it is not sufficient to
cut down the trunk, we must tear it
up by the roots; otherwise 1t Will
sprout forth again"
The magistrate afterwards related
to us some abominable atrocities
committed by this gang of robbers );
of their cutting out the tongues and
tearing out the eyes of men, women
and children; of their cutting their
prisoners to pieces with circum-
stances of horrible barbarity. Such
were the amusemeuts in which
these monsters in human form in
dulged on board their vessel. Their
details, frightful as they were, did
not surprise US. We inquired of the
prospect whether there would be any
objection to Our being present for a
little while at the trial; but our re-
quest seemed to surprise and in
SOM roanocuro a11a II