Morning journal and courier., 1883-10-15
Horrors of the Canton Prisons From the China Herald.l

The following account of the state of things in the prisons at Canton has been written by one who seems to have known by experience something of the hardahips and cruelties to which prisoners are exposed. It Is printed and circulated gratuitously in the streets of Canton, and 1t is entitled "An Ao- count of the Extortions and Cruelties Prac- ticed in the Namhoi Great Prison, the Com mon Prison, the front and back Lock -ups by the Keepers, and in the Police Cells by the Policeman" It is perfectly right Git ssys) to have keepers to restrain the vicious and vio- lent among the prisoners, but who would suppose that they would league themselves with these characters to extort and oppress All the evils of the prison arise from this souxce.
 Deprivation of Money, etc.-By this means the keepers fatten on the spells of the pris- oner. As soon as man enters the prison he is searched and stripped of his money and clothing thus he has no means to provide himself with comforts or to keep off the cold. This is practiced in both prisons and police cells. sa s-rs5z...7 .s-a-ss as
 Bribes for Admission.-When he is in the prison he is compelled to write to his friends, begging them to fee the keepers and to visit him, and there are certain days appointed for their coming they are also requested to bring money for his maintenance. If either of these things are neglected, the prison keepers give money to the old prisoners who make fast one end of rope to his nnanacles, and the other to an iron hook in the beam above; he is suddenly hoisted into mid-air, and violently jerked up and down, or swung backward and forward the pain is most ex- cruciating If he cries out from pain, they fill his mouth and throat with ashes from the furnace, so that his cries are nearly drowned and he Is almost suffocated. This Is known as burning paper. In the large prison it is done seVenty-two times in succession in the con- mon prison thirty-six times.
 When once in the hands of these torturers there is no begging of, whether you survive or not even if you sell your wife and pawn your children to give to them, all is of no avail. The annual ratio of deaths in prison is four ont of every ten from starvation and cold, and two out of every ten from being suspended and beaten. Therefore. the pris- on-keepers always say that life and death are entirely in their hands. Hence the saying You must press bran to get oil from it.
 You must prisoners to get money from them.
 Food-Those who are not hung up and beaten are subjected to another plan for grinding money from them. Sand and un- hulled paddy are mixed with their morning and evening rice, or it is made so wetery or so hot that they cannot swallow it.
 Segregation prisoners are made to sit in dirty place and are not permitted to speak word to their fellow-prisoners, nor are they allowed to take 8 single leap in the. open courts Those who have received help from their friends outside are not permitted to give any of the food they leave over to their fellow prisoners. If anyone breaks these regulations he is cuffed about and cursed. This is praeticed in all the prisons and lookup. .-5,.-.
 Gambling. tables are open day and night Two-thirds of the profits go to the prison keepers and one-third to the old prisoners and the bribe-payers. The warders lend money to those who wish 1t, and charge them 20 and 30 per cent. month. If any of the interest is owing it is kept back from the food and allowances. Unless settlement is made at the end of the game the men are hung up and beaten twice day and put In irons Starving from hunger and thin as roasted ssorks, they pick up fsh-bones and melon seeds from the garbage heaps to eat.