The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1884-02-08

To the Anllo.s,xon, horn In these days
Of philanthropy, Wnru rucltiy mas oe'h
transformed, when every nochl inatnuuon
bearB Tho marks OF M refJriners touon
when prison walls have been whitewashed,
AID Gods lighl AMI air have been Jet into
black dens aid hnloi where mea used u
1.-Two pecked clcss with earihwofms,n mel an
choly int.rsst Is awakened IN his mind, a
shudder runs through his frame when no
first enters the den oi horrors IN uhiha
called district magletiate yameh' rush J.
Inc our way into the hssrt oi the city Il
Canton. through q wilderness OF wrctched
streets lust wide enough Tor two persons TO
mas N. come 10 opo of those open yards
adjoining n mssdarin's oihce, where mon
Lounge and squat, aud where heaps OF re-
fuso lie rottiDg In the sun, emii'idg putrld
vapors enough TO turn horses stomgch.
Amidst the hum OF voices and the tramp OF
ioot passengers are heard the clnnkiDg OF
uhaina, and We flnd score or more OF
squalid, piraie.loJking wre'cheH heavily iet'
tered, some lounRing idly about the yard,
some bound to heavy Hlo-es or bars oil IRON,
while others are eking out scanty pit
lance by shoemaking, tailoring or tinker.
ing, sitting ON the Steps t. which they are
chained, aud singing over their tasks.
These are the prisoners CO victed of petty
lsrcenies, permitted To breathe ihe outside
air aua even miDgle with the crowd undor
the eyes OF the Ubiquitous keeper, whose
head Is taken oil should u criminal escape
Turning towards the ynmen We see low,
dirty, dilapidaled nrild.ng with two mas
sive gates, upon which IL painted huge
tigers head, with open AVA ana large,
ierocious eyes, u Ill representation OF tho re-
lrntes, fury Win which tho law ~ eX'
.cuted upop thusf haplesg Grim nails who
pas, the Threshold Of that door. inside
Inc gates L. the figure OF u Tiger Ia giGniie,
the tutelsIy deny oi tho prison lAteH,
which jauitors propitiate day By day With
many genufexions and of rings OF Incense
and lat pork 10 insute The safe custody OF
the inmates OF those cruel wells.
There nra two principal prisons IN Can
ton. the Nam Hoi, district jails, analogous
20 our county or STATE prisons. Tho main
mart OF the build ny ~ called the great
prison, where ara confined those convicted
OF capital crimes. IL D. surrounded by
thick adobe walls, and the corridors
and cells are appros ched through The single
entrance of the keepers lodge. Through a
hole in the crazy door Ia presented the
grinly paE OF the keeper, which we toucn
with n Hong Kong l0-cent piece, ani are
Immediately admitted. We enter ddrk,
dismal den, black with aooty COB webs, aud
full OF dense lumes OF gray smoke Aspiut-
tering of OPIUM pipes comes iron corner
where the sickiy yellow light falls upon the
witbeted faces OF two or three turnkeya in
recum bent posture curled round the limp
with opium pipes In their hands. n lew
more l0-cent pieces are needed TO grsify,
not satisfy, the cupidity OF hali-dozen
hungry looking, greasy, Smutty. uown.nt-
heeled petty oiiicsfs, who demsnd ,xorbi-
tant fees before we can proceed.
We finally pass ictO narrow. dirty alley,
flapked by The mai1 wall and leading 10 the
wards anu cells. There are SIX wards, each
ward containing four celle, tho walls OF
which are parallel sections, Each ward
Of "a, uafrAVpla oyprraDll
filth, about forty ieet tquare, win cells on
the east and wea, sides. Ia the center OF
this area is sbrine containing the image
of o god, supposed 70 have the power OF
melting the most onGurate heart, causing
pepitential tears 10 How from the eyes that
have only eloated over deeds OF blood and
shame. Very little homage does this
idol receive from the Cantonese all
bird, except Ola tho birthday OF The god,
when the prisoners IRE regeled with an ex'
ira bowl OF rice piece OF pork, and per-
haps "a cup oil wine, provided NJ the expense
of the governor OF the jail. This disinter-
esied Individual takes care TO amply refund
bimeelt by Il careful manipulation OF the
funds for prison maintenance, which the
prisoners know 10 their sorrow the next lew
days.
by upright beams. and are divided oil from
the outer courtyard by wooden palisading,
giving them the appearance OF cattle'pens,
In which are herded together sometimes as
many as thirt ! uman beings In each pen,
with hardly sufficient space TO lie down In
eacn cell is raised wooden floor, full o,
yprmin, covering nearly he whole area OF
the space. Here the prisoners sleep ard
est their food, aud are permitted to lounge
about the open yard during the daytime.
A few pots, an earthenwsfe furnace where
they cook their rice, and stool or two, are
the only furniture, except q large tuo IN
each cell TO receive the excreta.
open and stands in a crowded
den where the prisoners sleep, the stencil
on u hot summers night can be better
imagined than described. Wo have now
passed through labyrinthian passages reek'
Ing with vile odors, past group OF women
and children, perhaps vainly wniling tor
husbands and fathers whom they will see ne
more Door after door Is locked ueninu Us
as we penetrate the recesse, grim Hnd dark
and drear OF this horrible llice, while the
awfNl thought OF heing selz ID ard iorcioiy
detained among these demons haunts US
with y shuddering dread.
wa now come to the quadrangle de-
scribed above. AS the door opens we hear
again the cisnking OF chains. A prisoner
sees a strange hat AZ the door and anI ounces
In thrill tones the arrival Of foreign
devil" We are Immediately surrounded.by
Q crowd Of ragged, un,horn, sauaid, emaei
SAVIOR Is anything but tnat or "Araoy the
BEST" They crowd uncomtorf ably near
us. A hundred hands are held out, ierocious
eyes glare upon NJ beneath their shaggy
locks, and chorus Of voices, demand
kamshsws. We look appealingiy
the rescue with mou,hful
of uptransl table cures, delivered in stenlo.
risn tones, Upon which they disperse. We
see them next ,qustting down on the bare
earth In merry, gsrrulous groups, as u OBJ
livious OF their impending dooin. Ibey are
mostly hat naked, are dressed IN ta,teIeu
garments filled with insect lie, their long
dishe veled locks matted together and their
bodies corroded with two or three strata OF
nth.
and comb are scarce com modities in Chi
nese prison, aud hundreds OF these w'et'nes
live year after year without touching
water, till disease or the exscutioner's knife
turns them faster in,o clay. They spend
their time ia gambling aud singing lewd
songs. or occupy themselves In entomology
icsl pursuits, such a. picking vermin from
their clothes or from esco others head,
which, when caught, are popped into the
mouth for safe keeping. This last i'"m Is
no fiction, hut an every day, common
place face. Daring one Of the i've .r SIX
visits made bv the writer OF this skeicn to
sbese pris ,ns he was accos'ed by prisoner
Of the most yiiainnus type IN orosen In
rlish. He had been captured u Hong
Kong aud had te5 ed the sweets OF Victor
prison fare before his rendition. He
said with the u most naiveit: Hong
Kong prison seliy good place. He pay
good chew CHOW, q oil clothes. good bed,
good drink. S'pose me get SICK, have got
doctor, .mskee we'll. S'pose hair get ,nnf,
have got bafbtrs make shave. Hong
Kong prison wely clean. all pioper. NE
no likee dis place. Here all too mucn ee
louree. too muchse muck, too muchee.