The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1885-12-25
Women In China.

North China News.
A remarkable case arising out of the
recognized trade in buying and selling
women among the Chinese came be-
fore Che Mixed Court January 5. It
seems that about three months ago an
old man., who is well known to the
police as earning his living by this
traffic, went to a woman and asked
her if she would not like to earn some
money by coolie work. The woman
had been living for years with China
man as his wife, though she was not
legally married to him, and they had
a child; but her reputed husband was.
away from home, and she expressed
her willingness to go out and earn
money in the way suggested to her.
The old man than told her that he had
a situation for her out in the country,
and she accord ngly went to village,
to the house of an old man of 60years.
For two months, according to her ac-
count, she remained there doing the
work of servant, but at the end of
this time her aged employer wished to
establish more intimate relations with
her. She repelled him, saying that.
she was a married woman and had
simple come to earn money by coolie
work, but he replied that he had paid
800 for her and she was his property.
The woman than took the earliest op-
portunity to ruu away back to the set
Element, changing her house there in
order that she might not be traced.
However, the tipao of the village,
who appears to have had finger in
the sale of the woman, followed her to
Shanghai and at length scovered her
whereabouts. He Sc Zed her, took her
to the tipao of the district, and sold off
everything in her house, realizing $14.-
Here in the tipao's house she remained
locked up for thirteen days, when the
matter came to the knowledge of the
police, and she was released. On the
9Th the Shanghai tipao, the village
tipao and the man who sold the wo-
man were all brought up at the Mixed
Court and charged with their respec-
tive shares in the transaction, the wo-
nan appearing to pros ecute accom-
panied by her reputed husband and
| their child. Mr.. Giles, who was sit
ting as Assessor, asked Inspector
| Howard, who was conducting the case
| for the police, whether he believed
! that the reputed husband was privy to-
the sale of his wife. Inspector How
ard said that he was inclined to think
| that the husband did know OF 1t and
received part of the proceeds of his
wife sale, but he believed that the
woman herself was quite innocent in
the matter and really believed that
she was simply going out 10 do coolle
work
The question was then raised as to-
whether the reputed husband had not
perfect right, in Chinese law. to sell
the woman, seeing that he was not
legally married to her; but it was
ruled that as they had child, he had
no right to sell her. The husband was
accordingly arrested on suspicion and
placed with the other prisoners, who
were remanded for the attendance OF
the woman's purchaser, who was the
real loser by the whole transaction,
having paid away $100 and got no re-
turn for it. AS there was no doubt,
however, that the Shanghai tipao had
acted illegally in keeping the woman
locked up in his house for thirteen
days, he was ordered to receive 100
blows Ito begin with" and as this is
is not the first offense, Mr.. Huang in
tends to apply to the Tao-tal to have
his Office.