News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1885-06-25
CHINESE SLAVES IN PERU.
TIE Terrible Suffering of Monaghan Plan.
taliOu Lab0rers.

Chiu- Chi Yeung, the Secretary OF the
Chinese Legation, has been in this city
on his way from Washington to China;
to which country he is returning on q
twelve months leave of absence, to visit
his family, having been in active service
since 1882. Mr.. Chiu is attached to
the Legation to the United States,
Spain and Peru, of which Cheng-Tsa
Ju, now in Washington, is Minister.
Mr.. Chiu was found by a reporter a
few nights since at a Chinese restau-
rant on Jackson street, where he was
dining with party of friends. He
dresses in the Chinese national garb,
but converses fuently and grammatically
in the English language, having been
educated at an English college at Hong
Kong and spent twelve years in the SER
vice of the British Colonial Government
at that port. -
Abiding to his recent visit to Peru,
where he spent seven months III COM
pany with the Minister, Cheng-Tsao-
Ju, the Secretary said that while there
he visited number of plantations in
the Chicama valley, to investigate the
condition of the Chinese laborers. He
was accompanied by Colonel Carrasco,
the Commissioner appointed by the
Peruvian Government. He found ter
rible condition of affairs. The Chinese
were absolutely without the protection
of any law. Their labor contracts were
signed for terms of five, six and eight
years, but they were kept in enforced
servitude long after their terms had ex-
pired. They were driven to their work
by day like cattle and locked up in cor
rails like cattle at night. Walking slow
ly or lack of energy at their work was
punished by the free use of the club In
the hands of brutal overseers. Labor
ers were whipped and kicked to death.
On sixteen plantations examined by him
there were about three thousand Chi
nese laborers, and ninety per cent. bore
on their persons the scars of frequent
scourgings. He had caused the bodies
of some of the dead to be exhumed,
and on three had found the legs chained
together and iron rings riveted to the
ankles. There was no law to which the
Chinese laborer could apply for protec-
ton. The planters were a law to them
selves. If a Chinese attempted to es-
cape the planter pursued him, brought
him back and logged him. If he claimed
that his time had expired, presented his
contract and asked for its cancellation,
he was scourged for that also. Com
plants of this treatment had reached
the ears of the Chinese Government
some years ago, since which Chinese
emigration to Peru had been prohibited.
Prior to this visit of the Legation, the
Chinese Government had never been
at Peru. The present Lee
cation, however, has left Tsu- Shan-Pung
at Lima as Charge d. Affaires and before
leaving diplomatic note containing
against the barbarous and
illegal treatment of the Chinese was
handed to the Peruvian Minister of For
eign Affairs. To this note no reply has
as yet been received. A full report of
the result of the investigation will be
forwarded to the Chinese Government,
and it will be for the Government to
decide what action to take. Mr.. Chiu
sailed for China on the Arabic recently.
San FRANCISCO Cr0nicIe.