St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1886-10-30
JUSTICE IN ChlN.t.
Crael Torture Of Prisoner by the Ordl
Of n Mandarin In C,ntOn


Crasl Torture Of . Prisoner BY the Ords,
Of Mandarin In Canton.
As I entered the court room two stall
wart jailers were roughly bringing in
q prisoner accused of the crime Of
piracy. Around the neck of the pris-
oner was An iron collar to which an
iron chain was attached. One of the
tailers was dragging the prisoner along
by the chain and the other was aiding
him by pushing and kicking. The ac-
cused was taken before the Mandarin s
desk. made to PROSTATE himself on the
floor and the trial commenced. The
accusation charging the prisoner with
piracy was read and then the Mandarin
asked him through the Interpreters to
confess the charge. This the prisoner
refused to do. claiming that he was in
f1ocent. This seemed to anger the
Mandarin and he instructed the lictors
to strike the prisoner with their leather
thongs. This they did. striking him
q number of times on the face with a
leather strap two inches wide and foot
in length. This failing to bring the
desired answer, the Mandarin then
ordered the iailers to prepar. torture
An instrument of torture resembling
. common bench was then brought
In and placed in position on
end. From the upper legs of the
bench danglc four stout cords. and
near the top of the plank forming the
seat was cloth band about two inches
in width and attached to winch at the
back of the board. The prisoner viewed
these preparations with doggel and
sullen look. The lictors then scz.d
the prisoner and forced him to kneel
with his back against this frame and
quickly fastened cord to each of the
large toes of the foot. and. bending
back the arms. fastened the other two
cords to his thumbs. The cords were
now frightened until the prisoners
knees were raised clear of the floor.
The band was then placed around the
forehead and frightened with few
turns of the winch. The position of the
body naturally threw the weight for
ward and made the pressure on the
forehead fearful.
As the cords and bands tighteneu
and the weight of the body Was thrown
on them. the victim began to show
evidence of extreme pain. His breath
came heavy and labored. and a deep
groan occasionally escaped his lips. In
this position he hung for couple of
and was then again asked BY
the Mandarin if he was guilty OF the
charge of piracy. He refused to con.
fess. The perspiration was starting
out all over his body. the cords were
to cut into the flesh, and the
muscles were becoming knotted. The
Mandarin gave an impatient order tc
the lictors, and the winch was given Il
couple of turns tightening the bands
around the forehead until tn;
prisoners eyes seemed to star
from their sockets and the flesh on each
side Of the band was pulled and dis
colored. Again he was asked to confess
and again refused. Another turn OF
the winch was ordered. The eyes oil
the suffering man had now rolled back
until only the whites were visible; the
of his face began to twitch
around his lips. His groans and writh-
ings were horrible. 1t seemed as il
human senses could stand no more. A
few more turns of the winch and tn,
band would crush in the skull. Tn,
muscles of the arms and legs stool ont
rigid and knotted from the we; ght OF
the body. Once more he was asked tc
confess. This time he hesitated and
then shrieked out that he would confess
any thing they desired if they would
but take him from this horrid rack.
The Mandarin. therefore, ordered the
ictors to release him from the rack.
This they did much in the same man.
,er as stevedore handles sacks of
grain. They united the cords AMI
oosened the band. allowing the pris-
,ner to fall in a heap on the floor. The
tortured mans face had lost the sem
blanc, of human being. Distorted
oy the pain and agony endured, with
'et staring eyes and open mouth. it
presented grlnning, unnatural.
lideous aspect. The arms and limbs
we're rigid and cramped, all muscular
power seeming to have left them, and
he Precipitation was rolling from his
,ody in streams. The lictors now
hastily throwing a cloth on his face to
hide its hideous grinnings, roughly
traightened his limbs and set him up
against the rack from which he had
ust been released. His toes and
humbs were bleeding from the cuts
made by the cords, and the band had
eft deep red mark around his fore
lead. The suffering of the man was
horrible and his groans sent \ thrill
through my blood. San Fra =
isc0 Chronicle