The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1886-08-19
JUSTICE INliCHINA.
How It is Administered In
the Land or the Pigtails.
Cruel Torture of a Prisoner by tht
Order of a Mandarin in Canton.


Order of Mandarin in Canton.
A Canton letter to the San Francisco
Examiner describes horrifying court
scene. The writer says:
As entered the court room two stall
iart jailers were roughly bringing in
prisoner accused of the crime of piracy.
Around the neck of the prisoner was an
iron collar, to which an iron chain was at
tached. One of the jaiers was dragging
the prisoner along by the cham, and the
other was aiding him by pushing and
kicking. The accused was taken before
the mand arms desk, made to PROSTATE
himself on the floor, and the trial COM
menced. The accusation charging the !
prisoner with piracy was read, and then |!
the mandarin asked him throu III the in
terpreters to confess the charge. This
the prisoner refused to do, claiming that
he was innocent. This seemed to anger
the mandarin, and he instructed the
lictors to strike the prisoner with their
leather thongs. This they did, striking
him number of times on the face with
leather strap two inches wide and foot
in length. This failing to bring the de-
sired answer, the mandarin then ordered
the jailers to prepare torture. An in
strument of torture, resembling COM
mon bench was then brought in and
placed in position on end. From the
upper legs of the bench dangled 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 pre-
parations with logged and sullen look.
The lictors then seized 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 pris-
oners knees were raised clear of the
floor. The band was then placed around
the forehead and tightened with few
turns of the winch. The position of tho
body naturally threw the weight forward
and made the pressure on the forehead
| fearful.
As the cords aud bands frightened 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 deep groan occasion
ally escaped his lips. In this position he
hung for a couple of minutes, and was
then again asked by the mandarin if he
was guilty of the charge of piracy. He
refused to confess. The perspiration was
starting out all over his body, the cords
were beginning to cut into the flesh, and
the muscles were becoming knottcd. The
mandarin gave an impatient order to the
lictors, and the winch was given couple
OF turns Tightening the bands around the
forehead until the prisoners eyes seemed
on each side of the band was puffed and
discolored. Again he was asked to con-
fcss and again refused. Another turn of
the winch was ordered. The eyes of the
suffering man had now rolled back until
only the whites were visible; the mus
cles of his face began to twitch and knot,
and froth was collecting around his lips.
His groans and writings were horrible.
!. 1t seemed as if human senses could
, stand no more A few more turns
of the winch and the band would
crush in the skull. The muscles oi
: the arms and legs stood out rigid
and knotted from the weight of the
body. Once more he was asked to con.
fess. This time he hesitated and then
shrieked out that he would confess any
thing they desired if they would bu
take him from this horrible rack. The
mandarin, therefore, ordered the lictor:
. to release him from the rack. This they
did much in the same manner as a steve
dore handles sacks of grain. They un
tied the cords and loosened the band
allowing the prisoner to fall in a heal
on the floor. The tortured mans fac
had lost the semblance of human be
ing. Distorted by the pain and agon,
. endured, with set, glaring eyes ant
open mouth, it presented a grinning
unnatural, hideous aspect. The arm
and limbs were rigid and cramped, al
!, !, muscular power seeming to have lef
them, and the perspiration was rollin!
from his body in streams. The lictor
now hastily throwinga cloth on his fac
to hide its hideous grinnings, roughl
' Strengthened his limbs and set him u
. against the rack from which he had jus
70 been released. His toes and thumb
! were bleeding from the cuts made by til
cords, and the band had left deep, re
mark around his forehead. The suffer
ing of the man was horrible and hi
groans sent thrill through my blood.
y A Maori Joke.
n h. Nnll 81, II IL