Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1886-08-18
JUSTICE INllCHINA.
How 1t is Administered In
the Land OF the Plgtails.
Cruel Torture of Prisoner by the
Order of Mandarin in Canton.

A Canton letter to the San Francisc ,
Examiner describes q horrifying court
scene. The writer says:
As I entered tho court room twostal-
Mrt jailers were roughly bringing in a
prisoner accused Of the crime of piracy.
Around the neck of the prisoner was an
iron colar to which an iron chain WAS at
tached. One OF the jaiIers was dragging
the prisoner along by the cham, and the
other wOs aiding him by pushing and
kicking. The accused was taken before
the mandarin's 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 II the in
tcrprcters 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 a
leather strap two inches wide and foot
in length. This fai ing to bring the de-
sired answer, the mandarin then ordered
the jaiIcrs to prepare Il 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 danglcd 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-
paration, with dC. gcd and sulIcn look.
The lictors then seized the prisoner and
forced lin to knecl 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 tightcncd until the pris-
oner's knees were raised clear of the
floor. The band WAS then placed around
the forehead and frightened with a few
turns of the winch. The position of the
body naturally threw the weight forward
and made the pressure on the forehead
fearful.
AS the cords aud bands tightencd and
.he 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
hing for a couple Of minutes, and was
then again askcl by the mandarin if he
was guilty Of the charge Of piracy. He
refused to confess, The pcrspration was
starting out all over his body, the cords
were beginning to cut into the fesh and
the muscles were becoming knotted. The
mandarin gave an impatient order to the
lictols, and the winch was given couple
OF turns tightening the bands around the
forehead until the prisoners eyes seemed
to start from their sockets and the flesh
on each side of the band was pulled and
discOlored. Again he was asked to con-
fess 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 kuot,
and froth was collecting around his lips.
His groans and writings were horrible.
1t seemed as it human senses could
stand no more. A few more turns
of the winch and the band would
crush in the skull. The muscles of
the arms and legs stood out rigid
and knotted from tho weight of tho
body Once more he was asked to con-
fcss. This time he hesitlted and then
shrickcd out that he would confess any
thing they desired if they would but
take him from tbs horrible rack. The
mandarin, therefore, ordered the lictors
10, r,lnn N i'm frn,,, tln rnpl- Thi- thn,,
did much in the same manner as a steve
dorc handles sacks Of grain. They un-
tied the cords and looscned the band,
allowing the prisoner to fall in heap
on the floor. The tortured mans face
had lost the scmblancc Of human be-
ing. Distorted by the pain and agony
endured, with set, glaring eyes and
open mouth, it presented grinning,
unnatural, hidcous aspect. The arms
and limbs were rigid and crampcd, all
muscular power seeming to have left
them, and the pcrspiration was rolling
from his body in streams. The lictors
now hastily throwinga cloth on his face
to hide its hideous grinnings, roughly
Strengthened his limbs and set him up
against the rack from which he had Just
been released. His toes and thumbs
were bleeding from the cuts made by the
cords, and the band had left deep, red
mark around his forehead. The suffer-
ing of the mn was horrible and his
groans seat a thrill through my blood.
A Maori joke.
On the WulkNto river below Lnke