Connecticut western news., 1886-08-25
JUSTICE IN CHINA.
How it is Administered in
 the Land of the Pigtails.
Cruel Torture of Prisoner by the
 Order of a Mandarin in Oanton.

A Canton letter to the San Francisc> Examiner describes a horrifying court scene. The writer says:
 As entered the court room two stall wart jailers were roughly bringing in prisoner accused of the crime of piracy. Around the neck of the prisoner was au iron collar, to which an iron chain was at tached. One of the jailers was dragging the prisoner along by the cham, and the other was aiding him by pushing and kicking. The accused was taken before the mandarin's desk, made to prostrate himself on the floor, ard the trial com menced. The accusation charging the prisoner with piracy was read, and then the mandarin asked him through tho 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 a leather strap two inches wide and foot in length. This failing to bring the de- sired answer, the mandarin then ordered the jaiers 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 dogged and sulen look. The lictors then seized the prisoner and forced him to kneel with his back against this frame, and quickly fastened Q 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- oner's knees were raised clear of the floor. The band was then placed around the forehead and frightened with Q 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 precipitation was starting out all over his body, the cords were beginning to cut into the flesh, and the muscles were becoming knotted. The mandarin gave an impatient orler to the lictors, and the winch was given couple of turns tightening the bands around the forehead until the prisoners eyes seemed to start from thelr sockets and the flesh on each side of the band was puffed 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 knot, and froth was collecting around his lips His groans and writhings were horrible. It 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 of 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 hesitatcd and then shrieked out that he would confess any thing they desired if they would but take him from this horrible rack The mandarin, therefore, ordered the lictors to release him from the rack. This they did much in the same manner as stcve- dore handles sacks of grain. They un- tied the cords and loosened the band. allowing the prisoner to fall in heap Ou IuC uOOl 1uc IOItuIcu Ildu laCe had lost the semblance of human be- ing. Distorted by the pain and agony endured, with set, glaring eyes and open mouth, it presented grinning, unnatural, hideous aspect. The arms and limbs were rigid and cramped, all muscular power seeming to have left them, and the precipitation 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 man was horrible and his groans sent thrill through my blood.
 A Maori Joke,
 On the Walkato river, below Lake Taupo, are large falls, says a new Zealand !, letter to the Salt Lake Tribune. In a