Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1888-08-01
CRUEL PUNISHMENT!

CRUEL PUNISHMENT
How Chinese Prisoners Are Flogrea and
Their Ankles Broken.
mentioned some days ago that
all old prisoner who had levied black
mail on a new prisoner in the Che
hsien's Jail, and had logged the new
prisoner for refusing to pay, and also
q man who was supposed to have in
formed the che-hsien of these pro-
ceedings. The Hupao now says that
the che-hsien or magistrate, on taking
his seat in court on Monday, first had
the building we'll guarded by braves
and runners, and then sent for the
prisoners in his jail-there were
twenty-three confined there patches
of four at q time. The first four said
that they had nothing to do with the
trouble which had occurred, but that
the jailer in charge Of the prison had
induced the old prisoner and leader to
demand money of the newcomer, and
on his refusing had logged him. Two
more patches of four each and one OF
seven gave the same reply, when the
remaining four, among whom was
the leader, was sent for. The leader
said he knew his crime haG
been great and he left himself
in the hands of the che-hsien.
who might do what he pleased with
him, and the other three men said the
same. The new prisoner, who hac
been logged, was then brought in anc
interrogated, when he stated that the
jailer had on two occasions asked him
to pay money, saying that he knew hi:
family were we'll off, and that, on re.
fusing, he was logged by one of the
prisoners. and that friend who called
on him was dragged into the prison
and logged, and he identified the
prisoner who had logged him, who
was not the leader.
The che-hsien thereupon ordered
the leader to receive 1000 blows with
the rattan and 1000 with the bamboo
a second man 1000 with the bamboo
and 1000 with the rattan; third l, OO(
with the bamboo and the fourth 2,OO(
with the rattan. These punishments
were inflicted in the courtyard, and il
addition the foot of the chief was placed
on stone, and he received thirty-three
blows with an iron hammer on the
ankle, and the second, who had hogged
the new prisoner and his friend, got
fifty blows with the same hammer or
the ankle. Both mems ankles were
broken and the men tainted under
the punishment. The other two
were kept kneeling during this
time. This took place between
five and six o'clock in the aft,
ernoon, and it is said the men whose
ankles had been thus hammered were
insensible until 9 o'clock. Three o.
the men were placed in cages, anC
yesterday morning the leader, who
could not walk, was carried before the
magistrate, who is preparing a specia,
cell for his detention.
The leader is, we are informed, the
same man who was put IN a. cage In
the city to be starved to death. few
months ago. The above punishments
were, the Chinese say, inflicted by
orders of the superior officials at 500
chow. No doubt all the men were
Thoroughbred rascals, and their
chief, or leader, had not only broken
every law that it suited him to break,
but had made the authorities ridicu.
lous by setting them at defiance.
Nevertheless the sentences on them
were barbarous in the extreme. Il
does not matter that the men were
probably able to obtain some mitiga-
ton of the severity of their punish.
ment by bribing the executioners tc
lay the blows on lightly, and tina,
therefore they did not suffer much
from the bamboo and rattan. It is the
iniquity of the punishment which for.
eign nations will bear in mind when
considering China's claims to be on an
equality with them.-North China
NeWs.