St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-02-02
TORTURED BIZ A BIRD.
Weird Story of PrisOner---Pun
ishment Inflicted on a Helpless
Man

Weird Story of a PrisOner---Pun.
ishment Inflicted on a Helpless
Man by Chinese Priests.
Swallows Wing.
He was placed at the foot of the tree
and bound to it in a sitting posture
with ropes which surrounded his body
and the trunk of the tree. His left arm
was bound to his side. not too tightly, so
that il should be numbed, but still Sc
curely, SO that it might not be moved.
When they had tied him firmly, and
fixed his feet, the attendant who had
followed Shan-min-yuen approached
and uncovered that which he carried,
and which Norris now saw to be a
rough cage with white bird of
large size inside. One of the priests
bent and assisted the man, and together
they bound the bird 10y the chain
around its leg. So they left him thus,
gradually returned to life - to exist
through these hours, which were the
most terrible of ALTO live through that
night, God knows how, and to greet the
dawn in the mockery of his soul. and
still to wait for the time to come. Thus
it was with him on the morning when
Van-combe and Chin-chin-wa set out for
the Temple of Confucius; and as they
were nearing the gates dull. leaden
stupor descended upon the man who
only waited, alone in that courtyard,
with the bird chained at his feet. until
the last moment of his agony should
come. At last it came, for the bird, I'M
PEELED by hunger, bent down at length
and caught the flesh of Norris Toe
in his beak, half wondering. perhaps,
if this was food to eat The mans
shrieks rose through the air, and
the bird second time, and more
greedily, bent forward to taste his
blood; and as it's overlapping beak met
in his flesh last great cry came from
him, and again, as was SO often the case,
the whole world passed away in dark
ness. At that moment the temple door
opened, and Chin-chin-waS look ed down
upon the scene. The strong mans heart
hlled with agOny-a pain which only
the strong heart, such as his, can feel
in its fullness, and this agony dwelling
in him yet Stilled him, for he had now
to act; but it burst from him at later
time, when all was over, and when
he answered Vanscombe as one
who scarcely heard, as one who passed
out of terrible dream: II do not
know" Now he drove it back, and,
bounding forward, seized the white
bird in his right hand, crushing the life
out of it as he tore it from the chain and
casting it from him as dead thing
killed by the grasp of his powerful
hand.
Then he called aloud to the priests
who had followed him, and who now
stood aghast some way behind, cowed
by an anger that is seldom known in
man. And he commanded them to undo
the bonds and release the poor feet, one
of which was dripping blood. They
obeyed him silently. He had come to
them bearing the command from Shan
min-yuen: "Permit and give honor to
Chin chin-wa." And for what else
should he come but in connection with
the prisoner who was now to be UNI
bound? Chin-chin-wa took him up in
his arms, and. thus bearing him, passed
out of the court and through the tenn
pies until he reached the outer gate,
and there he left the priests and went
out, free; for they had seen his anger
and were afraid.