The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1888-09-16
Interesting description Of
Official Life.
PRISONERS AND PRISON LIFE.
DepIcted by an Eastern
Correspondent.

at K!-ngan-foo by the yamuni officials
l was passed on from one yamun to
another. under escort, the whole dis
lance to Riu-Kiang, one of the treaty
Torts on the Yang tse Kiang. l must
have visited not less than twenty-five
yamuns, in several of which remained
over night. This gave me "bundant
opportunity to see something of Chinese
official life-such of it, at any rate, as
is to be seen on the surface.
The Chinese yamun is the ground and
buildings in every city occupied by the
government officials. The yamun
is always inclosed within formidable
brick wall twenty or more feet high.
in appearance strong and substan tlal
as a fortress. Outside this wall
are the people, the Emperor's subjects,
from whom obedience is expected /;
within is the government. the ruling
powers, responsible to the Emperor at
Pekiu. who in his turn is responsible.
to the gods" for the administration OF
justice. In the larger cities the yamun
ground sometimes covers several acres,
on which are erected numerous build
ings, offices of the mandarins, courts of
justice, prisons, treasury, etc.
1t was in the PERPETUAL
CITY OF NAM-NeAN,
Just north of the Mae-ling Mountains.
which separate the provinces of Quang,
tung and Klang-se, that first became
ACQUAINTED with the interior of a
Chinese yamun. l arrived at Nam
ugan under the guidance of two Schou-
Schoo- foo coolies, who had assisted me
over the Mae-iing pass. The coolies
conducted me to the yamun, where |
remained day and night before
starting down the valley of the Kan
Klsng. On the walls were painted
m0nstrous tigers. the imperial yellow
dragons, and other hideous mythical
figures, representative of government in
China.
Through broad arched gateway be-
tween pair of these nightmarsh daubs
We entered the yamun. Immediately
inside was low brick shed,
divided into compartments, which at
first sight looked like the cages of wild
animals. This was district prison,
and second glance revealed the fig
ures behind the bars to be human be-
ings. They were certainly the most
wretched-looking objects l ever saw,
which is saying good deal. Prisoners
in Chinese jails are not allowed to
shave their heads, and the long, stray
Cling hair black and coarse as horse
hair, falling in uncom bed confusion
about their faces, give TO them a wild,
uncanny appearance. They looked
more like hairy gorillas than men,
peerlng through the bars at the Funk
wac with mourntul curiosity, or like
some Vagab 0nd troop of missing links,
who, by throwing about them few vile
rags, were trying to pass for humans.
One poor wretch l noticed, whose
lips and Jaws were swollen out of all
proportion by the aogginge he had re-
ceived on the mouth to make him con-
TESS as criminal o. to testify as wit
mesa. 4 witness whom the mandarin
thinks stubborn and unwilling to tes-
tify is treated as barbarousIy in China
as q criminal. In an adjoining cell TO
this one was another wretched object,
lying on his stomach and moaning
piteousIy. His back was
MASS OF BRUISES AND LAcERATIoNs.
Outside were several men wearing about
their necks heavy wooden cangues or
yokes, others wore shack'es, and were
fastened to blocks of stone, which they
had to drag with them whenever they
moved
Crossing this outer gard, we passed
through another gateway and found
ourselves within an inner court. In
the center of this stood ! broad, low
wooden structure, half house, half
shed. B5re at the table sat the man
DARN, smoking silver water-pipe, and
listening to the representations of Il
man who was gesticulating and talking
in very high key. Standing about in !
attentive attitudes were yamuni-run- |
ners, policemen, lictors, and the various |
functionaries of a Chinese court of jus |
tive. l had arrived at the yamun just |
in time to see something of Chinese |
trial.
The policemen wore short, stagy-look. |
ing Jackets, on which were sewn disks |
Of white oilcloth foot in diameter bt !
lore and behind. On the disks we're big
red chal acters. These odd APPENDICES
gave the wearers peculiarly grotesque
appearance. They looked like comedians
0n the mimic stage rather than govern
ment officials seriously employed.
Over the strange gathering, suspended
from the yafters OF the building, hung
LOO gay colored lanterns, boards with
pig gilt inscriptions, and banners. To
ne the whole scene, from the perkish-
cooking mandarin, in big round spec
5acles and the long peacock feather in
MS hat, to the gilt signs and red paper
anterns, was the lite and parapher-
lalia of the stage. The mandarin was
he star, the policemen and ysmuni-
.unners, with their ludicrous bulls
,yes, were the clowns and the others
he cast and "supes." Even the
Rretched prisoner, clad in scanty rags,
ind Irostrate on his face before the
court. was clever actor to me quite
4 star. may be, drawing salary sec
md only to that of the leading man
mandarin at the table.
To pass through The middle gate
scanned complete change from
THE REALM OF TRAGEDY
% comedy. To those Immediately in
;erested. however, 1t is perhaps need
ess to say that it was anything but