The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1889-04-11
DEM0Hs LSJUDGES
he Horrible PunIshnsnts Of Chinese
Courts.
FsrsnFs ne Chisa RieIa 81 Invention
--An inferno On EaFth--sllcing
90 Densh--The namboo
and cangue..

TO the Omaha Bee:
Honihlel horriblell horTiblelil are
the cruelties Of Chinese justicei l grew
sick Whils watching the torture Of . wit
ness at he courts here in Canton to-day,
and I had TO leave the place for fear !
ShouldiaintaWay. The man was brought
into court in basket. His arms were
chained behind him. His feet were man
acled % that the heavy iron had cut
through the skin and there was chain
also about his neck. He had refused to
testify and had been tortured before until
he was now pale and sick. He was
thrown from the basket on TO the floor In
mont Of . tall Mandarin judge dressed in
. long silk gown and wearing q round
black cap with q button on the crown.
The irons were taken OF and the man
was forced into q kneeling posture on the
stone iloor. He plead that he was sick,
that be knew nothing and he begged that
they would not punish him further. The
judee said word and three burly China
men ernsped him. They carried him to
the side Of the court, where a bench about
four ieet long and . foot wide was lying.
They put this bench on end against . pill
lar and thsn taking the prisoner, forced
him down upon his knees before Il 30
that the board Of the bench rested
against his back and between his
shoulders. He was baFeiOoted. They
pulled his wide. pahtaloons up 10 his
thighs and bending his Leg, tied his big
toes 10 the top leg Of the bench 90 that
the bare skin Of his knees rested on the
stones. Ths bench extended some dis
lance above The back Of bis head and
near the end hole had been bored,
about an inch in diameter. Through
this his cue was pulled, forcing his
head tight against Tie board and stretch
ing his neck % that the cords stood out
like whips. His arms were twisted be
hind the bench, stretched backward and
upward and held there BY strings tied 10
his thumbs. A heavy sharp chain with
iron links about two inches wide was
then brought and put under his bare
knees. He was 10 be kept with his whole
weight resting on this chain and held up
by his thumbs, his big toes and his cue
until he confessed. The torture vas ter
rible. HIS eyes almost started nom thelT
sockets, his lace twitched and his moan
ing made me sick.
Among the other tortures l witnessed
was the pounding Of q mans cheek with
. leather clappeF until the blood oozed
from his mouth. This clapper was made
Of two pisces q leather Of the thickness
and tWice the width Of q harness tug,
fastened 70 q third piece Of leather - Z
handle. The whole affair was not more
than . foot long, hut II was more brutal
than though Il was made ofirOn. Il I
used largely in the Punishment Of women
and h not infrequently breaks the jaw'
and knocks out the teeth. This pFisonei
was suspected Of being engaged in Snug
Cling opium and he denied being guilty
He was whipped thus on The jaws and
then bamboced. The bambooinR waI
done BY taking down his trousers ant
laying him fat upon his belly on the foo
Of the court, while . turnkey, raising I
bamboo elab. BROUGHT Il down with Al
his force again and again upon the back
Of the bare yellow thighs Of the offender
Thia baH6Eor vas aplit down the, middl,
HheIa tunIne iork. II whistled a. Il few
throuah the sir and n CLAIMED the skir
vith ne noise A q uiatol sbot Thebare
armed dir eoupied eSeh blow n,
Ione-cusd. ailk-aowned. screwed iudql
Iooied eomnlaeentlv ON. and saw n,
aiona A nFiv N the stolId iacea a n,
cCnwd ri
wnEnE pEnozs RnEsrDE.
Let me give you picture Of this Chin
ese court room. Il is one Of many d
Canton and The largest. We passeS
through room after room and aisle afte
aisle Of low, narrow buildineS 10 gss to Il
There was . court in front Of Il an,
around fhil IN narrow cells sat the clerk
and oiher employees 10 the iudae: Tn
room Sas open ct the fIont, paved viii
stone, and 4 had only q table and chat
ortvo. There are no lawyers in Chin
and the I6de6 has unlimited power, prc
yided h does not transress the code
China has : code Of laws hundreds q
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