The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1889-07-06
JUSTICE in CHINA.
How the Law Is Administered in the
Celestial Empire.

How the Law Is Administered in the
Celestial Empire.
Tn China no sentence can be imposed
mon a criminal until he has confessed the
crime, writes Hong Yen Chang i'll the Chris
:ion Union Even if found guilty, he Is
compelled to do that. Various methods are
resorted to in order to compel him to make
a confessions; I never saw any OF these
methods practiced, but it is pretty "els
known that they exist, and draw from
English authorities for some information.
A criminal is obliged to plead his own case.
! He can have the assistance OF lawyer, or u
man learned III the law, who can instruct
him on bis trial, telling him what qllestons
| to ask and what questions to AVOID ASKING,
but lawyers have no standing in the courts
Of China as they have i'll this part of the
| globe. The witnesses in criminal trlas
arc cross-exa1nined, but the prisoner must
conduct the examination himself It can
| therefore be readily imagined that the LeEai
! profession in China is not one that DrthSS
much gain to those who follow it, Here IT
| is not only q lucrative vocation, but an non
! ora5e one besides. Some Of The greatest
states men in the United States have come
from the ranks Of the lawyers, while in
| China the profession is largely composeu CT
! a low: class Of men.
The highest crime known to Chincs, law
| is treason ard that is punishable oy oe;.iht
and The only form Of executing such q sell
! tence Is by t1ccapltation. The criminal Is
| carried ont III Il box OF cage to the place OF
| execution The crime of which he has been
| guilty, written on piece Of paper, is Iast-
| eneG to a small stick which is placed in his
| hair. The sentence is carried out by g reg
| ularlv appointed executWner one method
( being to strike of the head Willle the Grill
lnal is kncehng. Sometimes, before the be-
| heading takes place the criminal is cut on the
| breast and arms, and the additional punish
1neut is regarded as lending special igno
mny to the sentence.
!, The reverence with which the Chinese re-
| gard the aged, especially their own parents
! and tutors, is we'll known. And il this, and
| some other classes Of crimes. relatlyes and
neighbors are often made to share the nI1i-
! ishnent provided III such cases. There S1as
similar provision il regard to the punish
nient Of theft under the early Saxon laws
Of England.
| Murder is punished by DEATH tbs killing
| Of father mother OF o. ,receptoY beng
| the highest degree OF that crime. From
early childhood the Chinese are Taught to
hold in high reverence, not onl; their pa
rents but their preceptors. Teachers III
China are reverenccd in about the sas:ie
| way that clergymeD are }eEerance0 ny 'e-
iiyious persons in tins part Of the world.
Il, the case Of murder the neiahbora ana
relatives are compelled to s!lars part o[
the responsibility. 1t should be said, now
ever. that though TINS is the law hanoass
! down from very anclent l!nes and winch
can not ltl5 changed, there are various lnetil'
ods by which the enforcement y! it is eVadets,
and Judges are quick to give any legal ati-
~
put the whole penalty on the criminal
Tneft is punished by imprisonment,
whipping or wearing what is called the
cazgue a square collar made 81 boards ana
locked around the neck, resembling very
much the old English method Of patting One
lin the stoeks' With THIS machine arOuud
his neck the criminal is compelled to stand
in the street near where the ofensc WAS
committed; each evening constable takes
charge OF him until the next morning, when
he is again taken out. Hs: is kept thus ON
public exhibition so that the public may
know him in the future and be gu their
guard.
There are two ways Of whipping, tina
first is Oh the checks. The culprit kneeis
down. and is beaten with a leather strap
about twelve inches Long by two Or otrec
inches wide. The second method in this
part of the world would ht5 called spank.
ing,' the Instrument TO 10 The work being
MADE of bamboo, five feet long by two
inches vide. The Number OF blows ordered
on the I:t,eek will! be from twenty to thirty;
iu using the other method forty strokes is
the highest n1lplber allowed by law, Eut,
with a shorter bamboo--about three feet
long ard cue inch WIDEN the second
method OF punishment, an intletinats num-
Der If strokes CIR be inflicted.
Another form of punishment for the higher
crimes is stran gulaton The condemned
is fAsteued Ia o frame, his hands tied
behind MIN, ana he is st"anglea by means
Ct o. cope fastened to q post against which
he supports himself. Sometimes a sallsen
cord is sent to him while he is in prison,
being hint that he can, il he chooses, be;
bas own exeeut1oner.
State criminals arc often banisbsd to q
territory in the northwestern part OF tho
Empire. Murdercrs and robbers .Yita
political influence, or whose crimes may I'D
nit of extenlating circumstances, some
! times have their sentences co1nulutcd TO
Danshment, and are obliged To reside in 8
specified part Of the Empire for a certain
period. Fighting, thlevlrg and nan
slaughter are punished by Z. sIj ghter fora
OF exile, the offenders during Their Danish
n1ent being Obliged 10 wear a badge, either
all iron rod several feet long, or g. stone
weighing about ten pounds and hung
| around their necks
Tho Scotch Thisue.