Hopkinsville Kentuckian., 1890-11-04
CRIMINALS IN CHINA.
They Are Subjected TO Horrihie Torture
and Oniciai Extortion.

They Arc Subjected TO Horrihie Tortures
and Oniciai Extortion.
had q talk with q Chinese exocu.
tioncr in tho execution grounds at Can
ton. lilo was a surly looking devil, with
asword as long as my leg, and he pointed
with greedy eyes at my neck as no OK
planned his business. At one Sido Of tho
execution grounds | noticed number
OF big clay pots with lids on them, and
asked the man what these were for.
lie replied by pulling OF one of tho lids
and yankcd out CHASTITY hoad. holding
Il up by long black QUO. 1t was cut
of. my guide told mo, three days before
and all OF these pots were. he said. allied
with heads In a greater or less degree ol
decomposition. In the prisons at Shang
hal saw mon chai ned to the walls like
wild boasts. and they scowled ut me
fiorcely as ! looked through tho bars ol
tho door. wanted 10 enter the prison
but the jailer would not permit IT. He
said that some men who had gone In 4
few days before had had their clothes
torn from their bodies by the prison
ers, and II was by no means safe fos I
foreigner TO enter.
Chinese prisons arc the worst In the
world. Tho men are crowded In with
GU, regard to sanitary regulations, and
II they do not find enough money to buy
something OF their ialler they are Ia
danger OF starvation. The law require,
that each man should have two pounds
OF rice and two cents worth OF wood eT
cry day. but the jailer who, like all Chi
nese officials, makes his profits out o.
his squeezes. starves them II thoy car
not foo him. Tho turnkoys torture
money out OF tho prisoners, and tho 70
suit is that the mortality In Chinese
jails is terribls. Tho pri soners are ca
pected TO cook for themselves, and thu
worst Of them are heavily ironed. Man,
OF those ! saw had iron bands arounC
their ncclSa, and not few had chains
about their waists.
It might be supposed that such pun
ishments would decrease crime. They
do not seem TO have this effect and the
Chinese jails are full, and the polic'
have plenty to do. The Chinese are b,
no means moral people. Thcy are IL
some respects like tho French. Thel
;abound in polite phrases. and will smil'
courteously upon you while cutting you
throat They are the most sensua
people In tho world, and tho vices o
Sodom arc common all over the Chinese
Empire. The language used by thu
Chinese roughs Is more vie thar
that o. tho Bowery or of Whit
Chapel In London, and superstition
Is everywhere common. The opium
vico makes many criminals, and you vii
find opium saloons everywhere ant
thousands smoking In them. spen
ono night In going about with the boy
ut Shanghai, and was Mortified Will
the sights OF the Chinese slums. ON
OF the opium dens which ! visited ol
this night had hundreds OF smokers
and its receipts arc, nm told, $1,000
night 1t was gorgeously decorated
tho furniture was OF the finest blacl
teak wood. and the painted walls wer
inlaid with tho finest OF marbles. Tn
electric light shown through the sickon
ing opium smoke, and the ceilings o
richly-carved woods had the finest o
Chinese lamps hanging from them \
add to tho scene. The opium smoker
wero In little cells and on each side 0
little glass Ia mp two men lay on re
cushions resting their heads on blu
pillows and Sun oking. The crowd wa
made up of the rich and the poor, an
men dressed in silks lay side by sid
with half-naked coolies. From here
went to singing saloon, whore prett
Chinese girls picked the banjo. and
visited dozen other opium dens fllc
with horrible sights. y. Carpontei
In National Tribune.