The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1890-04-04
CHINA'S STRINGENT LAWS.
SEVERE MEASURES FOR THE PUNISH
MENT OF CRIMINALS.

SEVERE MEASURES FOR THE PUNISH
MENT OF CRIMINALS.
Land Where the Laws Are Enforced with
No Appeals or Delays for Ricl, Poor.
Small Percentage of Criminals--nan-
ishmcnt nnd Whipping.
Arthur Mack, ex-chief of the Shanghai de-
tective force asserts that while China has
population of over $4,000 900, yet the cri,ni-
nal element in proportion to numbers is less
than 10 per cent. OF what it is in the Chinese
quarter of San Francisco. He accounts for
this by the greater stringency OF the laws for
the punishment OF crime in China and tho
greater certainty Of their administration. In
proof Of this he has furnished The Alta with
the following extracts from the Chinese penal
code. OF which he possesses what he claims to
be the only English translation to be found
outside of China.
SEVERE EuT JUST PUNISHMENT.
As to the selling of female children as slaves,
Chinese law provides that any one who de-
tains fugitive child, Or sells child for
slave, shall receive ninety blows and two and
half years banishment. II a female child
is sold for marriage, the seller gets eighty
blows and two and a half years banishment.
A harborer ofrobbers or a receiver of stolen
booty, even though not participant in the
principal crime is heheaded.
Any wilful damage to crops is punished Us
theft, and the person or persons causing the
damage must make good the full amount Of
the damage.
All aged Or infrm persons must be cared
for, and upon complaint being made to q
mandarin ho must provide food for the desti-
tute aged and those who have no relatives.
Neglect of his duty is rewarded with fifty
blows. @@"@ "#u m.
Bigamy is punished with ninety blows and
the marriage is null.
If a man elects his son-in-law the punish
ment is ono hundred blows, and if the wife
consents she also gets one hundred blows
Whoever marries when his father, mother
grandfather or grandmother is in Jail gets
eighty blows, unless by special command OF
such parent, in which case there shall be no
feast. Marrying one Of the same name is
punished by sixty blows. Forcibiy taking
away n woman III marrying her is punished
by the captor being strangied. ana if tAccap-
tor gives her to another person the punish
lnent is the same. ANY government official
marrying musician, comedian or one below
his station gets sixty blows and the marriage
is void. y priest marrying gets eighty blows
and is expelled.
A principal in the crime Of murder or at
tempted murder, with Il subsequent design to
mangle the body Or divide the limbs Of per-
son, shall suffer deat! By u slow and painful
process. This consists in cutting off u hand,
then leg, then an ear, then taking out an
eye, then scoopin. piece of flesh from the
body, and so on until life is extinct when the
corpse is cut TO pieces and made away with
The murderers wives, sons and nll inmates
of his house, although innocent, shall be per-
petunlly banislied 1900 Ii, or about TOO miles
Accessories contributing to the crime Of mur-
der in the slightest manner shall be beheaded
Other accessories, who neither contributed
nor shared in the crime but merely knew of
its contemplated execution, shall be punished
as ordinary accessories by being beheaded.
If murder is planned, but no person killed
wounded, the principal shall be beheaded
and all his relatives banishetl. Any person
who gives information Of crime or a con-
templated crime shall receive from the gov
ernment twenty ounces OF silver.
ANY person or persons rearing venomous
animals or preparing poisonous drugs which
are to he used to kill person, although 10
person may have been injured, shall he be-
headed. The property of any person guilty
of this crime or violation Of law shall he for
feted to the government, and all his relatives
or inmates of his house, although innocent,
shall he banishei 1000 Ii, or 900 miles.
Practitioners Of medicine, or any person
who prettnlis to be Il practitioner, who cause
a patients death, or injul'c /, patient, or od
minister drugs with puncture or needle,
and thereby kill or wound patient, shall be
summoned before ma s,strate, who shall call
in other reputable practitioners and if it
shall appear to be an error the practitioner
may be allowed to redeem himself of the
nbo 1r friy ltJ, ira IF
a practitioner asgravate a complaint to ex
tort more money, the tee so extorteG shall be
considered stolen and punishment inflicted in
proportion to the amount obtained Or nt-
tempted to be obtained. If patient dies and
the practitioner who attended the deceased
is shown to have employed improper methods,
the practitioner shall be beheaded.
Any one who occasions death from, fright
or violent threats, or alarms another to such
degree that the frightened person kills him
self shall, When reasonable grounds are shown
to have existed on the part of the suicide, be
punished with 100 blows. Any government
officer who shall do this or attempt to do it
shall receive the same punishment nnd be
obliged to pay the family of the suicide ten
ounces of silver. II any person threaten Or
frightcn nn older relative SO that the latter
commits suicide, the junior SO offending shall
be strnnglel.
If any prisoner resists an officer and strikes
the latter so us to draw blood tho offender
shall be stranSled. If Il criminal who resists
IN officer is armed, aud the officer kills him
to secure his person, or il criminal escapes
from prison CT is killed while being pursued,
or if runaway criminal destroys himself
the officer shall in no wise be answcrable for
the prisoners death. In any case where u
criminal is killed, where the oifense charged
against him was punishable with capital pun
ish1nent and the officer had no right to as
sault Or wound him, tho punishment OF the
police officer shall not in any cuse exceed 100
blows.
If Il prisoner releases any other prisoners,
or If he attempts il, he makes himself liable
to tho punishment of the most guilty Of those
who escape or try to escape, provided the
punishment shall not exceed 100 blows and
hanshlnent for 5000 Ii, Or 1000 miles. II
ono On moro prisoners in prison rise against
their keepers, and thus effect an escape, they
shall be beheaded, no matter what their
previous otrense may have been.
These nre but few samples Of the Chinese
laws, the whole code of China being brief
and to the point. The trials there are before
magistrates, and decision is final, no oppor-
tunity for appeal being provided for. As n
rule punishment follows conviction within a
very few days.-San Francisco Alta.
Artistic Book Covers.
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