The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-07-05

by those whose duties call them occasionally
into his presence. g *
The manner in which trials are conducted
in Chinese courts would be startling sur
prise to all who have not personally at
tended court scene. Torture is always re-
sorted to in order. to compel the accused TO
declare himself gsifty of the charge against
him, and to such an extent Is 1t carried that
it often results in either causing the death
of the accused or else manning him for life.
Persons unacQuainted with Cbinsss systems
OF judicial torture can scarcely be expected
to give credence to an account OF the
atrocities committed by the mandarins in
their efforts to punish vice and support
virtue.
Trials in China are always public and are
usually attended by great crowds Of people.
as are torture chambers, but 80 awful are
the cruelties practiced that but few persons
ever care to witness them. The Judge con-
Quoting the trial sits behind a large table
covered with a red cloth. The prisoner is
made to kneel in front Of the table and per-
form the tow-tow as a mark OF respect to
the court. by whom he is supposed guilty
until proved innocent-a not difficult I'M
dertaking, provided he has sufficient money
to bride the mandarins or judges AS the
trial progresses various questions are asked
the prisoner, and il his answers are not
given willingly or are not what the judges
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There are very many systems OF torture,
the most generally used being some of the
following: The upper portion Of the body
Is uncovered and numerically beaten with
a large cane between the shoulder blades.
Should his answers continue to be unsatis-
factory, the cheeks are violently beaten
with an instrument made of two thick
pieces of leather sewn together at one end
and shaped like slipper. The force with
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is sufficient TO dislodge the teeth aud cause
the mouth TO swell so greatly as to deprive
the poor unfortunate of the power OF taking
food.
Should he continue to maintain his limos
cence an attendant beats his ankles with a
piece of hard wood. This is often carried
to such degree as to crush the bones OF the
ankle and thus ruin the culprit for life.
These are the milder forms of torture.
Some of the more severe forms resorted to
are as follows:
The prisoner is made to kneel down and
his arms are stretched and tied fast to a
horizontal bar passing under the breast; In
the hollow of the back of mis- knee joints Is
placed another bar, upon which two men
seat themselves, one at each end, and SO
bear down upon the joints OF the prisoners
knees, between which and the ground chains
are placed to render the agony more unen-
durable. Another method of torture is to
place the oulprit in a rack, firmly tying the
arms and legs so that the body cannot he
moved, and then gradually distending the
rack, thus stretching and pulling severely
upon almost every muscle and bone of the
body This is probably the seyerest torture
ever resorted to, and It's effect upon the per-
son so awful that seldom does any one re-
cover from IL.
Torture is applied as often as the pris-
oner's strength will stand 1t until the &C
cused ackno Wedges his guilt or the judges
decide Of his innocence.
The torture systems are not confined to
to the prisoners alone, but are almost az
often applied. at the discretion Of the judges
and mandarins, to the witnesses who may
be called in TO give evidence at the trial. So
often and 1njudiciously are witnesses tori
ured that there Is always a great difficulty
in the prisoner inducing them to appear at
the trial to give evidence in his favor. 1t
is very often a difficult If not impossible
matter for visitor to a Chinese court to
tell which is the prisoner and which the
witness; all seem equally guilty, II we are
to judge by the torture applied TO all alike.
In all Chinese courses OF law the extent
to which bribery and corruptionI is carried
is simply astounding. The verdict of the
court is generally at the disposal of those
who first interview the mandurins and
judges and offer them the largest sum of
money. The notoriously bad character of
the courts is known over all China but so
prevalent Is vice and corruption in Chinese
official circles that no reforms can be hoped
for. We're an Investigation to be held, IL
would be very similar to the old proverb OF
setting thief to catch thief. u
In the case of minor offenses, where tort
ure need not be resorted to, the punish
ments are not so severe and usually consist
of the prisoner being led through the streets
81 ak nfsn atk haI lie
attendant OF the court follows behind, beat
ing him with bamboo cane over the naked
shoulders and back. The oangue, or wooden
collar, ID the most usual way of furnishing
petty offenders. Tho caugue consists of a
block Of wood, from four to six feet square
and as many inches thick. A hole suffi-
GENTLY large to receive the head Is cut
through it. and the block sllo wed TO rest on
the shoulders.
They vary in weight from about fifty
pounds to SO great that the wearer is una
Bile TO sustain 1t, and consequently has 70
remain lying down-by far the most an
comfortable manner in which it can be
worn. The period for which the sentence
lasts varies from one week to three months,
during time which the culprit is
compelled to wear the cangue day
and nighs. The form of the
cangue prevents the weerer from acquiring
comfortable position, either sitting, re
elining, or standing. The name of the pris-
oner and OF the nature Of his offense Is
written in large letters on the cangue, and
he is required to stand at the city gates, in
front Of the chief temples or public halls,
from sunrise to sunset, where he is the OBJ
ject Of scorn Of all who pass by. In many
cases the cangue is so large that the pris-
oner cannot use his hands TO eat his food,
and 10 such cases is dependent upon kind
hearted passers-5y 20 place the food in his
mouth. as the Chinese as a rule are not over
gifted with kind-hear tedness. 1t very often
results in the poor fellows almost starving
through the negligence OF their spectators.
Another mode Of punishment frequently
resortsd 20 is confinement in a cage. The
cages are OF various forms-some not high
enough to permit the prisoner to stand up
right, some too short to allow him TO lie
down, and some 80 low as 10 hardly allow
him to sit down. Over the top of these
cages Is a cangue which the prisoner is usu-
ally required to wear, and which consider
ably adds to his discomfort In some cases
this cangue Is placed so high that the pris-
oner's toes just barely touch the floor Of the
cage, thus making the neck bear almost the
entire weight of the body. This method
usually results in causing death, and is not
practiced, unless the judges desire that such
shall be the end Of this punishment.
In cases of conspiracy, rebellion, or at
tempts to overthrow the governments, the
L. - Ill Ill