The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1894-10-10

consisted of o log of wood about fifteen
feet long and at least foot in diane
ter. This had been split in two, and
holes had been bored through it just
large enough to hold the bare ankle of
q man. The three criminals each had
one foot fastened in this log, and the
jailers, when I appeared with my SOL
diers and photographer, tried to move
them out into the sun 30 that might
get good photograph of them. As
they pulled them along I heard one of
them utter a cry of pain, and I saw
that the features of oil were contorted
with agony. It made me sick, and I
desisted. I told the jailers to let the
men be, and that I would not take
their pictures. I took photograph,
however, of one of the prisoners, who
was wearing the Korean cangue. This
is different from the articles used in
China, and 7 have never heard it de-
scribed, nor read of it anywhere. You
will find no description of it in the
books of travel. I do not suppose
that many know of its existence.
The Chinese cangue consists of
square of framework or board,
in the centre of which o mans
head is fixed, and which
rests upon his shoulders, jutting about
two feet out from his neck on
every side. The Korean cangue is
plank, often longer than the man him
self, with q hole in one end OF it, in
which the neck can be locked. If the
man wishes to move about he must
hold up this plank with his hands, and
when he sits down its heavy weight
rests upon his neck. found it in
the jails of many Of the magistrates
which I visited in the country dis.
tricts, and it Is by no means mild
instrument of torture.
Padding and Aogging are the most
common punishment. This prevails
everywhere, and the official is very
low indeed who cannot order the COM
mon man down to be padded Every
magistrate has his professional
paddlers, and many officials, when
they go about, have officers who 60
with them, carrying these instruments
of torture. In passing the front gate
of the palace one afternoon saw
number of these kesos, as they are
called, with their paddles beside
them. Their master had probably
gone in to see the King, and they
were waiting outside. These paddles
are about six feet long, five inches
wide, and perhaps an inch thick in the
centre, tapering down to thickness
of perhaps three-eighths of an inch at
the end. They have small handles,
and they are made of a whites hard
wood, which is very flexible and
elastic. These padding kesos have q
regular guild of their own, and the
business often descends from father
to son. They are wonderfully expert
in the use of the paddle, and the Off
GERS carry from two to hundred OF
them with them, according to their
rank. I had one or two with me dur
ing large part of my tours, but I,
of course, did not use them.
Often half dozen men are padded
at the same time. If there are no
planks handy, they are laid fiat on the
ground on their faces, and their feet
are sometimes fastened in this posi-.
tiop in wooden stocks, 30 that they
cannot move. They are laid out in
rows, and each man has his paddler
beside him. Each paddler's arms are
bare to the shoulder, and they work
in unison. They have their paddles
raised back over their heads as far as
their arms can reach, when they are
ready for action, and they bring them
down at the cry of the under officials,
who, with swords at their sides, stand
at the head of the line of half naked
men and yell out sort of chant,
which sounds something like this:
La-hoo-aa-hoo-oo. The paddles are
raised at the first Ia, and as the final
oo-oo is uttered they are broug lit down
with crack like pistol on the bare
skin of the men, and the executioners
grunt with the exertion. They have
q way of pressing the paddle down on