New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-04-09

grees the same the world over. is less amenable
10 law than that OF downright prisons. With
every excuse that be made. their horrors
in China without mitigation. and the China
man who happens to find his way 10 jail in the
United States or In the British Empire meets
with agreeable surprise. This point also Is
illustrated in the anonymous novel already men
toned. The hero on his way to slavery falls in
with a veteran who has made many such jour
neys. This Old philosopher has pleasant recol-
lections Of the Jail at Singapore His reminis-
cences may not agree with the observations OF
more civilized travellers but they at least
pleasant to him. Every who works in
Singapore. in his opinion reeds holiday occa-
sionally. Rich men have their hOuses in the
country the poor man has the jail. The red
haired foreigners probably had this in mind
when they butt the prison II was n wise ar
rangement. and it is only necessary to tip a
Malay policeman in order TO I've arrested and
placed in this coolies paradise.
F It must be remembered that the torturcs IN
nicted in Chinese prisons and courts are not pre-
scribed by law There IS all the more reason for
remembering this in a country where lynch law
sometimes brings human being 10 the stake
and the fagot. If China Judged ty its
laws only II would compare well with almost
any European country two centuries ago. The
eide is not more horrible than the breaking Of
traitors on he wheel a punishment only given
up a few generations ago. II is where the law
is silent that the real cruelty Of Chinese judicial
methods is shown. The authority Of the maGls-
trate is practically boundless when it comes to
means for extortng testimony. and especially
confession. The accused person is treated as
guilty from the outset. No Chinese Judge ex-
poets any one to tell him the truth. This is to be
attained by shrewd questioning on the part
Of the judge himself. There are no lawyers and
no Jury and confession Of guilt being deemed
indispensable. torture follows. as a matter of
course. just it did in medieval Europe. Mr..
Norman certainly gives the impression that
torture is a normal and frequent procedure in
Chinese courts But he Is far from friendly to
China Mr. Holcombe declares that IL is eX
ceptlonal. When torture has been resor;ei to. the
officials who make reports to higher tribunals
carefully ignore the fact The majority OF
magistrates" he adds, ARE upright and humane.
even if ignorant narrow minded and super
stitous II Is amusing and yet not surprising
TO find certain antiquated and absurd methods
practsed by them which are identical both in
idea and form with those in use in the courts OF
Europe two centuries ago. a suspected muir
derer is brought into the presence OF the victim
and made to touch the body, when. If he Is
guilty the wounds will bleed afresh. In in
quests where poison is suspected as the cause of
death a silver needle is thrust into the body.
If poison was administered. the needle on being
withdrawn Will have a greenish color. The bones
are also examined In cases Of suspected poison.
and they are supposed 70 show the presence OF
the fatal drug by a similar change from their
natural appearance" OF old II was a custom
that every litigant who appeared before judge
should at the very outset be logged with thirty
strokes OF a small bamboo in order 10 convince
him that going to law was no light matter Mr..
Holcombe's assertion that torture is compare
lively rare in Chinese courts. Notwithstanding
the fact that il is winked at by the Imperial
Government, is based m long experience lie
balances ii with the recital Of a case Of bribery
/ in which he had to sit with the Chief Justice of
a province. The only persons guilty OF wrong
doing were a Chinese merchant and the inter
prefer Of the United States Consulate. The mer-
chant had taken precautions 10 arrange matters
with the Chinese authorities. The Interpreter
I turned out TO be a British subject, though a
Chnaman. and thus escaped the jurisdiction Of
the court He was discharged by the Consul. and
that was his only punishment But the case was
different with some thirty native fishermen. all
Of whom were innocent The case occurred in
Foochow, in August. when the city rocked with
cholera Seven Of the men died in prison before
the trial came on and the rest had been beaten,
starved and tortured for months In a filthy
prison before they were brought into court one
Of them unable TO rise even TO kneeling
posture was examined while living fun length on
the floor. During the examination. says Mr..
Holcombe. Il noticed him feebly fumbling In the
bosom of his tattere1 garment. and presently the
end Of a bit Of folded paper showed Itself be
tween his fingers. An attendant Of the chief
Justice sprang at once e. seize II, but my at
tendant to whom I had quietly spoken. was
quicker and secured il. The paper proved to be
a petition to me for help and protection. II de-
tailed a record Of hdeous torture. from the
effects Of which seven mer had died. though no
crime was proved or charged even against any
one Of them But so far as the Chinese parties
in the case were concerned. was absolutely
powerless and could only look on with disgust
and horror at the fearful injustice disclosed Any
attempt at Interference would have been re-
scented. and would have reacted upon the poor
wretches who appealed for help. It is but just to
say that in many years Of varied experience IN
Chinese courts. this was the only instance Of
outrageous brutality that came within my know
edge"
Nothing is more In dispute among thos> who
have travelled or lived in China than the practice
OF infantcide. It's frequency and It's rarity are
asserted with equal emphasis. II does not seem u
occur to the lisputanta that II 1t occurs at all.
this fact alone proves 1t 10 be venial offence IN
/ the eyes OF the people. Among the papers or d..
/ John Van Nest Tamage. preserved In the volume
! published as a memorial biography, there is one
! on this subject in which reference is made to de-
mails Of the practice But In the neighborhood Of
| Annoy the distinguished missionary reported that
every village gave evidence in the scarcity Of girls
| that infantlcide was common. The people showed
! their Indifference on the subject by laughing
when questioned about the disproportion in tho
number OF boys and girls seen in the streets.
They answered carelessly that most Of the girls
were killed. The same question elected the
same answer, according to Dr. Talmage IN
! every village. and the answer was given
| freely without any apparent sense Of wrong