Weekly independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 1887-1914, 1895-04-07
IN A CHINESE PRISON.
Conviots Unoonoernedly Waiting
to Be Beheaded
There Were No Soldiers or wardsn on
Duty and Little Children Were Play
Ing About the Piaee-Repulsire
hi CrimlnAlA

whenever / have thought of h subject;
first, why the prisoners stay there at
all; second. il determined to remain In
prison when captured, how anyone can
dare I be n criminal in China.
The buildings were none OF them
above twelve or thirteen feet high at
the Hottest part OF che roofs, and many
were much lower. The outer door, un-
/ guarded, stood open, leading to some
narrow passages with rectangular
turns. Seated drowsily in the shade
were two or three men in ordinary
Chinese outdoor dress. Some children
were playing about the alley, while n
woman or two looked on. There was
nowhere to be seen an official uniform
! indicating the presence Of a soldier or n
warder.
Inside were fifteen or twenty Zero
cious-looking creatures They were
human beings and tame, but they
looked wild; the little clothing they
wore vas in rags and tatters. \ chain
about a foot long fastened the legs of
each together, pieces of iron being bent
round the ankles and Topped into each
end of the links They were apparent
" half starved; their eyes were like
those of wild beasts; their heads and
faces were unshaven, and showed
some inches of black growth standing
straight on md. Though their queues
were plated, the hair was so RULED as
10 make the plating almost indistin-
guishable.
The place was u small courtyard
about twenty or TWENTY-FIVE feet square.
One great stall, like q cowshed. ran
round it, barred up in front with the
usual himsy round saplings, except
here and there an opening was left for
convenience of passing in and out
did not feel particularly anxious to
go in among the occupants, but as they
all walked out TO have n look ut me,
leaving the place empty, l entered.
They then came back again, and stared
at me- Possibly l was as strange i
sight to them as they were to me.
The heat was intense, and beat fierce
y upon the granite paving stones: the
heat in the stall was still greater.
Nothing that in the remotest degree re-
sembled 4 bed was anywhere to be seen;
not n bit of straw or even any rags.
There were only dirty granite slabs to
lie upon The place smclt i'll, and was
very dirty; soindeed we're the prisoners.
The guide said they were all sem
fenced to be beheadcd, and that at any
time the mandate might arrive fixing
an Immediate date for their execution.
But nobody seemed to trouble himself
in the least about the matter.
now returned TO the court only TO
find the magistrate had not arrived. /
After some timeil proposed to go. but
the guide suggested waiting for an
other ten minutes, saying hat five or
six prisoners had been sent for.
momcntarily expected them to file
IN rnde the charge OF an armed guard.
Just as l was about TO give up all hope
OF seeing the court sit, / heard the
clank of chains. Here were the prison.
ers At last.
AChinanan unattended by any guard
came in, and sat on a long low bench in
n corner of the court. He wore
hobble-chains of the usual pattcrn.
Presently another walked in. apparent
II OF his " volition, for no one was
guarding or directing him. lie also sat
down. noticed that the hobble-irong
had made sores on his ankles. and he had
tied q string round the calves of his
legs which held the pieces of bent iron
midway between his ankles and his
calves. Then another prisoner, also
unattended clanEed in, wearing one of
D square wooden collars. lie sat down.
twisted the collar characterization. and
EuPpnrted its weight by holding it's
lower apex between his knees.
He - q pirate said the guide.
The information was hardly neccs-
"try; be locker more Ike what my i'm
agination had figured a pirate TO be
than evef any picture had shown me.
All that could be seen, when he sat
down, was u lurFc diamond-shapcd
piece OF wood. with q terrible head
G!arinC in its center. bare knees and
legs WISH GTtEiCs rhaired together. and
ihgera ciasping the lower side of the
diamond, where they helped to sup
port il.
Those hands were like birds claws,
wlth long, dIrty, curved talons on them;
nus quenc Wns largo and fuzzy. like the
tai Of q Inaddcncd cat; the front half
uf his head one" sl-aTen. wore a growth
81 black hLcr standing STRAIGHT on end.
about two inches lDug-a sort of halo one
N'hH HOulu wear. Tvs
chm upper lip were covered will,
h!ac6 hair s.Cnding straight out stiniy.
Ike n bristles Of Il clothes brush
perhGps n growth Of two months.
His black cyes- never resting for n mo,
fneut. giittered like beads in the sun,
shine and. with his strong white teeth.
made strange contrast to their back,
ground Of dirty. yellow. soakcd.parch
-
mert-hke skin lie satypical pirate
Perhaps II vas not I DC wondered nj
Two months passed in such condition.
rs had cDvircDed this man would prob
ably transform The most pious-iookins
church deDcon into a pirate Of the wild
est and most bioodthirsty type. who a.
q model wonld make the fortune of
realistic painter.