Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1895-02-07
IN a CHINESE PRISON.
Convicts Unconcernedly Waiting
to Be Beheadcd.
There Wore No Soldiers or warders on
Duty and Little Oh Idren Were Play
ing About the Piace-Rspuisive
Looking Criminals.


Since visiting this priso... writes Hon
Florence O'Driscoll. in Century have
never ceased wondering at Two things
whenever have thought Of the subject:
first, why the prisoners stay there at
all; second, if determined to remain in
prison when captured, how anyone can
dare to be criminal in China.
The buildings were none of them
above twelve or thirteen feet high at
the Hottest part of the roofs. and many
were much lower The outer door. I'M
guarded, stood open, leading 10 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 q
woman or two looked on. There was
nowhere to be seen an official uniform
indicating the presence of soldier or a
warder.
Inside were fifteen or twenty fero-
eions-looking creatures. They were
human beings and tame. but they
looked wild; the little clothing they
wore was in rags and tatters. A chain
about a foot long fastened the legs of
each together, pieces OF iron being bent
round the ankles and looped into each
end of the links. They were apparent
~ half starved; their eyes were like
those of wild beasts; the r heads and
faces were unshaven. and showed
some inches of black growth standing
straight on end Though their queues
were plated, the hair vas SO ru.iled as
TO make the plating almost indistin-
guishable.
The place was small courtyard
about twenty or twenty five feet square
One great stall, like cowshed, ran
round il, barred mp in front with the
usual ilimsy round saplings, except
here and there an opening was left for
convenience of passing in and out.
did not feel particularly anxious to
20 IN among the occupants, but as they
all walked out to have a look at me,
leaving the place empty. | entered.
They then came back again, and stared
at me- Possibly | was as strange
sight TO them as they were to me
The heat was intense, and beat fierce
y upon the granite paving stones; the
heat ia the stall was still greater.
Nothing That in the reinntestdegree re
senibled ! bed was any where to be seen;
not hit Of straw or even any rags
There were only dirty granite slabs to
lie upon. The place snelt ut, and was
very dirty; so indeed were the prisoners.
The guide said they were all SEN
fenced TO be beheuded. and that at any
time the mandate might arrive fixing
an immediate date s4r their execution.
liut nobody seemed 20 trouble himself
in the least about the matter
uow returned to the court only to
find the magistrate had not arrived.
After some timeil proposed to 90, but
the guide suggested waiting for am
other ten minutes, saying that Eve or
six prisoners had been sent for.
momentarily expected them to Gle
in under the charge of an armed guard.
just rs | was about to give up all hope
of seeing the court sit. heard the
elank Of chains. Here were the prison
ers ut last.
4 Chinaman unattended by any guard
came in, and sat on long low bench in
one corner OF the court He wore
of the usual pattern.
Presently another walked in, apparent
~ of his own volition, for no one was
guarding or directing him. He also sat
down. | noticed that the hobble-irons
had made sores on his ankles, and he had
tied "a 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, clanled in, wearing one of
the square wooden collars. He sat down,
twisted the collar characterization, and
supported its weight by holding it's
lower apex between his knees
He is pirate" said the guide.
The information was hardly neces-
sary; he looked more like what my inn
agination had figured a pirate TO be
than ever any picture had shown me.
All that could be seen, when he sat
down. was large acknowledged
piece of wood, with terrible head
glaring in its center, bare knees and
legs with ankles chained together, and
fingers clasping the lower side of the
diamond, where they helped TO sup
port it.
Those hands were like birds claws,
with long, dirty, curved talons on them:
his queue was large and fuzzy, like the
tail Of a maddened cat; the front half
of his head, once shaven. wore a growth
of black fiber standing straight on end,
about two inches long IA sort of halo one
might imagine devil would wear. His
chin and upper lip were covered with
black hair standing straight out stifily,
like the bristles of clothes brush
perhaps the growth of two months
Ills black eyes, never resting for mo.
ment glittcrcd like beads in the sun
shine, and, with his strong white teeth,
made strange contrast 10 their back
ground Of dirty, yellow, S,sllScd-parch-
ment-likc skin He wns a typical pirate.
Perhaps II WAS not To be wondered at.
Two months passed in such conditions
rs had environed this man would prob.
ably transform the slost pious looking
church deacon into pirate Of the Wild
80 and most hloodthirstv type. who as