Walker Lake bulletin. (Hawthorne, Nev.) 1883-1926, 1895-01-16
A CHINESE PRISON.
Convicts Unconcernedly Waiting
to be Beheaded.
FERoCI0US LOOKING CREATURES
There Were no Soldiers or Wardens on
Duty and Little Children We're Play
Ing About the Place.

Hon. Florence O'Drisooll, member
of the English House of Commons, con-
tributes second paper on "Scenes in
Canton" to the January number of the
Century. This is devoted to descrip-
tion of the punishment of criminals,
and to the river population. Mr..
O'Drlscoll says of his visit to the
prison:
Since visiting this prison, l have
never ceased wondering at two things
whenever l have thought of the subject
first, why the prisoners stay there at
all; second, if determined to ,emain 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 loftiest part of the roofs, and many
were much lower. The outer dooa
unguarded, stood open, leading to some
narrow passages with rectangular
turns. Seated drowsily in the shade
were two or three men i'll ordinary Chi
nese outdoor dress. Some children were
playing about the ally, while a woman
or two looked on. There was nowhere
to be seen an official uniform indicat-
ing the presence of soldier or war
den.
Half way down an ally was gate;
it was open. Even when shut ii con-
sisted only of few wooden bars stuck
in rack, and one blow with sharp
tomahawk would cut the stoutest of
them in half while with an ordinary
penknife any of the bars could have
been whitfield through in less than half
an hour. Here mild looking China
man sat in shallow niche in the wall,
and some children ran in and out at
will.
Inside were fifteen or twenty fero-
cious-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 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 APP
parently 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 end. Though their queues
were plated, the hair was so ruffled as
to make the plating almost indistin-
guishable
The place was small courtyar,.
about twenty or twenty-five feet
/ Ono stall lilo n
shed, ran round it, barred up in front
with the usual fiimsy round saplings,
except here and there where an open
ing was left for convenience of passing
in and out
I did not feel particularly anxious
to go in among the occupants, but as
they all walked out to have look at
me, leaving the place empty, I en-
tered. They then came back again and
stared at me. Possibly l was as strange
sight to them as they We're to me.
The heat was intense, and beat fierce
ly upon the granite paving stones; the
heat in the stall was still greater.
Nothing that in the remotest degree
resembled bed was anywhere to be
seen; not bit of straw or even any
rags. There were only dirty granite
slabs to lie upon. The place smelt i'll,
and was very dirty; so indeed were the
prisoners.
The guide said they were all SEN
fenced to be beheaded, 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.
l now returned to the court only to
find the magistrate had not arrived.
After some time proposed to go, but
the guide suggested waiting for an
other ten minutes, saying that five OF
six prisoners had been sent for.
I momentarily expected them to file
in under the charge Of an armed guard
Just as l was about to give up al
hope of seeing the court sit, heart
the clank of chains. Here were the
prisoners at last
A Chinaman unattende d by ..any
guard came in, and sat on a long low
bench in one corner of the court. HI
wore hobble-ohains of the usual pat
tern. Presently another walked in
apparently of his own volition-for NJ
one was guarding or directing him
He also sat down. L noticed tha
the hobble-irons had made sores ON hi
ankles, and he had tied string rount
the calves of his legs which held tn
pieces of bent iron midway between
his ankles and his calves. Then an
other prisoner, also unattended, clanke,
in, wearing one of the square woodel
collars. He sat down, twisted tb
J collar diamond fashion, and supporte
its weight by holding its lower ape
between his knees.
'He is pirate, said the guide.
: The information was hardly nece:
3 sary; he looked more like what my in
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