The Red Cloud chief., 1896-12-04
HORRIBLE TORTURES.
SENSATIONAL NEWS FROM
PHILIPPINE ISLANDS.
,naulsition Instruments brought out Ma
ilyre and Halt Breeds subjected u"
Thumbscrcws and other implements os
MISUNDERSTANDING ~ Prisoners.

SAN FRANCISCO. Nov. oG.-News from
Manila brought by the steamer City OF
Peking from Hong Kong shows that
the SponiarGs have resortcd to the
torture OF natives and half.castes OF the
Philippines which surpaSs"s In its cruz
city that practiccd by the Chinese in
cases Of the most atrocious crimes.
They are also charged with coniiscat-
ing the estates of wealthy half-castcs
and dcporting these victims to fcrnan-
do Pc on the west coast OF Africa, n
place which has u climate that quickly
proves fatal.
James W. Davidson, q well known
correspondent. who was recently com
missioncd by the Hong Kong Press To
90 90 Manila. in several letters which
he Struggled through the lines. tcll,o OF
what he has seen and what he has
heard on good authority. According
to him ilc instrument ~ torture used
in the Spanish inqui,ition three cen
turtles ago had been kept in the mon
a~stcrics Of Manila and were brought
out recently and uScl TO cXtors CON
LESSONS from native and Mcsti1o SuS-
poets. He says over 5000 suspects
have been arrested and kept in Jail IN
Manila, and many have died from the
treatment 10 which they have been
subjected. he intimatrs that the
leading powers of ChriStcndom will he
called upon to Interfere and put an
end to tortures which revive the worst
features Of the Spanish inquisition.
Davidson declares hat Dominican
priests furnished the racNS, thumb
screws and other implements OF tor
turc. II Is said the method il first to
bind the prisoners hands behind their
backs So tightly that the cords cut into
the flesh. In that climate mortitica-
ton results, and many have lost their
arms, while others are permanently
crippled. After a few days. IL they re-
fuse TO confess their guilt. they are
brought into the torture chamber.
After being stripped, the alleged cul-
prit is first subjected To whipping with
rattans-200 blows or more II the vie
tim is specially obstinate. Then
thumbscrcws are brought into play.
and the poor wretch, already half
dead from beating, IN obliged t. under
20 the exquisite pain hat these little
Instruments produce.
The natives add stories of more tor
lures, which may or may not be true.
They say prisoners have been placed
against board walls and small nails
driven through each finger, holding
the arm out as in n crucihxion until
tho suffering man cries out n con
fession.
Those condemned to death are dis
posed of tho day after sentence ha-
oecn passed. These capital punish
scents usually take place in the pubs,
park, where the men, bound, ar,
placed on their knees and shot in the
back. Death is not always inStanta,
ncous. During the last shooting
thirty-four Spanish women wcr,
counted among the spectators; in fact,
the killing is looked upon to a certain
extent aS a sort of exhibition, and nc
doubt c~ompcusatcs them for the los,
OF bull fights, which have been diScon
tinued. Bands of music also play, an,
by a rendition of II pleasing program
make the performance all he more
enjoyable. In the province of Nuevr
Ecija n great deal of fighting has o.
Cured. About 900 women who sym
pnthizcd with the rebel party hav'
been killed.
To avoid sending prisoners down Il
Manila the authorities, Davidson say
have been taking groups, consistin
OF from Ave to fifteen natives, boun,
hand and foot, and pitching them int
the river to meet death by drowning
Another correspondent describes TIA
Wholesale deportation of suspects
Many Of these were wealthy. Thci
estates had been contiscatcd, and whc
ahey appeared on the steamer the
were all stripped and their none
taken from them. with all the
watches and other icwclry.