Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1896-08-26
A TIGER OF THE LAW.


in yellow silk lay before him, which
bid fair to give the brave mandarin a
headache. 1t was an official letter.
A weighty matter it was for Chi
Hung Lang-to be or not to be, in fact.
In case he succeeded in doing what was
asked Of him he would receive the Sec
ond peacock feather and the red button
for his cap, but if he failed the soles Of
his feet would certainly become in
timately acquainted with the bamboo.
And there were such beautiful, strong,
elastic banlboos in the town hall for
such purposes. He had tried every stick
with his own hands on one Of his in
feriors in Office
For Chi Hung Lang was the highest
judge of the province and bore the title
Of honor, "tiger Of the lawbook. +"
In criminal circles and among those
learned in the law his name was great
ly respected. He understood the law SO
we'll and could expound it so infinitely
that he once succeeded by brilliant
plea in having 2-hour-old infant SEN
fenced to IS years imprisonment.
There was no one in all the land with
clear conscience, at least no one who
felt secure, for Chi Hung Lang had once
declared that in his opinion every re-
spectacle citizen ought to sit on the
criminals bench at least once during
his lifetime, and he was just the man
to put his theory into practice.
It cannot be denied that Chi Hung
Lang, with his method Of administering
Justice, accomplished great results II
any one had the least reason to fear the
law, he moved into another province.
This solved the tramp question at least.
II the tiger Of the lawbook had not
occasionally instituted a practice law
suit, the judges Of the land would have
had nothing to do but smoke their opium
in undisturbed leisure.
At this time the prison Of the prov
ince Of Yen-si-ling, over which Chi
Hung Lang ruled, had been without
an inmate for eight days. 1t was abso-
lutely impossible to find wrongdoer.
The beautiful prison, with it's 8Ss
cells, electric lights, fogging machines
and torture chamber equipped with all
the modern improvements, was empty
empty as Chinese lieutenant's purse
on the goth of the month.
This is the reason that Chi Hung
Lang's heart quaked and his feet tin
gled with misgivings:
Five years before this the above men.
toned model prison had been built by
the son Of heaven at an enormous cost,
and it had been made SO large at the ex.
press wish Of Chi Hung Lang. The vice.
roy now announced that he would in.
spect the prison in three days and hoped
to find it comfortably well filed. The
writing ended with the ominous figures
"25." Oh, how poor Chi Hung Lang's
feet burnedl twas just like the Mikado.
But where was he to get S82 Nanki
Poohs without stealing them? 1t was
hardly to be expected that any one
would volunteer. But the viceroy want.
ed to see the fogging machine and the
hydraulic gallows in actual operation
during his inspection. Here the terrible
number IS appeared again. Oh, how
the feet Of the tiger Of the lawbook
burnedl There was no escape. An un-
lawful act he would not have commit
ted, and at any rate there was no time
to manufacture several hundred com.
plants and try the cases in the usual
way. Oh, if only he had more time
And Chi Hung Lang rubbed his head
doubtfully. He had very long head,
had Chi Hung Lang, tiger Of the law.
book.
At this moment his pupil and favor
lite practitioner, Ka-cha-lo, entered the
room with a newspaper in his hand and
horror in his face.
Read, MASTER" he said.
It was copy Of a comic paper, The
Dragon Claw. which contained ma
licious item ridiculing the large feet Of
Chi Hung Lang's wife.
Ka-cha-lo had expected his master to
fly into q passion and at least breat] J
out fire and smoke or some exhibition
Of the kind.
Nothing Of the sort took place. The
mighty man Of law danced around the
room in his glee until his cue upset all
the candles, crying; II am savedl
shall fill my prison! ] shall get my 8Sa
prisonersl" Ka-cha-lo said in astonish.
ment, "Only one. I think-the RESPONSE
BILE editor Of The Dragon Claw.
young man." replied Chi Hung
Lang, what do you know about law
How about his accomplices?"
But do you think he has $50 Of
themp'' ventured Kn-cha-lo.
'He has as many as Ineed," was the
wise answer.
Ka-cha-lo, more astonished than ever,
left the room, saying, "What a MANI
Two days afterward proceedings were
begun.
Eight hundred and thirty. two persons
had been accused Of being parties to the
offepse or Of spreading abroad the con-
tents Of the libelous sheet. AS matter
of course the editor was first indicted,
then the assistant editors, the publish.
ers, the owners of the printing Office,
the printers, the folders, the compost
tors and the proofreaders, the janitors;
also his wife, who had brought him his
breakfast and 10 refreshed him that he
was able to take part in such scanda.
lous doinga The porter Of the building
did mot escape, for had he not allowed
the bundles Of papers to be carried out
without protest? Neither were ths