The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1898-12-20
CHINESE JUSTICE.
1T Is Melted Out With VigOr Tha
Shocks Europeans.

Shocks Europeans.
One night we halted at place called
Hungay, which in the stern, stiff Ian
guage of "The Universal Gazetteer"
may be said to be small town in the
Yunnan province of China; population
about 5000; products, fleas and other
small deer. We were making a hurried
escape from the wretched place when
Lowe suddenly missed his camera. Five
minutes before starting it was strapped
on the machine, bat now it was gone.
A swift run was made to the inn. Had
the landlord seen it? No, he had not,
and besides he didn't want to be dis
turbed. for he was eating rice. Had
anybody seen the camera? Not soul.
There was nothing for it but a visit
to the mandarin az the yamen. He was
a kindly young fellow of about our own
age. He listened quietly while the loss
was explained, and when he understood
there had been thieving he turned the
color of paper with rage. A troop of
soldiery was dispatched to the inn with
orders to arrest everybody.
There is Chinese proverb about the
advisability of the dead keeping out Of
hell and the living out of yamens
Landlord, cook, sweeper, stable cleaner
and all the hangers on were, however,
marched to the yamen in chains, and
every one was trembling with fright
There was much confused jabbering
In the end one of the men was marched
away, but in ten minutes he was brought
back with the camera. His countenance
proclaimed him an arrant rogue, and
when the mandarin saw that the leather
case had been cut open with a knife
and was informed that three photo
graphic appliances were still missing
his rage was unbounded. Putting on his
magisterial robes, he sentenced the thief
to be thrashed. He held up one hand as
an inquiry if so strokes would be suffi-
cient punishment. Plenty, intimated
the foreigner. Down was the man pitch
ed on his face, the legs tied, the flesh
barred and heavy fell the blows.
"Well," said Lowe, "as I've been
put to considerable inconvenience over
this rascal, think I'll take a snap shot
of his thrashing." And one was taken.
The beating went on and on, the ruffian
screamed and blood was running from
the wounds ON his limbs.
"Hasn't he had the so yet?" was
asked.
"Fifty! Why his punishment is soc
strokes, and he has not had 400 yet"
A plea was put forward for mercy,
but the mandarin, with his lips tight
would not listen. 1t was no good telling
him that the quality of mercy was MOI
strained, or that it droppeth like tn,
| dew from heaven or that it became the
monarch better than his crown. He wa
paid to punish offenders, and he wal
| going to punish them. However, it wa
soon all over, and the wretch lay OF
the ground groaning, writhing ant
bleeding.
Then in marched the soldiery will
five other men heavily manacled. Th
| prisoners fell on their knees and pu
their foreheads on the ground. TIL
mandarin heckled the lot like Partisan
| judge. He fixed on one as the ringleade
of the robbery. If 500 stripes was tn
| punishment of an aceomplice, wha
must be the chastisement of the thief il
| chief? Torture was reserved for him.
| He was made to sit on his haunches
His wrists were tied tightly in front @
his knees, and pole was stuck betwee
his arms and his legs and then reste
on two tables, so that the culpri
swung head downward. Strong twin
was slip knotted about each big toe
and two of the soldiers pulled apart
This necessarily brought tremendou
strain on the roped wrists. They BLACK
ened Immediately.
The agony must have been excrucia
ing. for the man screamed. He bega
curling and twisting, but soldier wer
forward and put his foot on the thief
dragging pigtail and SO kept his hea
down. The victim foamed at the moutl
and whenever he was ON the point
losing consciousness he was raised U
by the cue to give him breathin
space, swung head downward agail
and the twine about his toes tugged.
was in vain for the foreigner to appei
, that the barbarous torture should ceas
, There was nothing for it but to forsal
the sickening and revolving spectacle
Travel
/