The Weiser signal. [volume] (Weiser, Idaho) 1890-1904, 1900-08-09

WEARING THE CANGUE OR COLLAR.
Chinese soul is the cage or cangue, says
the New York Press. It's principle is
that of all Chinese punishments-slow
torture A Chinaman would take no
artistic pleasure in anything that kill
ed quickly or that reached its culmina-
ton of pain quickly. His victim must
suffer little more and then a little |
more each hour In that way he makes
his delight last long and can keep a
whole string of wretches to charm him
by their slow dying for months. If he
killed them at once. his fun would be
over too soon.
The cangue, then, is formed to keep
the agony Of the penitent up for
months, till madness or death end his
sufferings 1t Is a delightfully."- simple
thing-so simple that there is nothing
at all terrifying about 1t at first sight.
1t merely is a large frame OF wood,
with a collar In the middle. 1t weighs
about so pounds and Is 30 made that 1t
can be locked around a mans neck
When 1t Is SO locked, 1t rests directly
on the muscles Of the neck and on the
bones Of the shoulder, and it is 80 con-
structed that 1t cannot be shifted even
a tenth Of an inch nor can the weight
be relieved with the hands. In addition
the collar has a sharp rim underneath.
At FIRST the victim does not suffer
much, except from inconvenience. he
Is turned loose as soon as the cangue
is locked on him. and for an hour or
two he waddles around in fair COM
fort But gradually, as the sharp
edge Of the collar cuts deeply into the
flesh of his neck and all his muscles
are drawn more and more tense, pain
begins to conquer him, and In week
the torturers have the felicity Of see
ing maddened wretch stumble and
fall around blindly, weeping and yell
ing with anguish. Remember, In add
, ton, that the cangue Is so made that
! the man In 1t cannot feed himself OF
. drink, but must depend on others
which gives his jailers the chance to
. add the torture of hunger and thirst
! to his other sufferings, and the extent
. Of this "easy" punishment may be
! estimated.
i. Implement is a popular amusement
/ A sharpened bamboo stake Is used fol
l this pleasing diversion. The sufferer
i is pinioned and laid on the ground
I Then the executioner either drives the
I. stake through him, as an insect would
1. be impaled on pin, carefully avoid
/ Ing any Immediately mortal Injury, Of
{ the stake is forced along the whole
!. length of the body, providing a dealt
I somewhat more swift, but even NOR
/ hideous to contemplate. In one un
!. speakable form Of implement the vel
/ low wretches do not carry 1t ia
I. enough to kill the victim at once, blu
+ stop lust so that he will live In In
+ credible agony for days and days ant
+ sometimes even weeks, during whicl
+ time he Is placed on public exhibition
i CrucifxIon is a common form of pun
+ ishment, but usually 1t Is only mer
i accompanying detail Of other tortures
+ Thus a man may be crucified and lef
+ In the sun to die from thirst, or b
! may be nailed to cross with his hea
i shaven and covered with sweet siru
\ to attract insects that will bite him I
G death after days Of suffering.
+ OF all punIshments that involve or,
9 cifixion, however, the one that delight
+ the official Chinese heart the most
Z ling-chee. Ling-chee is such brilliar
+ result Of ingenious thought that the e.
Z scutioners rarely nail the man who
+ to suffer this form Of punishment
Z the cross. They fear that the pain frol
that might Interfere with his EMO.
Z ment of the real performance, which
+ nothing less than slicing him to deaf
+ with diabolical skill Therefore II
man who IL to suffer llng-chee genera