The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-01-23
CHINESE THEORY OF PUNISHMENT.
1t Must BE So Terrific as to brighten
EyfIdOers.
London Telegraph.

London Telegraph.
Even pirates in China excite something
of compassion. Like the vast multitudes
they are probably short Of food, and Tor
their offense, when caught, they are cruelty
punished. In the Magistrates yamen
at Canton, there were three pirates, just
brought down for trial by one of her Males
tvs gunboa.s. These wretches, loa led
with letters, were awaiting the certainty
OF decapitation in filthy yard adjoining
the court. When / saw them they nad not
been tortured. but another was orougnt IN
who had been judicially handled the day
before. The theory or the criminal law OF
the empire is that every prisoner must VOL
unfairly confess to lis crime before ne can
be punished. In practice the confession
IL obtained by constant fortunes, repeated
day by day. or as often as the accused can
endure them, for they must at the magis-
trate's own risk, stop short or death. ms
pirate was brought in on a basket because
the day before his ankles had been broken
in the course of his torments with a wood
en- hammer and he was to be hung up
again to extract a few more crumbs OF
evidence To enter the yamen OF a CHI
nese magistrate is to plunge deep into all
the "enchantmentS of the Middle Age,
with the addition that the Oriental tor
turer takes a far keener pleasure in his
dreadful work than one would fam believe
can ever nave been the case In Europe
outside the cells of the Spanish Inquisi-
ton. With positive delight he exhibits the
blood stains on the rattan and the DAM
thick cane are needed to kill. Graphically
he illustrates the peculiar torture of tying
a. man up like trussed fowl, and tnen
breaking his muscles with repeated flows,
or hamstringing him to keep him quiet in
future. There is no elaboration OF cruelty
which is not daily practiced in a Chinese
yamen, and the numbers of the onlookers
show the light in which such sport Is pop
ularly regarded
1t is only fair to say that the Chinese
have an explanation of this theory of pun
ishment. On the whole, the country, save
in few disturbed districts, is compare
lively free from crime. while the police are
admittedly wanting in any sort of eff
cheney The Waterman, who goes his rounds
at night Yields his rattle and beats his
gong to warn intending Indicators or his
approach Close to Picking, in the city of
Ching-Ho, the policeman goes still further,
and discharges his old musket in the air
over the principal inns to let robbers know
that he is about.-a remedy in Itself both
deterrent and self-protective. For mo-
ment I was at loss TO know whom the
guardian of the peace was shooting at.
The principal value of the constable is
that in default of the actual lawbreaker
he can be logged for nondiscovery. OF far
more importance is the universal and COM
plicated system of mutual responsibility
among members OF family and neighbors
of house-that system which has its roots
so deep In the foundation of Chinese society
and there exhibits so much of the earliest
traces of civilization. All this is a great
social safeguard, but for the determined
criminal there Is little of check restraint
outside the Yamen. He may be reprobated
by his clan and his guild. but he certainly
has little police inspection. Therefore, ar
CUES the apologist- the punishment inflicted
must be of so terrific kind as to brighten
away evildoers by its mere atrocity. All
justification of the barbarous punishment
runs on the same lines. Besides, manifold
as is the subdivision and organization of
Chinese life and being, you always feel that
their attitude of mind and conception of
manners differ more widely from those of
the modern man of the West than he can
from his ancestor of the spacious times
of Queen Elizabeth. Yet, what were the
views of the Eizabethan man in regard to
torture, sanitation and magic?