The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1904-01-18

to deprive him of posterity TO offer
the sacrifices on which his spirit is to
escape starvation. his sors ana grand.
sons are also put TO death. or II in
fants are emasculated This punish
ment while not more severe physical
" than the ancient penalties for high
treason In France and England, adds
TO them the supposedly terrible result
of eternal misery.
The next punishment in order Of Sc.
verify is decapitation. which may in
voive exposure of the head In a Gaze.
simple beheading. or beheading subject
.to revision by their supreme court.
Next there Is straneulation. where the
person IS ch0ked u death by the exc
cutioner: this may be immediate. or
subjec' - revision AS beheading dis.
members the bo " and SO affects the
spirit in its hunt for fits corporeal
similitude in the other world, any
sentence oil decapilation even when
subject TO revision is considered more
severe than strangulation. although
the latter is certain and far more pain
ful.
The death sentence for some crimes
lHs dN mas ULEM AOANus NEINuAU anu All-
mediate; for those of a less degree IL.
is subject to revision BY this is
meant that the case is reported to She
judiciary board, popularly styled the
board of punishments, where the
whole case, procedure and evidence
and every circumstance is considered.
A list is then made of those, whom the
board decides should be executed by
writing their names on lines one be-
low another SO that the list is in the
form Of square They are nos writ
ten alphabetically but 50 arranged
that the names of those least guilty
are In the corners or IN the center.
This sheet is laid before the emperor
once a year. The emperor with
writing brush dipped in yermillion
ink, draws a circle in the square OF
names Those whose names are touch
ed by the red line are ordered for exc
cu-ion The others remain in the list:
but if they are not touched by the YER
million pencil for three years, their
sentences are commuted.
Below these capital sentences there
is a descending scale of lesser punish
ments, penal servi,ude for life or
years transportation for life or years,
and the bamboo. The punishment of
the bamboo means a flogging. and va
rie from ten to fifty strokes with the
light rod bamboo, 10 from sixty 10
one hundred with the heavy-the lat
ter practically a club weighing two
and one-half pounds. For all minor
offences this method OF punishment is
in constant use. and II is also used as
an additional penalty to most sentenc-
es for transportation and penal servi-
ude. Thus, the crime of adultery Is
punished by penal servitude for the
man and fogging for 'he woman; but
he the husband connived at the offense
the adulterer gets three years trans
.portation and a hundred blows, the
woman ninety blows. and the husband
also gets ninety for his completely.
To these must be added the Cangue
so often mentioned by Travellers
solid wooden frame fastened around
the neckand extending so far that tile
victim cannot reach his hands 10 his
head On this is inscribed the name
and abode of the criminal and the ma
ture of his offense. The prisoner Is
placed in custody of a guard who may
parade him in public when and as he
thinks ft The sentence may be for
few days for a month, or year or
even for life; and is usually a concom-
liant of some other penalty or an ad-
ditional punishment when one trans
ported for life or for years commits
another offense.
II is impossible in a paper like this
TO give much of an idea OF this sys-
TEN. In its classification and minute
subdivision of ofenses and penalties
proportioned TO each IL Is more exact
and precise than any other Thus
homicide is punished not only as de-
liberate, casual or accidental but with
a reference TO the relative rank ana
relationship Of the parties. A son who
killed his father would be SLICED up
into bits, but father who killed his
son for stealing was let on with a
hundred blows of the bamboo
The magistrate before whom the
complaint Is made tries the case usW
ally alone though he may invite other
magistrates TO sit with him. His bus.
mess Is to get the facts in the case
and when these are ascertafned he has
mo further discretion. The code pro-
vides the penalty. To get at the facts
he may an1 in fact must In many
cases disregard the direct statements
Of the witness, but must conduct a
cross examination; and IL he believes
witness is lying may slap his face
with his slipper or order him thrown
down and beaten with O bamboo or
even tortured until the evidence CIV
en- is such as he thinks Il should be.
He may also subject the prisoner him
1 self to the same kind Of torture in
cases of probable guilt 10 compel him
TO confess.
4 The marriage laws Of Cbina are ex'
tremelycomplicated. but are intimate
\ " connected with and enforced by the
criminal law Thus a marriage unlaw-
/ ful by reason of pre-contract. or be.
cause contracted within prohibited
iperiods or between prohibited rela-