The Savannah morning news., 1904-10-09

their variety and CHASTITY in their eff
fects. One of the worst is a thin
knife used in the process of faying
alive. This knife is almost identical
with specimens of the fiaying knife of
the Middle Ages which are preserved
in European museums. The Chinese
never allow Europeans to witness the
operations of their torture chambers,
If they can help it but from accounts
of their process of faying, it would
seem to be precisely the same as that
once used in Europe.
In the pages of an old French
hronicler-Froissart, if the writer's
memory serves-there is an account,
given with horrifying detail, of the
faying of the archer who killed Rich
ard Occur de Lion. In Book of
Tortures prescribed for Recalcitrant
Criminals" published by authority of
the Board of Corrections at Pekn,
there is a description of the Chinese
haying process which talles with the
other one almost exactly.
Chinese TOrtures.
The thumbscrew and the rack, in
somewhat different forms, are used to-
day in China: and the terrible punish
ment of ling li"-"death by the thou
sand cuts"-is a thoroughly medieval
institution. 1t was practiced in
II IdllCC anu OlHGT pdILS Ol Europe ID
an alternative to breaking on the wheel
which, again, is a mode of execution
sometimes employed in China to this
day.
The fact that medieval instruments
of torture are employed in Tibet is not
new. When A. Henry Savage Lam
DOR the English traveller and author,
made his vain effort to reach Lhasa in
1898, he was captured by the Tibetans
i
so atrociously that he was i'll for
months afterwards and has never prop
erly regained his strength. He as
serted on his return to Simla that the
instruments with which he was tor
tured resembled those used in Europe
in the Middle Ages.
One of them was like that dreadful
implement known in England and Scot
land as "the boot" which famed man
badly for life even IL it did not kill him.
Fortunately, this was not used on Mr.
Lander to its worst extent. but he
limped for q year or two after his re-
turn from Tibet. If he does not still
do so.
FeudaI Systems of To-day.
When Mr.. Lander got back TO Eng
land he, went TO the Tower of London
and pointed out two or three ancient
instruments of torture preserved there
as being similar to those used upon
him.
But torture is not the only medieval
institution in the world to-day. There
are al least three countries which are
governed on feudal systems closely ap-
proximating to those of medieval Eu-
rope. They are Abyssinia, Afghanis-
tan and Morocco.
The power Of Menelik, the wise and
warlike Ethiopian emperor with whom
the United States has recently con-
tracted a treaty of amity and COM
merce, rests upon a feudal basis, and
his army which did so we'll against
the Italians is entirely feudal In its
character.
The country ls divided into provinces.
each governed by a "Ras.' whose po-
sition and power correspond closely TO
those OF the ancient barons OF Eng
land. Ras Makonnen, the greatest of
these chleftains, might well be COM
pared to those powerful mobiles who
appear from time TO time In the his
tory OF France. Germany and England
with armies and castles strong enough
to enable them 10 bid defiance to the
king or dictate the policy Of the coun-
try.
Makonnen is on very good terms
with Menelik. and will probably be his
successor: but Menelk could no more
AFFORD to quarrel with him, I'm all prob
ability. than the King OF England IN
1891 could have afforded TO quarrel
with that doughty Baron Percy who
wrote 60 Boniface III. that his mon
arch was not answerable 70 any for
eign tribunal.
stronghoids Of Abyssinta.
Each "RAs" OF Abyssinia has a
stronghold OF bis esyn. which Is gar