The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1907-07-01
THE PRISONS IN CHINA
Fearful State of the Criminals
Confined In Them.
ALL PRISONERS FETTERED.

Dome from OTueitj 0eConc III appear
ance as Wild as Beasts of the Forest.
Punishment, For Purposes of Extor-
ton, That Kills Many.
The first thing which impresses the
European visitor to the Chinese prison
is the absolutely fimsy character of
The structure itself. If one gets per-
mission to visit the prison in Canton,
and shoals of globe trotters do wend
their way thither after they have seen
the execution ground, it will be found
to be a ramshackle building of no pre-
tense whatsoever.
The question will be asked, "By
what means are the prisoners held in
safety if the structures in which they
are incarcerated are so f1imsy and in
secure?" The answer, says the East
Of Asia Magazine, is brief. Without
exception the prisoners are fettered.
Many have chains on the legs only.
These are the less dangerous and have
been guilty of the less important
crimes. Others, in addition. have fet-
ters on the arms, which make it i'm
possible for them to escape.
Lastly. few prisoners were not only
manacled on the ankles, but wore a
chain around their necks, at the dan
Cling end of which was attached block
OF granite. The prisoner would walk
from place to place within the court
yard, but ere he could move beyond
the length of his chain he must stop
and lift the stone and, carrying it in
his shackled arms, drop it again where
he wished. to stop
In addition to the chains worn by
day, all the male prisoners are further
shackled at night. By means of two
heavy beams. in which holes have been
made for the ankles of the prisoners, a
rude but effective method is discovered
for OBTAINING the prisoners in absolute
security.
The prisoners. who during the day
have been loahng in the courtyard.
are in the evening driven into the
wards and made to lie side by side on
a raised platform. The upper of the
two beams is then raised. and each
man is compelled to place his ankle in
the hole made TO receive it, whereupon
the upper beam is replaced. and the
prisoners are held by the feet in these
rude stocks. There is no possibility
Of escape. They are allowed bricks
for pillows. and in this uncomfortable
position they pass the hours.
In addition to this, however, special
cruelties are perpetrated on certain
prisoners who, for some reason or
other. are exempted from capital pun
ishment Prisoners there are whose
appearance becomes as wild as the
Sc ho VIII
cangues on their shoulders, are incar
cerated in filthy dungeon for the
term of their natural lives. l have
seen them moving to and fro like Gagged
hyenas In their dens at a menagerie.
Their appearance is revolving.
Night and day. as far as / remember
Doth asleep and awake. this heavy bur-
den rested on their shoulders, though
how it was possible to sleep therein
was unable to understand. On the
other hand. in q prison | visited few
weeks ago ! was informed that the
cangue was removed ct nights that the
prisoners might sleep. A crowd in the
prison quadrangle. with their unshav-
en- heads. their unwashed faces. thei,
clanking letters. their hopeless looks
their diseased bodies and their BEIRUT
ed souls. can never be forgotten.
But, although under the recognized
system of punishment Chinese prison
ers must live life which to US OF tn
west would be unbearable il woule
net be SO to them il they were fairl.
treated and were saved from the e4a,
tions and berbarities TO which the
are exposed at the hands Of their r.
2acious Keepers.
When a prisoner first goes into tbs
wards the warders claim his clothe
ana his money. and he is left with th
barest rags 10 cover his nakedness
He is robbed Of all his cash. as a ma;
Ter of course. Those who are con
demned are compelled under a threa,