The Chanute times. [volume] (Chanute, Kan.) 1897-1913, 1908-02-28
The Cangue.

witness. And the effect of that uni
versal and deadly system OF bribery Is
only too apparent, system that saps
the strength and ability of China to
become a great country, for from one
end of the kingdom to the other there
is no disinterested desire for ad-
vancement; only case of the big fsh
eating up the little ones-and no man
so great that he cannot be bought.
If prisoner condemned to be be-
headed will pay the eXecutioner a TAT
bribe he may expect to be sent out OF
existence with neatness and dispatch
after being heavily drugged with
opium. But If he refuses, he must sur
fer a clumsy execution that will be at
tended by torture and pain before the
end finally comes. Even in the simple
and less painful bambooinS, a bride
will induce the whipper to hold the
bamboo stiff, causing much less pain
than If allowed to bend and spring
1t appeared that only those of the
criminals who could not purchase ran
som were executed. Those who had
$50, or friends that could supply that
sum, were liberated on payment OF the
same to the mandarin OF the district.
The lucllless 29 had apparently Meth
err friends nor money. So they were
ma, shaled out of prison under
strong guard of soldiers; and, like the
prisoners in our Sing Sing who are al
lowed for their last meal the best that
the prison cuisine affords, these male
factors were furnished any mode OF
conveyance at the disposal of the au-
thorities to convey them to the place
of execution.
The condemned we're marshaled in
line, and required to kneel on all
tours" before the mandarin and his
suite. All knew the procedure. and
there was no confusion. The heads
man, armed with q keen, broad-bladed
sword, stepped out If this gentleman
should fail to sever the head of his
victim in three blows, his own would
ne forfeit. But in this instance he did
his work with both certainty and ce-
lerity. Approaching the frs in line,
he gave a swift, swinging blow on the
back of the neck and a decapitated
head rolled onto the sword.
This dreadful system of bribery and
squeezing" is the canker at the heart
of China. Everyone expects 1t from
everyone else; even the children are
not to be trusted. A Chinese woman
sends her child to chow shop, and
weighs the food when it is brought
home to see that her own child is not
squeezing" her.
In making change, the smallest boy, as
salesman. will keep back two or three
cash" Should you say: How fash
ion you steal my cash? You blong
alice same as t'ief," he will indignant
ly answer: MY no b1ong t'ief; my
ketchie you watch. then b'long t'ief,
but my just make little squeeze"
II would seem as If all the horrible
punishments so publicly administered
would effectually prevent even the
most reckless and hardened from
committing crime, but it doesn't seem
to do so, and the courts go on flourish
ing on the brides extorted and the
money paid by innocent people to
keep out of court, for it is openly
averred that a Chinese court of JUS
tice, among other delinquencies, is not
even above blackmail.
It is not surprising that among the
people are such sayings as Tigers and
snakes are kinder than judges or run
ners." or In life. beware Of courts; in
death. beware Of HE'LL"