Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1909-06-10
CRUELT|ES IN CHINA,
Torture of Prisoners Carried to
Point of Refinement.
HOME OF THE WATER DEATH.

A Worse InfIiction Than That of Being
Tied to a Beam by the Thumbs and
Big Toes-The Bastinado and FIoq-
ging With Split Bamboo.
China is q land of contradictions and
mysteries. 1t bristles with surprises.
The phlegmatic nature of its natives
is in marked contrast to their Inherent
cruelty.
What poor, weak looking babyr'
you might say to a Chinaman about
his offspring, and he will merely shrug
his shoulders in reply. Meet him in a
months time and ask him how the
youngster is getting on.
THE disease was a fatal one" he
will answer, with another significant
shrug. If the child were girl you
could safely draw your own conclu-
sions as to its fate John Chinaman
has no use for deformed or very sick
~ children, particularly girls.
Torture of prisoners has been car
ried to a point of refinement. One of
the most terrible was surely the cage
in which man was placed so that his
head just protruded at the top, while
his toes only touched the ground suf-
ficiently to prevent dislocation Of the
neck
His hands were bound behind him
so that he could not relieve himself,
and he was left to be jeered at by the
public until hunger and exhaustion put
an end to his sufferings.
The day of the bastinado too, is by
no means over. The prisoner is strung
up in q reverse condition, and the
naked soles of his feet are pounded
with q cane, with the result that the
victim seldom RECEIVERS.
But the more common form of fog
ging is to beat the thighs with the
concave side of a split bamboo, which
cuts at every stroke into the flesh.
China, by the way, was the home of
that terrible death by water drops.
The victims head was placed on a
low hard, block, and drops of water
at short intervals were allowed to fall
from a height on to his forehead-a
far, far worse inf1ictiOn than that Of
being tied to a beam by the thumbs
and big toes.
The cangue is regarded as a com
paratively mild sort of punishment.
This consists Of a wooden collar, about
four feet square and four inches thick,
which is placed over the prisoners
head, so that it's full weight falls on
the shoulders
A description of the offense is also
attached to the victims body, and as
he cannot feed himself he has to rely
on the public for sustenance.
Conservative to degree, it is not
surprising to find that the Wheelbar-
row as a passenger conveyance is still
in vogue, as, too, is the ferry, consist
ing of a light canoe, towed across the
water by a number of swimmers.
Machinery for the most part is de-
spised, and the mill, still used for win
moving the staple diet, rice, is of the
simplest and most out of date descrip-
ton possible.
The rice is placed in a cement basin,
over which is heavy stone at the end
of q long lever. This is worked up and
down by two boards, in the form of a
cross, attached to the axle of a huge
hand turned wheel.
For simplicity of keeping a city in
formed of the time Canton would be
hard to beat In one Of the temples
are four large earthen jars on success
sive shelves.
Water descends by slow drops from
one to the other a brass scale on a
float in the bottom one indicating as 1t
rises the hour Of the day.
At 5 o'clock every afternoon the low
est jar IS emptied and the upper one
refilled. On the outside walls Of the
city are displayed boards with the
number of the hour on them, SO that
all may see. And this has gone on
without a break since 1921.
Funerals appear almost mockery to
the visitor. If money can be freely
spent manager is appointed, and
from the highways and the byways
street boys and beggars are collected,
dressed up in amazing costumes, sup
piled with dazzling umbrellas, stand
ards and boards, which are carried
over their shoulders In a long struggle.
Others carry small houses and carts
made of card paper, horses, men, WON
en-, etc, indicative Of the dead ones
treasures, and these, with heaps of pa
per coins and paper money, are burn
ed at the grave SO that they may be
enjoyed In the life beyond.
Hired moRrners with cymbals, gougs
and wind instruments keep up con,
tinuous series Of howis and noises, to
which is added the boohoo, boohoo
of an ear racking horn worked some
thing like a garden hose.
Women are regarded as nothing in
China. They are brought up in ig.
norance of the world outside, the one
object Of their life being to get mar
ried and have sons to follow the IA
TIERS A girl is not even allowed ia
look upon her husband until she is ac'
tualIy wedded.-London Ladies' Field.