Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1909-08-07

/ Such things ilssve been abolished hers
in Manchuria, and, understand, III
China, as well.
spent the greater part of today in
going through the new prisons Wnicn
/ have just been built here at Mukdell.
They are far different from those I
have visited din China A few years ago
/ went through the jails at Shanghai,
notWtth standing q warning that tna
prisoners might tear my clothes OFT
| IL | did so On my way to the prisons
I saw many men loaded with Gang ues.
| One was standing In a framework 50
hung by his neck that his toes barely
| touched the ground. i could smell the
prison before came to II, and was
almost sckened by the terrible stencil
as went through. The buildings were
low Chinese structures, without floors
or sanitary conveniences, The con-
yicts were chained to the walls like
wild beasts, and some had chains about
the neck as we'll as the feet. The pris-
on had its dead house connected with
1T, and deaths from starvation and tor
ture were common, The jailers got
most OF their incomes from squeezing.
They had the right to sell food to the
no money were likely to starve Tho
law gave each man certain fixed ra-
TONS but the TALLER could furnish less
or more as he pleased.
The prisons / have visited here arc
In costly buildings covering acres, and
I found the criminals treated like men,
not beasts. 1t was through the courtesy
Of Liang Yu Ho, the counselor of the 4
vIceroy, that was able to inspect
them. Mr.. LANG is a graduate of Yale 4
College, and as such is glad ITO have
America know what his country is do
ing along the lines Of our civilization.
He sent two English speaking Chinese
pf33 M ,1e tToctflrs OPT
penitentiary accompanied us as We
went through the wards. We visited
two prisons during the morning, and in
one we found $40 conyicts working
away at all kinds Of la Dor.
This latter prison covers about four
acres. II is surrounded by a. wall Of
gray brick. IL feet high, and its front
gate is guarded by two six-foot ManctuA
soldiers who presented arms as We Ell, II
tered The buildings are large one
story structures made of gray brick 1
and heavy tiled roofs. They are SO /
built that they form a series of; wings
running out from a central point like
the spokes Of a wheel, so that the
guards standing at the hub can com
mand four sor five aisles at one time.
The cells face the aisles on each side, 4
and the architecture altogether is not
unlike that of our best prisons at
home.
These buildings are situated in courts, 4
one Of which we entered as we came
through the gate. At the same time a
gang of rs conYicts marched in to take
their afternoon meal They had been
working on5the roads outside the pris-
on. asked the director to stop them
In the sunlight, that I might make a
snapshot with my camera. He did so
md had n good chance to study them.
The conyicts ara tall burly fellows,
weighing, venture. one-third more
than the average Chinese of America.
They all wear queues and their faces
are about the same, as those of the
Tartars see on the streets The pris-
on dress is of a jacket or coat which
falls to the hips and a pair of thick
trousers which look as though they
were made of quilted comforts such as
we use on cur beds. The material is
wadded cotton. The color is light gray.
except on the back where a. cross OF
dead black is painted. Each man wears
shoes of pigskin, and his legs are so
chained together that he can take but
onASshort step at q tirne.
AS looked asked the director to