The Holbrook news., 1911-12-01
TALE OF HORROR TOLD
MISSIONARY TELLS OF AWFUL
 CHINESE PUNISHMENT.
Tortures of Prisoners and Almost Un- belleVable Penalties Exacted by Official Sanction-How De sertine Soldiers Were
 Disciplined.


 Kansas City, Mo.-Chinese military discipline Is something fierce, accord Ing to Dr. A L. Shelton, of Anthony. Kan. who has just returned from the land of the pigtail- The doctor tells this bIood-curdling story of the cruelty rracticed upon a good friend of his who was a major in the Chinese army:
 Three companies of Chinese sol diers under the majors command, but stationed in a different city, rebelled and deserted. taking their arms and ammunition As the Chinese army is in the main made up of men who accept the service in place of a penal sentence, the most rigid rules are en- forced heartlessly to get a minimum of service and discipline. They are paid the equivalent of $2.40 a month. on which they must subsist To them starvation is always imminent and a dead dog or mule or other animal. even when dead of disease, is greed fly cooked and eaten
 'HThe major was held responsible for his rebellious troops, and only the intercession of the commanding gen. eral of the district. who got down on his knees and begged for the life of his subordinate to the civil governor, saved his head
 "The punishment was modified to dismissal from the army and 2.00O light blows from a small paddle. The paddle used is from one to one and a half inches wide, IS inches long and probably the eighth of an inch thick In administering it the thighs are barred, and light. even blows are struck on the thick flesh between the hip and knee, the victim lying pros trate on his face. The paddle is used with a sort of a flip and for some time makes no impression; 500 blows makes the flesh red and puffy, 1,5OO brings the flesh to a jelly-like consistency, and 2,00O marks the limit of torture a strong man may endure and live.
 Often gangrene sets in and the vic tim dies; with the best of treatment it Is moaths before the man padded can use his legs naturally. In the case of the major the flesh sloughed oil his thigh an inch and a half deep. five inches broad and 17 inches long. He expected to get well, but his legs would always be crippled. The re- bellious troops were pursued, 200 of them were killed in action and the balance brought to camp for behead- ing Eighteen of the soldiers were given swords and required to cut gashes in the flesh of their captain who was unable to prevent their re- bellion, then they were beheaded be- fore the captain.
 ITO stimulate other officers to great CT zeal in handling their men the cap tain was then taken in hand by the official executioner who had bound him to a big stake for the men to gash with swords. With a keen knife the lips of the captain were sliced oil. then his nose. later his eyelids were cut of and his eyeballs were exposed to the pitiless sun- After few hours the skin of the forehead was cut away and allowed to drop over the blinded eyes. hanging by the corner edges. Then later the breasts were cut of. all but the skin at the lower edge, and allowed to hang; if the victim sur vived that, and the captain did, then the flesh covering the bowels was cut away and allowed to hang apron fash ion while the wind and sun dried, and flies and vermin fed upon the blood and cut flesh. In this case the cap l tain. long unconscious. died with dis emboweling; in cases where a man survives that. then a knife is plunged | in his heart at the end of the day of horrible torture"