The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1912-01-12
DAYIN CHINESE COURT.
American Describes the Way the &C.
lestials Dispense Justice.

body of interesting people were shut
ting themselves up from your obser-
vation you would be grateful for
window through which you might see
some of their unfamiliar behavior.
China is such a walled-ia- country
where eyesight does not readily pene-
trate; but perhaps the best point Oh
view for customs, motives and char
acter seen at close range is the daily
process of the courts. Many travellers
have recorded their visits to the seats
of Chinese Justice, the bastinado, the
prisoner kneeling on chains, the long
pillory sentence in the cangue, and
others sometimes went out in the
morning to see criminals .decapitated.
Such scenes are now hard to see, for
the Chinese have suspicion that their
system of justice shocks the western
mind. Torture still goes on, both as a
punishment and to elicit testimony, for,
as a former Chinese minister to the
United States explains, it is doubtful
whether Chinese witnesses could be
depended on to give true evidence
without torture.
T spent a day in a court through
which passed a succession of cases IL
Illustrating many occult habits OF the
Chinese mind. This is the so-called
mixed court, for the international
settlement of Shanghai; that is, for
the area of that city set apart for all
the foreigners except the French. This
external government has jurisdiction
over the large Chinese population llV-
ing in the settlement. The standing
magistrates of the criminal section
are Chinese, but with them sits upon
the bench every day an assessor"
that is, a representative of England,
Germany or the United States. BY
invitation of the American assessor,
Mr.. Butler, I was allowed to sit be-
hind the rail alongside the judges, and
within hail of the European police Of
fcers, one or the other of whom trans
lated for me when the proceedings
were not otherwise clear. The court
is held in a room of the European
type, with the usual apparatus of
witness box, and railings, and spec
tators, and court officials.
On one side stands row of the
dreaded Chinese runners the ma
tive agents Of the court, who ar
kind of cross between the detective,
the deputy sheriff and the agent pro-
vocateur. Near them sit or stand the
police sergeants, Scotchmen and Irish
men. In the back of room lounge some
Sikh police, big, handsome men in
gorgeous turbans, and also some ma
tive police in reversed washbasin hats.
On the judges table lie two records
and charge sheets, one in Chinese, tn
other in Ec cSlish. The Chinese ms.
istrate speaks in Mandarin, which an
Interpreter repeats in Mandarin or in
local dialect; there is also an inter-
prefer for the foreign counsel and
witnesses.
A bad-looking Chinaman whom the
policeman shoves in by his que is
charged with stealing property worth
$500; his defense is that the COM
plainant is a lair; the court gives him
a week in Jail. He is a type of the
professional criminal. A loafer who
can not give a good account Of two
sheets Of galvanized iron is sentenced
to one day in jail to give him chance
to remember. A building contractor
appears upon whose job an apprentice
boy has been killed by the breaking
of hosting machinery; in quite mod
ern fashion photographs are introduce
ed in evidence. The man is also ac-
cused of attempting to bury the dead
boy without giving notice to his INT
ents; the life Of a boy is no great mat
ter, but neglect to inform the family
would be contrary to Chinese moral
ity; the evidence on that point is
doubtful, but the contractor is fined
$40 for not reporting the accident to
the police
The next series of cases could not
occur outside Of China, where the
stealing of children is regular trade,
practiced often to provide little
drudges to those in need of them, but