The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1917-09-20
uIstrIct Magistrates Are Both
Judge and Jury.
story Of Oriental Solomon Who Uasd
Basket as Witness Throws Light
on Court Methods.

on Court Methods.
The men who really govern China
una VINO make life happy or miserable
hor the people are the district magis-
,raLes. There are about fifteen hun.
urea or them In all. These men unite
III themselves many various Offices
ihey are coroners, sheriffs, tax collec-
road surveyors and forest com
Sioners. They are superIntendents
noois and overseers Of the poor,
s3hey nre ut the head Of the state
on, and worship at the TEMPLES
e on specified days. There Is scarcely
any matter into which they may not
pry and for which they are not held
responsible.
The administration Of justice is in
their hands. In the court of Justice
there are no juries, lawyers or men
VINO are entitled to speak for the cul-
Drit. The parties to the suit, whether
civil or criminal, kneel before the mag
1strate, who, sitting in his official chair,
asks such questions as he sees fit. and
rs soon as he thinks he has discovered
the truth, brings In his verdict Either
party may appeal; still, as the expense
or lawsuit Is higher proportionally
than in America, that is not often
done.
1t VIII at once be apparent that such,
"a man must possess keen mind, n
sgood knowledge Of human nature, and
4 me fertile In expedients. Above oil, he
SAmust be man of decision; not be-
cause Immediate action Is required but
I'm order to sustain his own dignity
s3and command the respect of the
3people. The magistrate who hesitates
his Idespised.
some years ago Chinaman who
!" owned a mill where he pressed oil
from beans was visited by n nelghbor,
iwho came to borrow an immense bas-
iKet used by the oil man to receive
the bean refuse after the oil had been
extracted. The Chinese are quite
neighborly, so the request was grant.
Ied, and the neighbor, who was miller,
carried the basket home to use for
holding bran.
Time went on and the following fall
the OIL man asked for the return Of the
basket. To his surprise, the miller
Fclaimed the basket as his own. In
spite Of the fact that there were no
witnesses, the oil man went to law,
land the case came before the district
magistrate.
-, The magistrate asked each man to
atell his story, which he did. Each man
]also acknowledged that he could not
q produce witnesses. The magistrate
4 3recognlzed that his own reputation was
iat stake, and also that 1t was case
where righteous decision would
greatly enhance his reputation. He
did not hesitate.
4. Bring In the basket" he said. He
mad already determined In his own
'inihd mat In all probability the oil man
EWas In the right, for he felt that no
man In his senses would be likely tn
!g1 to law Hho"t so cheap an article
unless 1t were really his.
AS soon as the basket was brought
an, the magistrate, with a severe frown,
addressed 1T in these words: "NIr. Bas-
ket, each Of these two men here in
court claims you as his own property.
There are no witnesses as to which is
telling the truth. Now order YOU to
tell us to which Of them you belong.
What, you remain silent! Are you not
aware that l am the magistrate Of this
county? If you do hot reply ut once, I
snail order you to be severely nun.
ished! Still silentl Here. sergeant.
get your paddle, turn over this buskct
ara Siyc him q hundred blows!"
The underllngs who were present
had great difficulty In keeping their
Snces straight, but they had to obey,
land accordingly the man who was
= wont to use the stick for beating I'M
willing witnesses proceeded to beat the
basket. He had not delivered many
blows before the Oil, which had been
concealed by the bran, began to ooze
forth.
"ILold on" said the magistrate
that Is enough! I thought I should
make this basket speak. 1t is evident
that he belongs to the oil man. Take
out the miller and give him five hun
drcd blows, and you, Mr. Oh Man,
carry home your basket" t."--Youth's
Companion.