Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1921-05-30
BOIL BONES 70
PROVE GUILT
Chinese Criminal Court Ad-
ministers Justice in odd
way Boil Bones
Murdered Man.
DARK SPOTS PROOF
When Shown Spots, Prisoner
Confesses to Murder
of Father.

Shanghai, April 10, Correspondence
of the Associated Press. )-How justice
is administered in Chinese criminal
court was illustrated in an interesting
fashion at the trial of locally cele-
brated murder case that was held the
last week in March in NantaO, the
native settlement which forms large
part of the city of Shanghai.
For three days preceding the trial
curious thousands, hedged off by stout
ambOo rails, watched the progress Of
n post mOrtem at which east and west
clasaed. The post mOrtem was per-
formed by Chinese physicians, several
trained in American and other Occi-
dental schools and others who had re-
ceived their medical educat ton in China.
1t was a case Of suspected poisoning and
while the western-trainedp physicians in
sisted that the stomach intestines with
their contents should be sent to. a Ia
bcratory for analysis, the purely
Chinese doctors chung to an ancient be-
lief and declared that the question Mt
issue could be proved by boiling the
Zones of the deceased in certain man.
ner. The Chinese doctors carried their
point. Ak
Charged with Poisoning Father.
Chang Shen Sung, the accused. was
arrested in the International settlement.
1t was charged that thirteen months ago
at the little Chinese river village Of
Pootung, fourteen miles down the
Whangpoo from Shanghai, he had
poisoned his father, Chang Ka-yung. a
" Wealthy rice merchant. On application
Of the Chinese authorities. Of NantaO
the prisoner was turned over to the
Chinese police and trial was held the
next day.
The hearing took place in an open
lot, with the court sitting beneath a
mat shed, while close packed thOus-
ands, held back by soldiers and stout
bamboo stockade, looked on avidly
through the hearing. In a prominent
place in front Of the court a huge iron
kettle simmered over an open fire, in
which had been placed the bones Of the
alleged victim as the Chinese doctors
Lad ordered. a5
Hearing Lengthy. III
The hearing was lengthy and the
court took no less than three recesses
through the day. Procedure consisted
almost wholly of questioning the accus-
cd and urging him to confess that he
committed the crime. This questioning
was done by the court, police officials
and two Chinese procurators in turn
and through the whole bomba rdment Of
the youth in manacles
Eeld firmly to Denial Of his guilt.
The Chinese doctors had declared
that if the. deceased had died from
this would he made evident
hy the presence of discOlorations on the
bones after the boiling process. Again
and again this was borne In upon the
prisoner, who was told that if he were
guilty the bones when exposed would
surely prove it.
Prisoner COnfesses.
1t was when the court sat for the
fourth time that the lid was removed
from the kettle and the grisly contents
were placed Oh Il long table. Numerous
dark spots were seen on many Of the
bony parts One of the prOcurators.
pointing to these marks, turned to the
agitated prisoner. did You poison
your father" he Numbered. The pri-
soner shrank back. II did it, l poisoned
him." he confessed.
ftns,ns,,ntins, in Ck0f@ 1lnas~a