The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1921-06-01
CHINESE COURT
CUSTOMS PECULIAR
Bones of Alleged Victim OF
Poison Boiled to Get
Evidence
SON CONFESSES TO
KILLING FATHER
Would Not Yield Until Bones Show Dis
celebration Chinese Physicians Re-
fuse Analysis of Contents of Dead
Mans Stomach.

SHANGHAI, june l ASSOCIATED
Press How justice is administered mi
n Chinese criminal court was Illustrated
in an interesting fashion at the trial of
a locally celebrated murder case that was
held the last week in March in Nautao,
the native settlement which forms large
part of the city of Shanghai.
For three days preceding the trial Gu
riouS thousands. hedged off by stout bam-
boo rails. watched the progress of a post
norton at which East and West claShed.
The post mortem was performed by Chi
neSe physicians. several trained in Ameri-
can and other occidental schools and
others who had received their medical
education in China. 1t was case of
suspected poisoning and while the west
trained physicians insisted that the
stomach and intestines with their con
tents should be sent 10 a laboratory for
analysis, the purely Chinese doctors
chung to an ancient belief and declared
that the question at issue could be
proved by boiling the bones Of the de-
ceased in certain manner. The Chi
npse doctors carried their point.
Charge Against Prisoner.
| Chang Shen Sung. the accused, was
arrested in the international settlement.
| 1t was charged that IL months ago at
the little Chinese river village of Poo
tupg. II miles down the Whangpoo from
| Shanghai. he had poisoned his father,
| Chang ka-yung, 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 i'm an open lot.
with the court sitting beneath a mat
shed. while close-packed thousands. held
back by soldiers and stout bamboo stock
ade. looked on ayidly through the hear
ing. In a prominent place in front OF
Ill. Er.rr On, sn
over an open fire. i'm which had been
4 placed the bones of the alleged victim aS
the Chinese doctors had ordered
Many Recesses Taken.
i The hearing WAS lengthy and the court
took no less than three recesSeS through
the day. The procedure consisted almost
wholly of questioning the accused ant
lurging him To confess that he committed
the crime. This questioning was don,
by the court. police officials and two
Chinese procuratOrs in turn and through
the whole bombardment of interrogation
the youth in mauacles held firmly to {
! denial Of his guilt.
The Chinese doctors had declared thai
!, If the deceased had died from POISONING
: once of discolorations on the bones afteI
: the boiling process. Again and agar
5 this was borne in upon the prisoner wh5
p was told that If he were guilty the bones
when exposed would surely prove it.
| Ii was when the court sat for tn,
fourth time that the lid was removed
from the kettle and the grisly contents
Iwere placed ON n long table Numerous
dark spots were seen, on many of thu
bony parts Once Of the procuratorS
lpointing to these marks. turned to tn,
Iagftated prisoner Did Won poison YOU
. father" he thundered The prisoue
!. shrank back. Il did it. l poisoned him,
he confessed.