The Catholic times. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1951-current, 1958-10-03

talk we soon learned that by
wetting a finger we could
write notes to each other on
the dust-covered floor. An
noyed for months at the weird
looking shapes that seemed to
appear on the peeling white
washed walls we found that
by turning them into a game
like inkblots it helped pass
the time away. We spent
hours trying to identify as
many images as We could out
of the uncanny forms on the
walls. A simple coat button
provided us with weeks of
amusement before the Reds
discovered our sport and hys-
terically trampled the button
to pieces.
Bets made in fun among
the prisoners on the button
game reached astronomical
figures. My fellow prisoners
lokingly referred to me as,
the American capitalist" and
we always bet in American
thousand dollar figures.
The only papers ! saw dur.
ing the five years in jsit
were communist propssands
sheets. The Chinese papers
were bad enough, but the
most annoying TO me was the
New York Daily Worker. Each
week we were made TO
read fhe Daily Worker and
my poor fellow Chinese pris.
oners were outraged that
America would allow the COM
munisfs 10 fIsvnf their big lies
openly right from New York.
When il had gone out Of bus
mess and suddenly stopped
coming into the cells asked
the guard for II and he said,
We don't allow that paper
IN China anymore, IL wss new.
or any good anyway"
All in all | was in four
prisons during my first years
sentence. One was as bad as
the other. Late in 1855 they
moved me TO the Ward Road
prison-the motherhouse of
the pig pens scattered around
Shanghai. I figured from the
number of buildings. 10. and
number of prisoners in each.
$500, that there were over
10000 prisoners incarcerated
at Ward Road. Another fact
to substantiate my estimate
was the number I was given
on entering-No. %, 1913. This
was what | was to answer TO
at all times-"Prisoner "a
1873"
One point I'd like TO EN-.
phssizs strongly is that de-.
spite The severe frestmen. we
foreigners received In jail,
the Chinese prisoners are
much worse off. While We
foreigners had some hope that
our governments were work.
ing toward our eventual re.
lease, the Chinese prisoners
have no one looking out for
their welfare. Once arrested
and Imprisoned q Chinese
either goes over 70 eommun.
ism or remains TO rot in q Red
dungeon.
The Chinese Red Cross is
merely another agency of the
state. Up until the time of the
Geneva Conference | didn't
receive a single package OF
clothing or food sent to me
by friends. relatives a n d
Maryknoll through the Chi.
nese Red Cross. After they
told us of the conferences 20.
ing on for our release I was
allowed one opened food par
Gel containing three cans
one OF peaches, one of april
cots and one of potatoes. Well.
| thought that was the great.
est gift | ever received in nv
whole life. My fellow prison.
ers and | relished those three
cans as If they were food for
the kings. From the Geneva
conference on we began to
receive food parcels.
A few months later, about
the beginning Of 1855, I asked
for an interview with the
prison officials. Then OK.
planned 70 them that was
sick stupid old man. Which
was partly true. | was actual.
~ very sick. Ny entire body
was swollen and distendsd be.
cause OF The prison diet. Lack
OF vifsmins, |! suppose. I'd
wake vp on the morning, In
fairly good shape. but IS the
DAY wore on, my arms, feet
and stomach would BEGIN 70
swell UP. BY the time was
ready 70 sleep, | looked like
some kind Of monster. Ny feet
and hands were . mass Of
ehiIbains.
The Judge took one look at
my emaciated condition and
ordered me to the prison hos.
pital Immediately. That meant
I'd sleep in a bed for the first
time in three years. Of course.
the big reason for allowing
me to go to the hospital was
obvious. Too many priests
had already died in the jails
and prisons of China. They
didn't want that to happen to
me.
The Injections and treat