The Kenilworth Advertiser. — 1873-02-13 (Kenilworth, Warwickshire, England)

CHINESE MURDER.  A murder of a most horrible nature was perpetrated I at Soochow a few days ago, says a Shanghai paper. I As the whole affair gives us an insight into some of the customs prevalent among this strange people, and shows us what Chinese guilds are capable of doing when they I think their rights and time-honoured customs have been outraged, I have thought it not out of place to write you an account of it. It appears that the goldbesters of Soochow have it, among other old established customs, that a master goldbeater can only engage one apprentice at a time, and this is even limited to large shope only. An apprentice of this craft is bound for three years, and only after the expiration of this time can the master employ another one. The object is to keep the number ! of craftsmen within certain bounds, and so to guard against a decrease of their present high wages, about 7,300 cash per diem. A master goldbeater and head of the guild lately ventured to breakthis established custom by employing an apprentice before the time of the old apprentice bad expired. This roused the membsrs of the craft and they opposed. The master goldbeater carried his case before a magistrate, who decided that, notwithstanding the old custom, more than one apprentice could be employed; but advised, for the sake of peace, and in consideration of the prejudice of the workmen against it, that this should not be done too often. The workmen of the craft were not satisfied with this decision, and tried by all means in their power to make this head of the guild desist from taking a second apprentice. He, however, on the strength of the magistrate's decision, would have his own way, and, as he was threatened by the workmen, sulked assistance from the Yemen to protect him. The workmen at last invited him to come to their public hall to talk matters over. He went, accompanied by some Yemen runners to protect him. Having arrived at the guild. all, some 120 men were found assembled there who, after having pushed the Yemen runners out, closed the doors. All efforts on the part of the Yemen people to gain an entrance were useless; they were told by the workmen inside that no one but the magistrate himself would be admitted. The Yemen runners, hearing the cry of "Murder I" by the master goldbeater whom they had accompanied to the hall, and, being unable to effect an entrance, ran to the magistrate. This offiser at once hurried to the hall, and readily gained admittance. But what must have been his astonishment when he entered! A horrible sight met him. A man naked and already dead was bound to a pillar, covered from head to foot with wounds caused by the teeth of human beings. The magistrate at once had the doors shut to prevent the culprits from escaping, and now called a child of the doorkeeper of the hall, who had witnessed the horrible scene, to tell him how it happened and to point out the ringleaders.. The child then, after pointing out the ringleaders, gave the following account: —After the workmen had assembled in the hall and the master gold-beater arrrived, theyfirst pushed out the Yemen runners, as already stated above. Having shut the door, they stripped their victim and bound him to a pillar. He was now informed by the crowd that they had determined to kill him for breaking the customs of the craft, and that each person there would bite him until dead. Any person refusing to join in this horrible scene would be killed in the same way. They now all set upon the unfortunate person bound to the pillar, biting him over his whole body till dead. When the magistrates arrived these savages had just finial:o3d their devilish work, not having yet had time , to wash the blood off their mouths. Four of the ring. leaders were secured, and are now awaiting their trial. , Most Chinese think they will not be convicted for murder, as the Chinese laws do not provide any death , punishment for biting a person to death. , Horrible as this affair is, the account of it is told in Soochow from one to another, with a gusto and grin over the whole face, as if it had been a capital joke that had been played. There seems to be no feeling in : them; they are hardened, having got used to such scenes, thanks to their paternal government.