Democratic Sentinel, Volume 18, Number 3, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 2 February 1894 — CHINESE PRISON. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

CHINESE PRISON.

Horrible Ijutitattoa* of Cruelty and ladecency. A Chinese prison is a horrible inititution. Its outer door is barred with bamboo and is guarded by petty soldiers or policemen. The prison or “caugue” contains two rooms and two yards. One room and one yard are for men. The other room and yard are for women. The space set apart for vyomen is very much smaller than

that for men. But the women’s quarters and the men’s quarters are alike in being entirely devoid of any provisions for personal comfort or fo' personal decency. Chinese prisoners are by the gov. ernment provided with absolutely nothing but the space beyond which they may not pass. If their friends thrust food to them through the bars of the prison fence the law does not interpose. Otherwise the prisoners may starve. I used to take food to the Shanghai prison yards, says a writer. I used to buy Chinese food at a cheap chowchow shop, and when I reached a prison fence hire a coolie'to feed the poor starving wretches. I did not quite care to feed them myself. And it was quite impossible for them to feed themselves. No Chinese prisoner can reach his mouth, for his neck is invariably locked into a board which is about three sept square. It is very heavy and galls the neck. It blisters or ossifies the shoulders. The “pig-tail” drags heavily over it, and pulls the poor enlocked head uncomfortably to one side. It prevents the Sands from lifting rice or water to

the craving mouth, and from brushing from the tingling nose one of the myriad insects that infest the prisons and the prison yards of China.

MEN IN THE “BOARDS.”

WOMEN IN THE “BOARD” PUNISHMENT.