Democratic Sentinel, Volume 22, Number 49, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 17 December 1898 — CHINESE JUSTICE. [ARTICLE]

CHINESE JUSTICE.

Puiahmeat I. Fo~etit.ee Meted Ont with Sickening Barbarity. One night our party halted at a place called Hungay, in the Yuman province of China; population about 5,000; products, fleas and other small deer, says a writer in Travel, in giving a description of Chinese justice. We were making a hurried escape from the wretched place when Lowe suddenly missed his camera. Five minutes before starting it was strapped to the machine, but now it was gone. A swift run was made to the inn. Had the landlord seen It? No, he had not, and besides he did not want to be disturbed, for he (was eating rice. Had anybody seen the camera? Not a soul. There was nothing for It but a visit to the mandarin at the. yamen. He was a kindly young fellow of about our own age. He listened quietly while the loss was 'explained, and when he understood had been thieving he turned the color of paper with rage. A troop of soldiery was dispatched to the inn with orders to arrest everybody. Landlord, cook, sweeper, stable cleaner and all the hangers-on were marched to the yamen in chains, and every one was trembling with fright. There was much confused jabbering. In the end one of the men was marched away, but in ten minutes he was brought back with the camera. His countenance proclaimed him an arrant rogue, and when the mandarin saw that the leather case had been cut open with a knife and was informed that three photographic appliances were still missing his rage was unbounded. Putting on his magisterial robes he sentenced the thief to be thrashed. He held up one hand as an inquiry if 50 strokes would be sufficient punishment. Plenty, intimated the foreigner. Down was the man pitched on his face, the legs tied, the flesh bared, and heavy fell the blows. The beating went on and on, the ruffian screamed and blood was running from the wounds on his limbs. “Hasn’t he had the 50 yet?” was asked. “Fifty. Why his punishment is 500 strokes, and he has not had 400 yet.” A plea was put forward for mercy. But the mandarin, with bis lips tight, would not listen. It was no good telling him that the quality of mercy was not strained, or that it droppeth like the dew from heaven, or that it became the monarch better than his crown. He was paid to punish offenders, and he was going to punish them. However, it was soon all over, and the wretch lay on the ground groaning, writhing and bleeding.

Then In marched the soldiery with five other men heavily manacled. The prisoners fell on their knees and put their foreheads to the ground. The mandarin fixed on one as the ringleader of the robbery. If 500 stripes was the punishment of an accomplice, what must be the chastisement of the thief In chief? Tqrture was reserved for him. He was made to sit op h|s haunches. His wrists were tlpd tightly in front on his knees, am} a pole was stuck Mw his arms and his legs and then rested on twq fables, so that the culprit swung head downward, Strong twine was slip-knitted about each big toe, and two of the soldiers pulled apart. This necessarily brought a tremendous strain up the roped wrists. They blackened immediately. The agony must have beep excruciating, for the map screamed. He began curling and twisting, but a soldier went forward and put his foot on the thief’s dragging pigtail and so kept his head down. The victim foamed at the mouth, and whenever he was on the point of losing consciousness he was raised up by the cue to give him breathing space, swung head downward again and the twine about his toes tugged. It was in vain for the forelgned to appeal that the barbarous punishment should cease. There was nothing for it but to forsake the sickening and revolting spectacle.