Evening Republican, Volume 19, Number 8, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 January 1915 — A Trial by Rice. [ARTICLE]

A Trial by Rice.

They have peculiar methods of trying suspects in Bengal. One of these Is called “trial by rice.’' Every person suspected, was ordered to be present, and all turned up. First the people were made to sit In a* semicircle and a “plate” (a Bquare of plantain leaf) was set before each. Then a priest walked up and down chanting and scattering flowers. This ceremony over, one of the clerks went to each man and gave him raw rice and told him to chew it to a pulp. After about ten minutes they were told to stop and eject it into the plaintain leaf. All did so easily with the exception of three men. One of these three promptly commenced to cry and begged for mercy, confessing everything and saying that another of the three was the chief instigator, ft is a curious fact that fear, arising from an evil conscience, prevents saliva coming to the mouth, with the result described.