The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction. Volume 12, No. 326, August 9, 1828Various
History
The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction. Volume 12, No. 326, August 9, 1828
Various
Popular literature -- Great Britain -- Periodicals
In China, the laws still permit torture, to a defined extent, and the
magistrate often inflicts it, contrary to law. Compressing the ancles of
men between wooden levers, and the fingers of women with a small
apparatus, on the same principle, is the most usual form. But there are
many other devices suggested and practised, contrary to law; and in
every part of the empire, for some years past, there have been many
instances of suspected persons, or those falsely accused, being tortured
till death ensued. From Hoopih province, an appeal is now before the
emperor, against a magistrate who tortured a man to death, to extort a
confession of homicide; and we have just heard, from Kwang-se province,
that on the 24th of the 11th moon, one Netseyuen, belonging to Canton,
having received an appointment for his high literary attainments, to the
magistracy of a Heen district, in a fit of drunkenness, subjected a
young man, on his bridal day, to the torture, because he would not
resign the band of music which he had engaged to accompany, according to
law and usage, his intended wife to his father's house. The young man's
name was Kwanfa. He died under the torture, and the affrighted
magistrate went and hanged himself.
CHINESE PRISON.
Prisoners who have money to spend, can be accommodated with private
apartments, cards, servants, and every luxury. The prisoners' chains and
fetters are removed from their bodies, and suspended against the wall,
till the hour of going the rounds occurs; after that ceremony is over,
the fetters are again placed where they hurt nobody. But those who have
not money to bribe the keepers, are in a woful condition. Not only is
every alleviation of their sufferings removed, but actual infliction of
punishment is added, to extort money to buy "burnt-offerings" (of paper)
to the god of the jail, as the phrase is. For this purpose the prisoners
are tied up, or rather hung up, and flogged. At night, they are fettered
down to a board, neck, wrists, and ancles, amidst ordure and filth,
whilst the rats, unmolested, are permitted to gnaw their limbs! This
place of torment is proverbially called, in ordinary speech, "Te-yuk," a
term equivalent to the worst sense of the word "hell."
TOUR ROUND THE CITY WALLS.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account