206
dispensed with at the trial of Chinese criminal, surrendered by the Government of Nanchang, I beg to submit for the information of His Excellency the Administrator Expy and translation of an extract from "Ta Tsing Leu Lee" of China, which clearly shows that certain severe forms of torture such as "Pulling the fingers", "Kneeling on chains", and "Crushing the knees" were incorporated in 1811 in the Penal Code, and as far as their application in the conduct of Criminal Cases is concerned, were placed in the same category as the already legalized forms of torture such as the punishment of the "Cangue", the "Thumb screw", and the 'double stick'.
It will further be observed that in this paragraph of the Code, the Magistrate is empowered by law to bring into general use the horrible tortures above enumerated for the purpose of extorting a confession, and I do not suppose a Criminal Court in China ever tries a case without having recourse to one or other of the instruments of torture, whose use, as I have above stated, is sanctioned by the Penal Code, and which may be said to be as much...
...