THE CHINESE WATER TORTURE.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXX, Issue 429, 27 August 1908, Page 4

THE CHINESE WATER TORTURE.

One of the Chinese modes of punishment, especially when it is desired to extort a confession from a criminal, is to place him where a drop of water will fall on a certain spot of his shaven crown for hours. Some measure of the torture thus inflicted was once experienced by a German “strong man,” who was induced to make the test by reason of a large wager. The wager was laid that the strong man would not be able to permit half a litre of water to drop on his hand until the measure was exhausted. The strong man laughed at the idea, being perfectly confident that he could sustain the strain.

The measure was procured, and a hole drilled in the bottom sufficient to let the water escape drop by drop. The experiment began. The strong man chattered gaily at first. The other party to the wager stood by and counted the drops as they fell. At the two hundredth, the strong man was much less jovial; then he became very sober, and an expression of pain crossed his face. At the three hundredth his hand began to swell and grow red. The pain increased, and at length became excruciating. Then the skin burst. Finally at the four hundred and twentieth drop the strong man acknowledged his defeat.