Capital Punishment in China.

Te Aroha News, Volume IV, Issue 188, 22 January 1887, Page 3

Capital Punishment in China.

It Depends Often on an Officer's Whim and May be Met by Proxy.

In China capital punishment often depends upon the whim of the officer of the law. Here is an instance : Pen Ta Ken, the real admiral of the Yangtze district, was passing up that river, and chanced to overhear a quarrel between a boatman and a soldier over the matter of two. cash—the price of ferriage across a small stream. The admiral t»ok in the situation. The soldier had been ferried over the stream, and then refused to pay the poor ferryman. There was a principle involved. A large number of soldiers wera looking on, and apparentlyenjoying the ferryman's rage at the loss his wages. An example was needed, and the "Great Man," as his name signifies, who was incognito, being on a tour of personal inspection, ordered the soldier to bo behoaded, which was done on the spot. Wilfull murder, piracy and confirmed thieves fait under the beheadsman's a/,. Infanticide, however, is not included as murder. The parent, by Chinese law, has the right of life over hi 3 own child ; hence the practice of female infanticide. Adultery falls under the life penalty ab tha will of the aggrieved party. Thus, a husband, detecting his wife in adultery, can go to the magistrate and demand the capital punishment of one or both parties to the crime, or he may take the lives of the offenders himself aud not be amenable if he can prove the fact. If, however, he fails to substantiate the crime alleged, ho is held guilty of murder and punished accordingly. Capital punishment can be met by proxy and the law be satisfied. It is not uncommon, therefore, when a man of money ia sentenced to death that he can, by the use of money, secure a stay of proceedings long enough to obtain a substitute. This is done by making an offer of one, two or more hundred "taels" (ounceh of silver, about £25 in our standard) for a substitute. Some impecunious family, often having 20d or 300 male members, as the patriarchal plan of domestic economy prevails, will agree among themselves that they will far. nish a substitute for the proffered sum. Lot id then cast to determine the victim, and. the doomed man accepts his fate with stoical indifference upon the ultra predestination theory that his time has come, else the lot would nob have fallen to him individually. Ha accordingly presents himself to the court, and the convicted man dies by proxy, while the family of the deceased en joy the proceeds of the arrangement.