Dreadful Experience of a Local Resident: Twenty-four Hours in Squalid and Disease-Ridden Company the midst of all the high-sounding protestations of reform and progress which we hear from Chinese politicians, exists under official auspiees—and here in Shang hhai—the most squalid, hopeless and abominable state of' affairs that The sole answer to a question put by Mr. Chao—"Why?"—-was a_remark by the official that Mr. Chan would have to go to police headquarters.
The Public Safety Bureau ould be imagined. The particular place with which we are dealing 13 the detention quarters of the Bureas of Public Safety—a place within few minutes' walk of the Settlem A despatch was given to the police, Mr. Chao and the coolie were put ito a motor car and taken to the Bureau of Public Safety near the West Gate, Here formality Youndary—and from a dose of its condition which is: published below it will be seen that its very existence might cause even the most hardened to shudder. by side with it is a semi-judicial police system—it is difficult to find the correct name for it—which can hardly be charitably described. seemed to be largely absent, for within five minutes of their arrival Mr. Chao and the coolie were placed in a cell. Tt was a small room with only one bed, without windows, in a very dirty condition, bars doing duty for a door. As events were. to prove, however, it was luxury compared' with what was to follow.
The facts herewith brought to Tight have emerged through the arrest on Monday of Chinese gentleman on no charge whatsoever, the fact being that he wax a com. plainant. "He underwent detent in the place mentioned, spending, nearly 24 hours herded) among a Aigease-smitten crowd in a vile and insanitary room, and only after the most strenuous protests on his pa was it recognized that he was ill and then sent to hospital. Not Quite naturally Mr, Chao object. ed to entering the cell, and asked the wherefore of such' action, but all the satisfaction he, received wus the information as the guard pushed him in, that his ease was a very serious' one and that he had no) right to ask questions. Permission to communicate with his lawyer or ily was refused, and to all such requests he was told that he had no right to ask questions and there: was more than a threat that he until he was in hospital was he alloyed to communicate with the outside world, and then only the intervention of an influential lawyer secured his release, had better keep quiet.
From one o'clock until five he remained in the coll, and then, the latter hour he was informed that ie was too late that day to try Start of the Trouble The gentleman who underwear: the experience nientioned above is Mr, H. Chinsin Chan, who is well Known locally, He lives in an alleyway in Chinese territory off Dixwell Rond, and it was at his house that the trouble leading to his detention commenced on Sunday morning. To realize the enormity fof the treatment which is possible under the Chinere potice system, it necessary to go into the ca detail, About seven o'clock he awakened by a row going on out-fide, this created by {wo men and continuing for an hour, when he could stand it no longer, Going out, to ascertain the cause the two made to fight him, but like a law. abiding citizen, Mr. Chao called in the police, asking them to warn the men' to desist. The police went into the circumstances of the case, which were to the effect that the men were using these methods indica Mr, Chao to give up & motor enr, and the men were warned that if they continued they would be Tecked up.
On Monday morning the disturbance was repeated, and Mr. Chao went to the local police headquarters with his complaint, At this development occurred which has roused a certain amount of con Jecture as to ite object. The police Yeld Mr. Chao that the matter was getting serious, and that it must be transferred to' police headquarters there to be settled by legal proceedings. A long journey by motor car through the Chapel district was then made, and arriving at a build-ug, called' the legal department of the police force Mr. Chao was questioned about the case.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.