398 M)'. D -iris's Ed tracts from the Peking Gazette. 



petition of tiie complainant. In the latter it is stated, that ' after his niece 

 had killed herself, the above magistrate, Chin-tsung, made no inquiry as to 

 the reasons of it ; but turning to the mother of the deceased, charged her 

 with having had intercourse with Ycu-sze-hoo, the accused ; though on her 

 vehemently repelling this accusation, he atoned for it by an acknowledg- 

 ment of his error.' There is no mention of this in the governor's report. 

 In that report it is stated, that ' on the day when the business took place, 

 Yen-sze-hoo went to the house to borrow a sack, and finding neither Chaou- 

 tcen-ho nor iiis wife at home, he prevailed on Urh-koo to commit the offence 

 with him.' But this rests solely on the evidence of the prisoner himself: 

 what reliance can be placed on it ? The complainant asserts, that on the 

 14th of the 5th moon of last year, Yen-sze-hoo got in at the door of the house 

 about day-break, and holding down Urh-koo with one hand while he pre- 

 vented her cries with the other, succeeded in ravishing her, and then es- 

 caped out of doors. That when the fatlier returned home from his work, 

 UrJi-hou met him weeping, and acquainted him with what had happened. 

 The report says, that ' Yerusze-hoo stole out of the house before any one had 

 retiuned to it, and on his way was met by Chaou-tcen-ho.' These circum- 

 stances are very dissimilar. The report states, ' that Chaou-teen-ho bribed a 

 person named Hih-tiiig-chin with six taels, as well as the two midwives or 

 matrons (on the examination), to whom he ga^■e twenty taels.' But the 

 father is so poor that he can hardly maintain himself: where, then, could 

 he procure money to bribe them ? 



" I hear, on the contrary, that Yen-sze-hoo having been the person who 

 gave the bribes, had procured a relation of his to depose that they were 

 gi\-en by Chaou-ti'en-ho. Again, the deceased, Urh-koo, was only twelve 

 years of age ; and in the copy of evidence she is called tburteen. Her 

 person was moreover extremely small ; while in the report it is stated that the 

 body measured four che five tsun.* All these mis-statements must have 

 been to support the allegation of a consent on her part. ♦*»****• 

 The report declares, that 'U-h-koo, finding her shame discovered, killed 

 herself in despair.' But why did she not kill herself when the prisoner was 

 first seen by her father, instead of deferring it for twenty days, and then 

 putting an end to herself after undergoing a long examination in public ? 



5 feet 2 inclies. 



