Legal Conditions in Island of Negros. mistress, the latter charging her with steal ing money and clothing. She was arrested and confined in prison, where she has been ever since. A few days ago the regular judge of the district, before whom her case was tried, left town to make his semi-annual circuit, which will take him away some three months, leaving the woman in prison and still awaiting the judgment of the court. The accused states that the daughter of her mistress whipped her so severely that she left, which statement is not at all improbable, and is in keeping with the practices of the country. Recently a muchacha, or female servant, came into the court room requesting the Judge of the Special Court to call up the case of three ladies who had been some time under the charge of cutting off the hair of the complainant, and whipping her, the al leged cause of such discipline being that the servant wished to leave, or did leave, their service against their will. On leaving the courtroom Saturday, the judge of the Special Court noticed at the head of the stairs, a woman with two little children and a babe in her arms. On inquiry it was ascertained that the woman had walked in from her pueblo, eight miles dis tant, with her children, to learn the fate of her husband, without whom, she said, the children would starve. There seemed but little danger of immediate starvation, as the children were plump enough to exist some time on accumulated fat, and were in the fashion of the country, in having an ex tremely limited wardrobe. The case illus trates, however, the situation in this Island. The husband and father of this wretchedly poor family has been in prison seven months without it being determined whether he is guilty of any crime. A case was reported to me the other day which would be ludicrous were it not so serious, especially for the victim. Some eight or nine months ago a fellow was arrested and kept in prison seven months; at the expira tion of that period he was liberated, there be ing nothing against him, the evidence show
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ing that he was arrested for being out after hours, but not guilty even of that offense, for at the time of his detention he was going to his work at five o'clock in the morning. In the meantime, however, his wife had married another man and squandered his wealth, con sisting of three hundred dollars; and now, as a consequence of going to his work at too early an hour, not a common fault with the Philippino, he wanders, wifeless and penniless, a fugitive in the land. I am hasty in stating that early work is uncommon with the natives; I should have remarked that too great diligence was not a frequent failing with them. To do them justice, they are early risers, and commence the day's work at an early hour, taking a long rest or siesta at noon. In the case just cited the fault was with an ignorant sentinel, in making the ar rest, and much more in a judicial system, or rather procedure, that permits an innocent man, or any person accused of crime to lie in prison several months without a hearing. The common people are exceedingly ig norant, as may be expected, and in some respects almost brutish, judged according to our standard of morality. A man was brought before the court charged with fal sifying the records, and the progress of the trial showed that the defendant was the father of a child by his own daughter; sub sequently, the daughter being about to marry, the defendant and his wife decided to adopt the child as their own, and with this intent caused it to be registered in the public registry of births as their own child; the prevailing law makes the act of falsify ing the records so much more heinous an offence, that the crime of incest was ignored. Human life among this race seems of de cidedly less consequence than social or in dividual dignity. In a case still pending be fore the court, the defendant killed a woman by striking her three blows with a bolo, which national weapon is drawn freely on any and all occasions. In this particular in stance the victim made remarks dcrogatory of the defendant, irritating to his punctilious
