11層樓的歷史見證

●街角的歷史痕跡
臺中市自由路與公園路口，一直有著許多故事在這個角落發生著，1887年（光緒13年），劉銘傳將臺灣省城設於橋孜圖，也就是現在臺中舊市區，而省城的大北門，就橫跨在這個路口上。1894年（光緒20年），邵友濂將省城遷往臺北府，城牆的興築也就停頓下來。日本人來了以後，為了進行市街改正，便將大北門拆除，將城門上的門樓移往臺中公園中保存。

1912年（大正元年）縣社臺中神社落成於臺中公園內，大正町通（今自由路）是為其參道。1930年（昭和5年），臺中電力會社出張所（今自由路上臺灣電力公司）前，立了一支由三田鎌次郎設計，高55尺、直徑4尺包著銅皮的大鳥居，是當時日本在海外最大的鳥居。而轉角的這塊土地，在日治時期曾經是武德殿，1926年（昭和元年）以後，改建為市長官邸及官舍。

1970年代，在這個交叉口旁，約在今日自由路121～150號的位置上，起造了一棟地上11層，地下兩層的大樓「連宗大樓」，這座不起眼的大樓背後，其實是為了紀念在二二八事件中，為臺灣人發聲奉獻，最後犧牲生命的臺中菁英林連宗。

●誰是林連宗
林連宗，1905年出生於彰化街（今彰化市），1923年（大正12年）畢業於臺中第一中學校（今臺中一中），之後考上日本中央大學預科，可謂學業優異。1930年（昭和5年），林連宗以中央大學法學部二年級學生的身份，通過行政科及司法科的雙料高等考試，取得辯護士（律師）資格，能夠在就學期間獲得這樣的資格，是非常令人佩服的。

翌年返臺以後，林連宗在臺中成立「林法律事務所」，不但是官司訴訟的常勝軍，也經常免費幫窮苦人家服務爭取權利，專業且具有愛心的形象，讓他被選為臺中州律師公會會長，並擔任臺灣新聞社法律顧問。一直到二戰後，林連宗也還是被推選為臺灣省律師公會會長。

二戰結束後，國民政府接收臺灣，林連宗加入三民主義青年團臺灣區團，擔任臺中分團第一區隊長，熱心公益關懷社會，每週固定與團員主動捐款製作飯糰救濟需要幫助的人。他也積極參與政治關懷活動，在那個歡欣迎接「祖國」到來的年代，許多知識份子都希望能夠為臺灣的進步發展盡一己之力，因此林連宗也參加由中部地區社會菁英所組成的「臺灣省政治建設協會」，該團體以政治改革及推動自治為訴求，林連宗擔任臺中分會的監事一職，對於長官公署的政策提出許多針砭。

1946年（民國35年），林連宗當選臺灣省參議員，是30名參議員中非常年輕的。在擔任省議員的兩個會期中，針對民政、財政、建設、教育及農林議題等多有關切，且大力抨擊政府貪汙腐化的狀況，對於軍警人員違法敗紀、司法未有獨立審判的問題也是嚴詞批判，所表達出的是對陳儀政府貪汙腐化的極度不滿。同年11月1日，由省參議會投票產生17位臺灣省的制憲國民大會代表，林連宗打敗對手謝東閔，當選臺中縣代表。1946年（民國35年）底，他代表國代至南京參加制憲會議，回臺後也在水源地運動場召開慶祝元旦及憲法頒佈會，共有數千人與會，他也發表赴南京開會的心得談話。

●殞落在二二八的悲劇之中
1947年（民國36年）2月27日臺北太平通（今延平北路）天馬茶房前發生緝煙事件，隨即引爆「二二八事件」，全臺各地的反抗聲浪烽起。3月1日國民參政員及省議會議員組成緝煙血案調查委員會，推派代表與臺灣行政長官陳儀對談，陳儀允諾以民意代表為主體，成立「二二八事件處理委員會」。

爾後數日，全省各縣市以參議員為主體的處理委員會也陸續成立，並呼籲民眾不要再攻擊外省人，此時各地的動亂情勢已漸趨穩定。臺中市參議會也與彰化市、彰化縣參議會及各地相關團體，在3月1日於臺中市議會召開聯席會，提出「改組長官公署」以及「實施省縣市長民選」等要求，並推派出林連宗為代表，北上臺北聯絡交涉。

3月2日起，全省性的二二八事件處理委員會幾乎每天都開會討論解決方案，3月6日選出17名常務委員，林連宗也是其中之一。3月7日，處理委員會由宣傳部長王添灯宣布32條「處理大綱」，提出具體處理善後的方案及政治改革要求，其中包含取消臺灣省警備總司令部，繳卸其武器由處理委員會保管，並提出臺灣省各處官員多數應由臺灣人擔任等要求。

在各地處理委員會認真討論改革方案的同時，表面上尊重委員會的陳儀，卻一面打電報向南京請求出兵臺灣。3月8日傍晚，國府派來的國民革命軍整編第21師登陸基隆碼頭，一路向南進行鎮壓與屠殺，二二八事件處理委員會隨即也被陳儀宣布為非法組織而命令解散。對國府政權及長官公署來說，處理委員會所提出的32條處理大綱，也被認為是叛國的行為，並且扣上共產黨煽動的帽子，因此這些處理委員被列入清算的對象，要求嚴辦。

3月10日，原本要從臺北返回臺中的林連宗，因交通中斷而無法南下，途中暫居友人李瑞漢家中。李瑞漢與林連宗都是日本中央大學校友，也是執業律師，當天下午李瑞漢的夫人邱已妹煮了魷魚粥要招待林連宗、許乃邦等客人，粥還沒煮好，便闖入一群便衣特務與憲兵，表示要捉拿李瑞漢，林連宗拿出一張印有國大代表頭銜的名片表示自己的身份，憲警人員不但不買帳，反而連他以及李瑞漢的弟弟李瑞峰也一併帶走。而這鍋魷魚粥，他們也永遠吃不到了。因此往後每年3月10日，李太太就會準備一碗魷魚粥，等待丈夫的回來，這一等，就是61年，2008年（民國97年）以高齡101歲離世，始終沒有等到丈夫回來。因此每當二二八事件受難者舉辦追思活動時，都會準備魷魚粥，以紀念這一段往事。

而永遠無法回到臺中的林連宗，最後永遠失蹤，在林獻堂的日記當中記載，他多次受到林連宗妻子陳鳳的請託，希望能夠協助尋找並保釋林連宗。他曾寫信給國防部長白崇禧，並拜託警備總部參謀長柯遠芬，希望能夠保釋林茂生、林連宗、陳炘、阮朝日、吳金鍊等人，但殊不知，他們早已遭遇不測。

1977年（民國66年），當時仍為戒嚴時期，但林連宗的女兒林信貞為了紀念父親，特別在公園旁原是官舍的這塊土地上蓋了一棟地上11層、地下2層的大樓，並以父親之名命名為「連宗大樓」，以紀念林連宗為臺灣付出，令人感佩的精神。(2,000字完整版)


Eleven Stories of Historical Witness

●Historic traces on the street corner
Stories happened at the junction of Ziyou Road and Gongyuan Road in Taichung City from the time of the Qing Dynasty’s rule of Taiwan until after WWII. In 1887, Liu Ming-Chuan set Taiwan’s provincial capital at Qiaozitu, where Taichung’s old city area is currently located this junction was also once straddled by the Great North Gate of that capital. In 1894, when Shao Yu-Lien relocated the provincial capital to Taipei city, the construction of the city walls halted. When the Japanese colonized Taiwan, in order to rectify the city streets, they tore down the Great North Gate and moved its gatehouse to Taichung Park for preservation.

In 1912, the County’s Taichung Jinja (Shinto shrine) was built inside Taichung Park, with Taisho Machi Dori (today’s Ziyou Road) as the road approaching the shrine. In 1930, a great copper-clad Torii (temple gate), designed by Mita Kamajiro, was erected in front of the branch office of Taichu Denryoku Kaish (today’s Taipower on Ziyou Road) 55 feet in height and 4 feet in diameter, it was at that time Japan’s largest Torii abroad. The land on this corner was also the location of the Mutoku Shrine during the Japanese colonial era, but it was replaced by the Mayor’s official residence in 1926.


In the 1970s, near this junction, at about No. 121 to No. 150 on today’s Jiyou Road, a building of 11 storeys above ground and 2 storeys below was completed this is the “Lien Chung Building”. This inconspicuous building was actually constructed in memory of a member of the Taichung elite, Lin Lien-Chung, who spoke for and dedicated himself to the Taiwanese people, and was killed in the February 28 Incident.

●Lin Lien-Chung, the man
Lin Lien-Chung was born in 1905 in Shoka-gai (today’s Changhua City) after graduation from Taichu First High School (now Municipal Taichung First Senior High School) in 1923, Lin was admitted to the preparatory department of Chuo University, Japan, which was an extraordinary academic achievement. In 1930, while a sophomore student at the law school of the same university, Lin passed the high-grade examinations in both the administration and justice divisions, qualifying as a lawyer, which showed that he was a very capable man.

Returning to Taiwan in the following year, Lin founded Lin’s Law Firm in Taichung. He not only won most of his cases but also worked for free, fighting for the rights of the poor. His professionalism and charity contributed to him being elected as the president of the Bar Association of Taichu Su, while he served as a legal consultant to the Taiwan News. Even after the war, Lin was again elected as the president of the Bar Association of Taiwan.


After WWII ended and the Nationalist government took over Taiwan, Lin joined the Taiwan branch of the Youth Corps of the Three Principles of the People as the leader of the 1st Company of Taiwan. Passionate about public welfare and dedicated to the wellbeing of society, he and his team members made weekly donations of rice balls to those in need. He was also actively involved in political activities like many other intellectuals who wanted to do their part to help Taiwan progress and develop in those years of welcoming the advent of the “fatherland”. As such, Lin also participated in the “Taiwan association of political construction”, which consisted of the prominent elites of the central region and urged political reform and autonomy. As supervisor of the Taichung branch of that association, Lin was often critical of the government’s policies.

In 1946, Lin was elected a member of the Taiwan Provincial Council. He was relatively young compared with the other 30 plus members. He served for two sessions, during which he showed his concern about the issues of civil administration, finance, construction, education, and agriculture & forestry, and seriously criticized the government’s corruption, the illegal and non-disciplinary acts of the military and police, and the issue of the lack of independent judgment in the court. What he expressed was extreme discontent with the corruption of Chen Yi’s regime. On November 1 of the same year, 17 representatives of Taiwan were elected to the Constitutional National Assembly by voting at the Provincial Council Lin outran his competitor, Hsieh Tung-Min, and was elected the Taichung County representative. At the end of 1946, he attended the Constitution Convention in Nanjing, China. When he returned to Taiwan, he assembled a gathering to celebrate New Year and announce the constitution at Shuiyuandi Stadium, which was attended by thousands, and there he spoke of his reflection on the meeting in Nanjing.

● Perished amid the February 28 Calamity
On February 27, 1947, an incident caused by the cracking down on the sale of cigarettes occurred in front of Tienma Teahouse on Taiping Tung (now Yanping N. Road), Taipei, soon after which the “February 28 Incident” broke out, with uprisings taking place all over Taiwan. On March 1, National and Provincial Council members formed a Committee to investigate the murder which took place during the cigarette crack-down, and sent its representatives to have a dialogue with the government’s administrative head, Chen Yi. The latter promised to establish a “Committee for handling the February 28 Incident” that would largely comprise the council members.

On the few days that followed, handling committees substantially comprised of council members were set up in every county and city these committees called for a stop to the attacks on mainlanders. At that point, the uprising had almost calmed down right around the island. Taichung City Council, Changhua City Council and Changhua County Council, along with related groups from other places held a joint meeting at Taichung City Council Hall on March 1, deciding on promotional activities including “Reorganization of the Administrative Office” and “Public mayoral elections”, as well as appointing Lin as the representative to communicate and negotiate in Taipei.

Since March 2, the provincial committee for handling the February 28 Incident held meetings almost every day to discuss solutions to the problem. On March 6, 17 executive members were elected, of whom Lin was one. On March 7, the handling committee announced, via its Propaganda section chief, Wang Tien-Teng, 32 “Handling Guidelines”, proposing specific programs of subsequent handling and demands for political reforms including closing the Taiwan Provincial Garrison Commander Quarters and confiscating its weapons, which would be taken into the custody of the handling committees. They also demanded that a majority of Taiwan’s provincial officials be Taiwanese.

While the handling committees in the different regions were ardent in discussing the reform programs, the seemingly respectful Chen Yi sent telegrams to Nanjing requesting a military advance on Taiwan. On the evening of March 8, the 21st Division of the Army sent by the Nationalist Government landed on Keelung pier and made its way south, repressing and slaughtering anyone opposed to this government in exile. Before long, the Committee for Handling the February 28 Incident was announced by Chen Yi as an illegal organization and was ordered to disband. The 32 Handling Guidelines proposed by the Committee were deemed by the Nationalist regime and the Administrative Office as a treasonous act they were further dubbed “communist instigation”, based on which the committee members were put on a list of those to be purged, with the requirement of strict enforcement.

On March 10, Lin was supposed to return from Taipei to Taichung but could not make it due to disrupted traffic. He thus made a short stop at the house of one of his friends, Li Rui-Han, who was also an alumnus of Chuo University in Japan and a practicing lawyer. In the afternoon, Li’s wife, Chiu Yi-Mei, was cooking squid porridge for Lin, Hsu You-pang and other guests. While she was cooking, a group of undercover special agents and Military Police forced their way into the house to take Li. Lin showed his business card bearing his title of National Assembly member to make his status clear, but to no avail. Lin, Li and Li’s brother, Rui-Feng were taken away. The three men never had the chance to have any of that porridge. Every year on March 10 for the next 61 years Mrs. Li prepared a bowl of squid porridge for her husband. When she died in 2008 at the age of 101, she had never had the chance to see her husband again. Therefore, when the February 28 Incident victims hold memorial activities, squid porridge is always prepared in memory of this moment in history.


Lin, who could not make it back to Taichung, had disappeared and was never seen again. Lin Hsien-Tang wrote in his diary that he had been requested multiple times by Lin Lien-Chung’s wife, Chen Feng, to help find Lin and post bail for him. The former once wrote to Defense Minister, Bai Chung-Hsi and pleaded with the Garrison Commander, Ke Yuen-Fen, in the hope of posting bail for Lin Mao-Sheng, Lin Lien-Chung, Chen Hsi, Ryan Chao-ri, Wu Chin-lien and others, unaware that they had long since perished. In 1977, on this piece of land by the park, where an official house used to be, the Lin family built the Lien-Chung Building to commemorate Lin Lien-Chung’s spirit of dedication to Taiwan.