The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1846-05-23
Chinese Executions.

/ t,,dract of q Ieiter-aI lived two or
three hundred Yards from the execution
ground WHERE all the criminals of Kwang-
lung are eXecuted. have seen eleven exc
cuted TO day. There were two executed
yesterday. Accidentally happened to pass
the place TO day about 3 O'clock P. NJ, and
seeing preparations making for an execution,
concluded to stoPand see it. So proeur
ed me place on the top of house near by,
and awaited the issue. Soon after the tnati-
darins began TO come, and the first measure
was TO clear all the spectators out of the prem-'
ises and close the entrance, leaving a little
dirty spot of ground Of about half an acre,
where the people make potter's ware, vacant
for tile occupancy ofthe criminals, soldiers,
and fnuIidarins. ''. '"i '''.'" ~. .tt't
After this we waited half an hour or more,
aud some soldiers and one of the criminals
came. who was led forward 10 the farther end
ofthe premises, and caused TO kneel in the
mud where | thiuk he waited fifteen or twen-
~ minutes for his doom. Then the other
criminals slowly came, one nt a time, and took
their places behind him i'll succession, all
kneeling in the mud. There was quite va
riety in their appearance and manner in com
ing. All walked bur one, who was carried in
u basket Aud whether he was carried from
moral or physical inability to walk could
not discover, hut | supposed the latter as the
bamboo would doubtless have been applied 7
in the former case in order to produce will
ingness.a r..l...s s,ar 9TH v.1 s.tseG57trl
Another, however, manifested great reluc-
lance TO come, and would only 20 forward
when pushed by two strong fellows, one at
each side. Others marched on slowly, but
seriously without making any fuss about it, in "a
any way, Only two talked as they walked
along. One of them, if understood him
xx,aA, hi,,,colf M 1a,tA1
being guity--the other was a brnzen faced
fellow, and braved the matter, looking round
about him, and congratulatingi the spectators
as if he had been goingto avoiding. Some
of them seemed to hive seen bettee days
They were generally above 80 years Of age.
But each of the criminals took his place in
turn as he arrived, about three or four steps
behind his fellow, with one man ut his back
to hold hin, steady. His hands were tied be-
hind and n chain around his neck until he
got within the inclosire, when it was unlock
ed and taken off. When the civil mhgist-
trate arrived, and MI the criminals bad taken
their places the word ofcommand was Civ
en- by one of the nandarius TO eXecutenthem.,
One ofthe eXecutioneIs sprang to his work
with much energy, with a long heavy knife,
most likely made for the purpose. He struck
on the back of the neck: struck with both
hands; and seemed to strike with all his might,
and at each blow took ahead clear off, and
seemed to do it with ease.u 4h1oa yina g.aE
He executed six or eighth less than half
minutes; when secopd eSeoutionera conf
menced and finished with aslnl44---A-(lhe LETT
ter of Alr r.. is here sadly mutilated by soue
accident of its journey, and1is altogetherlil-
legible.) The mandarins and soldiers iiof
whom there were abont two hundred in al
tendance, immediately dispersed, aud allow
ed the gates to be openedoslThe friends went
in aud gathered up the nbodies and heads in
coffiMs and carried them aways Sometimes
the, heads piledon the ground--=I suppose
wbebso ordered by the fnandarins, they were
not ON this oecasien.in Several hundreds are
executedIat this, place ,annunIly.i aa.ub alnlsp
J Canton, June, 1845. 7 l. J. ROBERTS. sii
aulhe 'Ferritc:ss;- nf Oregon is seven times as
large as the State of New York. IS obs. "a,