New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1851-02-05
Executions at Canton.

Another mornings excursion was TO the eTecu'
ton ground, two miles from the factories, and noe
far from the river there is some difficulty In ind
ing il out servants not liking to escort you to such
places and actually ref sing to do SO At last we
came upon the spot, which Is the "iue Pars VI
populous street, with wall on one sue, aau =
row OF potteres on the other A narrC~ 'uoui
about fifteen feet long and four wide, coyTISS
with bamboos and open in front, with plans
about foot high from the ground contains, ex'
posed to public view, the heads o! the criminals,
in all stages of decomposition, up to the most re-
cent date / should think that there could not
have been less than forty, as they formed two
lsyers filling the entire space OF ground enclosed
in the she'd The offensive smell prevented me
from making more minute observations bat no
ticed all the tails were cut off, which is done be-
fore beheading. Halfadozen large, wooden
Crosses for strangling which is the punishment
for certain offenses were standing against the
wall, beyond the shed.
Hearing from my servant that an American mis-
sionary lived near this spot, called on him 20
know q little more about it, as so many ramors oil
executions OF from twenty to thirty people taking
place daily did not appear to me 70 be well
founded The Rev I Ball has lived Tor many
wears here, keeps a missionary school, and has
taken much interest in the capital punishnents'
Having a converted native living with MN, ne
has been able TO gather the most correct in,ofma-
ton on the subject, and ] am indebted 20 nim TOT
The following remarks The population Oh the
,rovince of Kwapg.tUBg contains twenty nine mil-
ions of inhabitants and all the criminals SEN
fenced 70 death must be executed at Canton, tne
capital The number averages from three 10 nVe
hundred year. The largest number elsot nun
dred. took place last year, probably owing 70 the
increase of piracy ana % the greater severity Vi
The present Viceroy, Seu. This year, up 70 tne
present time. LIST Oct. I549 the number vas TWO
hundred and eighty. The greatest nomoe s, &c
outed in one day was forty nIne-tne .ns.'
one The most usual number IS ron se" ". ~ '.
ty.fye. The longest interval oes"seN nc ~
OF execution, month; TWO OF 'i'eo ''-'S' ~
Nes,lv al the rnen are beheaded with large
.,uoyd their hands being tied, they Kneei Ho"n,
viii their faces toward Pekin, the hmperors
residspca and the head IS struck oil a. one Dow
Women are strangled OF these not more InaH
one or two year suffer One "omsn' -, nn,,.
OiJ. mas cut az into forty eight pieces tne num-
III. IS nieces varies from twelve TO twenty iou,'
SIX. &c One man was hogged 70 oea'n
win bamboos many are beaten before eAscu-
- Most Of these criminals are condemned Oy
local sntboyit;es bat portion By order OF the
T,rsror doubtfnl cases being referred TO him for
deci.ion. TIE executions often take place In the
sf,ernoon. but the time is uncertain. A manda,
rin of hieh Judicial rank is always present. sitting
behind a screen. Soldiers guard the approaches,
and the crowd ofrabble is very great The heads
are thrown underline shed, where they remain as
a warning TO the people, until they become
beached in the sun the bodies can be carried OH
for intermens by the friends. People are ioand
TO inhsbt the houses opposite to this very recep-
tace oftwo or three scores Of heads Ioe dlsseneo
not being ten YARDS apart, and these sanso'nAy
scenea enacted constantly under tneH ~ 80.
hoe''' N""' IBs;assssle's Voyage 70 Chine