Daily American organ. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1856, 1855-09-11
From the Friend of China, March IA.
Execution of Rebels a. Canton.


In our remarks on the retirement of the rebels
from Sunehow, it Is stated that the thousands Of
men Brought TO Carton as prisoners are now being
decapitated at the rate Of hundred and my day
That was the number, we were told, executed on
Saturday last a spectacle 10 which we were wit
ness. The Canton execution ground has before
been described In this Journal, and for all ourread
it is not necessary 10 repeat that Il Is situated
about 100 yards from the river, at distance oftwo
miles or so below the factories. The ground is
oblong, about $50 feet in length the entrance ON
the side nearest the river being about six feet
This is closed with bars during practical operations
AT the grand entrance the ground is about 20 feet
wide. On the right hand, doorways open on to
several oven and tile manufactures.
As we approached the execution ground many
were met with hands to their nostrs, with their
tails tied round their faces for the purpose Of
avoiding the horrd stencil, which could literally be
afeltn at considerable distance. The ground
was covered with partially dried gore, the result
of the past days work. There are no drains to
take the blood away, is any substance used TO
Stake it. One man was found digging holes for
two crosses on which, he said, four were TO be
tied and cut to pieces.
The execution had been fixed for noon. At half
past eleven half dozen men arrived with the
knives, preceded by bearers of rough deal wood
boxes, decorated with bloody sides. These were
the collins. Unconcern was the general appear
ance of the soldiers and spectators, of whom alto
gether, there may have been one hundred and if-
ty. The day was dull, fresh breeze from the
eastward carrying the stencil away from foreigners
who, to the number of dozen, had obtained adj
mittance to the top of one of the houses on the
far side of the street passing the entrance of this
field of blood" At eleven and three-quarters the
first bath of ten prisoners arrived speedily follow
ed by the rest in similar quantities. Each prisoner
(having his hands tied behind his back and Tabled
on the taiD appeared to have been thrust down in
wicket, over which his chained legs danged
loosely, the body riding uncomfortably and marked
with long paper tally, pasted on slip of bamboo
thrust between the prisoners jacket and his back.
These man- baskets slung with small cords, were
carried on bamboos on the shoulders of two men.
AS the prisoners arrived, each was made to kneel
with his face to the south. In space Of 90 feet
by IL we counted as many as 10, ranged in halEa-
dozen rows. At five minutes to twelve, a white
button mandarin arrived, and the two to be first
cut in pieces were tied to the crosses. While
looking at this frightening process the execution
commenced, and 20 or 80 must have been headless
before we were aware of it. The only sound to be
heard was horrid eep-cheep--cheep, as the
knives fell. One blow was sufficient for each--the
head tumbling between the legs of the victim be-
fore it, As the sword falls, the blood gushing
trunk springs forward, falls the breast, and is
still forever.
In four minutes the decapitation was complete
and then on the other victims commenced the bar
barty which to think of only is sufficiently barba-
ric With short sharp knife slice was cut out
from under each arm. A low suppressed fearful
groan from each followed the operation of the
weapon. Dexterous as butchers, a slice was taken
successfully by the operators from the calves, the
thighs, and then from each breast. We may sup
pose, we may hope that by this time the sufferers
were insensible to pain but they were not dead
The knife was then stuck into the abdomen, which
was ripped up to the breast-bone and the blade
was twisted round and round as the heart was sep
arated from its holding. Up to this moment, hav-
ing once set eyes on the victim under torture they
had become fixed as by fascination; but they could
be rlveted there no longer. A whrling sensation
ran through the brain, and it was with difficulty
we could keep ourselves from falling But this was
not all the lashings were then cut, and the head,
being tied by ihe tail to limb Of the cross, was
severed from the body, which was then disnem-
bered of hands and arms, feet and legs, separately
After this the mandarins left the ground to return,
however, with man and woman the latter it
was said, the wife of one of the rebel chiefs-the
man leader of some rank. The woman was cut
up in the way we have described for the man
more horrible punishment was decreed. He was
6ayed alive. We did not see this, but it was wit
messed by the Sergeant of Marines of the United
States, j. p. Kennedy-the cry at the first inser-
ton of the knife the forehead and the pull
ing Of the flesh over the eyes being most horrible.