Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1855-10-17
From the Friend of China. March Il.
CHINA
EXECUTION OF REBELS At CANTON.

/ VIC AhOusdhus Oi men Drought 10 OdntOl
as prisoners are now being decapitated a
the rate of hundred and fifty day
That was the number, we are told, exc
cuted on Saturday last, spectacle t.
which we were witness. The Cantor
execution ground has before been des
cribed in this journal, and for all ou
readers it's not necessary to repeat that i
is situated about 100 yards Fl m the river
at distance of two miles or so below
the factories. The ground is oblong
about $50 feet in lenght, the entrance OF
the side nearest the river being abou
sixty feet. This is closed with bars du
ring practical operations. AT the granC
entrance the ground is about 90 fee
wide. On the right hand, doorway
open on to several oven and tile manu-
factories. -.....
As weapproached the execution grounC
many wree met with hands to their nos
trils, or their tails fed round their faces
for the purpose of avoiding the horriC
stencil, which could literally be ''felt" a
considerable distance. The GROUND
was covered with partially dried gore
tie result of the past days work. There
are no drains to take the blood away, mol
is any substance used to slake it. One
man was found digging holes for two eros
ses, on which, he said, four men were
to be tied and cut III pieces.
The execution had been fixed for noon
At III dozen men arrived with the
knives, preceded by beavers of rough
wood boxes, decorated with bloody sides
These were the coffins. Unconcern
was the general appearance of the SOL
diers and spectators, of whom, altogeth-
er, there may have been one hundred
and fifty. The day was dull, fresh
breeze from the eastward carrying the
stencil away from the foreigners, who,
to the number of dozen, had obtained
adnnittance to the top of ono of the houscs
on the far side of the street passing
the entrance of this "feld of blood. -
AT 12 the first batch of ten prisoners ar
rived. speedily followed by the rest in
similar quantities. Each prisoner (hav-
Ing his hands tied behind his back, and
labeled on the tail appeared to have
been thrust down in wicker basket,
over which his chained legs dangled
loosely, the body riding uncomfortably,
and marked with long paper tally
pasted on sip of bamboo thrust between
the prisoners jacket and his hack. These
''man baskets slung with cords were
carried on bamboos were carried on the
shoulders of two men. As the prison.
ers arrived, each was made to kneel with
his face TO the south. In a space of
abou' 90 feet by 19 we counted as many
as 70, ranged in half a Lozen rows
At 5 minutes to twelve 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 90 or 80
must have been headless before we were
aware of it. The only sound to be heard
was a horrid cheep-cheep-cheep, as
the knives fell One blow was sufficient
for each-the head tumbling between the
legs of the victim before it. AS the
sword falls, the blood-gushing trunk
springs forward, falls on the breast, anu
is still for ever.
In four minutes the decapitation was
CONF lete and then on the other victims
commenced the barbarity which to think
of only is sufficiently barbaric. With a
short sharp knife a slice was cut from
under each arm. A low suppressed fear
ful groan from each followed the opera
ton of the weapon. Dexterous as butch
ers, slice was taken successfully by
The operators from the calves, the thighs
and from each breast. We may suppose,
We may hope, that by this time the suf-
ferers were insensible to pain but they
were not dead The knife was then
suck into the abdomen, which was rip
ped up 10 the breast bone, and the blade
twisted round and round as the heart was
from its holding. Up to this
moment, having once set eyes on the
victim under torture, they had become
fixed as by fascination; but they could
moi be riveted there longer. A whirliDg
sensation ran through the brain, and it
was with difficulty we could keep our
selves from falling. But this was not all
the lashings were then cut, and the head,
being lied by the tail to limb of the
cross, was served from the body, which
was then diSmenbeIed of hands and
and arms, feet and legs, separately :
Aftertbis the msndarians left the ground,
TO return, however, with a man and wo-
man; the latter said TO be the wife of
one OF the rebel chiefS-the man lead
er of some rank The woman was cut
up in the way we have described for
the man a more horrible punishment was
derreed. He was flayed alive. We did
not see this. but i. vas witnessed by the
-r