Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1855-09-26
From the Friend of China March Id.
EXECUTION OF REBELS AT CANTON.

In our remarks on the retirement OF The rebel
from Sunchow, it is stated that the thousand
of men brought to Canton as prisoners, are nov
being decapitated at the rate of one hundred
and fifty a day. That was the number, we arr
told, executed on Saturday last, q spectacle te
Which we were witness. The Canton execution
ground has before been described 10 this journal
und for all our readers it is not necessary to re-
peat that it is situated about 100 yards from The
river al u distance of two miles or 80 below the
factories. The ground is oblong, about Isl
feet in length, The entrance On the side ncares,
the river being about six feet. This is closed
with bats during practical operations. At the
grand entrance the ground is about 20 feet
wide. On the right hand, doorways opened to
seyerul oven and tile manufactures.
AS we approached the execution ground many
were met with hands to their nostrils, or with
their tails lied round their faces for the purpose
of avoiding the horrid strench, which could lit
orally be felt" at considerable distance. The
ground was covered with partially dried gofe
the result Of the past days work. There are
no drains to take the blood away, nor is any
substance used 10 slake it. One MAN was found
digging holes for two crosses on which he SAID
four were to be tied and cut in pieces.
The execution had been fixed for noon. AT
III half dozen men arrived with the knives,
preceded by bearers of rough deal wood boxes,
decorated with bloody sides. These were the
cuffins. Unconcern was the general appearance
of the soldiers and spectators, of whom, alto
gether, there may have been one hundred and
fifty. The day was dull, fresh freeze from
the eastward carrying the stencil away from
foreigners, who, 10 the number uf dozen, had
obtuined admiLtance to the top OF one OF thu
houses on the far side of the street passing the
entrance of this field Of blood" At II 3.4
the first batch of ten prisoners arrived, speedily
followed by the rest in similar quantities. Each
prisoner (having his bands tied behind his back,
and labeled on the taiD appeared 10 have been
thrust down in a wicker-basket, over which his
chained legs dangled losely, the body riding ur-
comfortably, and marked with long paper tally
pusted on slip of bamboo thrust between the
prisoners jacket aud his back. These "man
baskets," slung with small cords Were carried
on bamboos OIL the shoulders of two men. AS
the prisoners arrived, each was made to knesl
with his face to the South. III space of about
20 feet by 10 wo counted as many as ~, ranged
in half a dozen rows.
AT minutes TO twelve, q ,white-buttoned
mandarin arrived and the two 10 be first cut in
pieces were tied 10 the crosses. While looking
ut this frightening process the .execuloner COM
menced, and 20 or 30 must have been headIess
before we were aware of it. The only sound
to bc heard was horrd cheop-cheep- -cheep,
MS 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, and is still forever.
In four minutes the decapitation was complete !;
and then on the other victims commenced the
barbarity which TO think Of only is sufficiently
burbaric. With short. sharp knife Il slice was
cut out from under each arm A low suppress
sed fearful groan from sach followed the opera
tion of the weapon. Dexlerous rs butchers, Il
slice was taken successively by the operators
from the calves, The thighs, and then from each
breast We may suppose, we may hope, that
by this time the sufferers were insensibe to
pain but they were not dead,
The knife was then stuck into the abdomen,
which was ripped up to the breast.bone, a1d
the blade twisted round and round as the heart
WAS separated from its holding. Up to this mo-
ment having once set eyes on the victim under
torture, they had become fixed as by fascination ;
but they could be riviied there no longer. A
whirling sensation ran through the brain, and it
was with difficulty we could keep ourselves
from falling. But this was not NIL the lashings
were then cut, and the head, being Tied by the
tail to limb of the cross, was severed from the
body, which was then dismembered of hands
and arms, feet and legs separately. After this
the mandarins left the ground, to return, how
ever with man and woman; the latter, it was
said, the wife of one of the. rebel chiefs-tile
man leader of some rank The woman was
cut UP in the wny we have described; for lhe
man more horrible punishment was decreed
He was flayed alive. We did not see this, bu'
it was witnessed by the Sergeant OF Marines o.
the United States, J.P. Kennedy-lhe cry a
the first insertion of the knife across the fore
head, aud the pulling Of the flesh over the eyes
being most horrible.
WHEAT At CAATTANooGA.-The Adrertise
of the 18Th inst, says: The activities in th'
Wheat market still keeps its briskness. Th'
I,.t v,,,iYh