Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1857-05-06

CHINESE BRUTALITY.-The following are sta
ted by an English paper to he the modes of exc
cution and punishment in China. What can be
more ferocious and inhunan? First there is
the wooden cage, which consists of two large
pieces of wood fitting into one another, anG hav-
ing three openings, into which the head, or the
head and hand, or the head and both hands,
according to the severity of the sentence, are
nut. This punishment is 80 severe-for the
wretch condemned to it has to sustain on bis
shoulders O weight of 200 lbs, without any pos
sbility of relief-that it is certain death, if in
ficted for more than very few days. Next
comes beating with bamboo canes-a process
which sometime kills after fifteen blows. Then
haying, crushing limbs, and tearing out the ten
dons of the feet Strangling and beheading are
the capital punishment, to which may be added
though it is said, not often practised-the
penalty by which criminal is placed between
two boards, and sawed in two from head to foot.
Starving to death is sometimes practised, the
culprit being buried in the earth up to the neck
and there left to die; or he is fixed in the wood
en- cage, and fed with daily diminishing rations
of rice, till he dies on the last grain, as the horse
on his last straw. In 1910, 1000 persons were
beheaded in the province of Canton, out of q
population of 100000
Mr.. Meadows, the interpreter of the English
embassy in China in 1852, saw at Canton an ex-
ecution which he afterwards described. The
criminals were insurgents who had fallen into
the hands of the Tartar officials. The place Of
execution was low room, from which the
heads of persons previously executed had not
been removed. A fire of sandal wood burnt be-
fore the shed where sat the mandarins who were
to superintend the execution, and interpOsed its
fragrancy between their nobility and the stencil
of the decomposing heads. The criminals were
brought in, some borne in baskets, and tumbled
out on the ground where they lay paralyzed
with fear, or from the effects of torture inflicted
during their trial and Imprisonment. They were
then placed in order, in kneeling position, with
their faces toward the ground, man standing
behind each and grasping him tightly by his
bound hands, Another in case OF resistance,
seized the queue, and pulled in the opposite d.
rection, to keep the neck extended. All being
thus prepared, the executioner came forward, q
sabre his weapon, which he held with two
hands, standing with his legs somewhat apart,
ready for the work In three minutes, thirty
three bodies were headless, all but the first COM
pletely severed with one blow. From one to
another the executioner leaped body and sword
acting with the precision of machine, and deal
ing death blow at every jump. One criminal
remained; and for him more awful death was
appointed lie was man ofpowerful frame, in
the prime of life, and had surrendered himself to
the officials to save his wife and family, who
were in their hands, from the torture. They
took and bound him to wooden cross fixed a.
ganst the wall The flesh was then cut from
lis forehead, breast and extreInities-a horrible
process. which occupied five minutes, and was
yet rapidly performed. The unhappy man was
then taken from the cross and bebesded.