The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1859-09-27
EXECUTIONS IN CHINA.


an execution
The execution had been fixed at noon. At
halfpast eleven half a dozen men arrived at the
execution ground, each armed with what resemb!ed
cleaver rather than sword, and preceded by
bearers of rough pine boxes, decorated with sides
painted as if with blood. These were collins for
the gang to be executed, which that day numbered
one hundred and fifty. General unconcern and
even stoical indifference marked the countenances
of both soldiers and spectators, who together
amounted to about hundred and fifty. A
breeze sprang up, which carried the lntoerable
stencil from the quarter occupied by the foreigners,
who to the number of dozen, had obtained
admittance to the top of one of the houses the
side of the street at the entrance of this feld of
blood" Soon after the arrival of the executioners
and the collins, division of the condemned appeared
on the ground, consisting of ten individuals,
speedily followed by the rest of the unhappy
wretches in companies of the same number.
Each prisoner had his hands tied behind his
back, anda label stuck in his tail or long queue,
while he was thrust down in wicker basket, over
which his chained legs daneled loosely, the body
riding uncomfortably, and marked by long paper
tally pasted on a strip of bamboo, thrust between
the jacket of each condemned individual and his
back. These oman baskets they called,
swung with small Cords were carried by bamboo
poles upon the shoulders of two porters. As the
prisoners arrived they taken from the baskets
and made to kneel, facing the south In space
of twenty feet by twelve counted as many
seventy prisoners, ranged in halt-a-dozen rows
At five minutes to twelve, Mandarin, wearing
white button, arrived, and the two individuals
who were first to be cut in pieces tied to the
crosses which had been planted. This was probably
designed to increase the terror of death to those
who were about to experience it, just as though
the natural bitterness not sufficient. In the
meanwhile that this frightening process was going
on the execution commenced; and twenty or
thirty were headless before friend was aware
| of it. The only sound to be heard was horrld
chcep, chcep cheep, as the executoners knife or
ceayer fell upon the neck of the victim. No
signs of fear in the faces of the prisoners
as they knelt and awaited the fatal moment. No
entrcaties were made; no shrieks were heard
One blow was sufficient for each the head tumblng
between the legs Of the victim before the body
fell. AS the sword fell, the trunk, spoutirg with
blood, sprang forward, falling OH the breast and
was still forever.
In tour minutes the execution was ompleted,
and one hundred and fifty human beings, of all
ages, had passed into eternity. Then on the
other sections commenced work still more
barbarous and horrifying; it might be said to be
even devilish-for what could be more so.
The victims of torture tied to the crosses
which had been planted at one end of the arena,
when an executioner approaching, cut slice from
under each with short sharp knife which
he carried. low, suppressed, fearful groan from
each victim followed the gashng, but nothing
like scream cutlery Dexterous as butchers,
slice was taken successfully by the operators from
the calves the thighs, and then the breast of each
IL may be supposed, at any rate it may be
hoped that by this time the sufferers had become
nsensible to pain, though they not dead.
The knife then thrust into the abdomen,
which was ripped up to the breast bone, and then
twirled round and round as the heart was separated
from its holdings-Up to this moment, our
nformer says that having once set his eyes upon
the victim under torture, they became fixed as if
by strange SPELL but now neither he could stand
it nor they be riveted any longer. A whirling
sensation through his brain, and it was with
difficulty he could keep from falling But this
wassnot all; the lashings then cut and his
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 Mandarin left the ground, to
return, however, with and woman, the
latter, it said, the wife ola rebel chief and
the leader of some rank among the rebels.
The woman cut up in the way already related,
but for the man a horrible torturing still
was decreed. He was literally faycd alive. Our
informant did not the operations his overpowcred
senslbllltles did not permit it; but an American
sergeant of marines did. who described the horrors
of the scene. The knife was first drawn across
the forehead at which piercing scream was sent
forth by the sufferer and then the flesh was pulled
the eyes, and so on till the horrible butchery
was ended. There is temple in Canton which
| visited, called the "Tempe of Horrors" because
in several apartments arc the most horrible
representations Of the fortunes of the Buddhist hell
But nothing there more internal than that
which was seen here.
Such were the tortures inflicted by Yeh upon
at least 100000 human beings in the city Of
Canton. 1t is not surprising that the news Of his
death and the arrival Of his body caused outburSts
of exultation among the Chinese, who either had
lost some of their friends under the operation Of
his cleaver else stood in constant fear for their
own lives. Thousands put to death who
were entirely innocent, except that they happened
to be the wives or children Of others, or else had
common family connections. The calmness and
even Indifference with which the Chinese meet
death, are past belief and unaccotlntabe; and yet
as the late has shown, they nation of
towards; but cowardce and cruelty usually 90
together
ETHIOPIAN ELOoUENCE-A dandy gemman Of
cOl1r racpDtlv Stpppal into ono Of Our nrov;Sio,