Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes County, Ohio) 1856-1865, 1859-10-13
g H ESE EXECUTIO S
HORRIBLE BUTCHERY.

cutlon droundS, gives the following account
of the horrible butcheries practiced in that
Golgotha, upon those condemned to death :
The execution had been fixed at noon.-
At half past eleven half dozen OF men
arrived at the execution ground, each arm
ed with what reselnbled cleaver rather
than sword, and preceded by bearers of
rough pine boxes, deco. aled with sides
painted as if with blood. These were cof-
fins for the gang to be executed. which
that day numbered one hundred and fifty.
General unconeern, and even stoical in
difference, marked the countenances of both
soldiers and spectators, who together
amounted to about one hundred and fifty.
A breeze sprang up, which carried the in
tolerable stencil from the quarter occupied
by the foreigners, who, to the number of a
dozen, had obtained admittance to the top
of one of the houses on the side of the
street at the entrance of the "6eld of blood" +"
Soon after the arrival of the executions and
the coffins, 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 be-
hind his back, and label stuck in his tail
or long quene, while he was thrust down
in wicker basket, over which his chained
legs dangled loosely, the body riding un-
comfortably, and marked by a long paper
tally pasted on strip of bamboo, thrust
between the jacket of each condemned in
dividual and his back. These s.man bas-
kets," as they are called, slung with small
cords, were carried by bamboo poles upon
the shoulders of two porters. Asthe priso-
ners arrived they were taken from the bas-
kets, and made to kneel facing the south.
In space of tweDty-feet by twelve were
counted as many as seventy prisoners, Iang-
ed in half dozen rows. At five minutes
to twelve, Mandarin wearing white but
ton, arrived, and the two individuals who
were first TO be cut IN pieces were tied TO
the crosses which had been planted. This
was probably designed to increase tie ter
ror of death to those who were about to
experience it, just as though the natural
bitterness was not sufficient. In the moan
while that this frightening process was go
ing ON, the execution commenced, and
twenty or thirty were headless before our
friend was aware of it. The only sound to
be heard was horrid cheep, cheep, cheep,
as the executioner's knife or cleaver fell
upon the neck of the victim. NoSlgns OF
fear were seen in the faces of the prisoners,
as they knelt and awaited the fatal mo
ment. No entreaties were made; no
shrieks were heard. One blow was suffi-
cient for each the head tumbling between
the legs of the victim before the body fell.
As the sword fell, the trunk, spouting
with blood, sprank forward, falling on the
breast, and was still forever.
In four minutes the execution was COM
pleied, and one hundred and fifty beings,
of all ages, had passed into eternity
Thereon the other sections commenced ii
work still more barbarous and horrifying;
it might be said to be even more devlish-
for what could be more so!
The victims of torture were tied t. the
crosses which had been planted at one END
of the area, when an executioner approach
ing, cut slice from under each arm with
a short, sharp knife, which he carried. A
low, suppressed, fearful groan from each
victim followed the gashing, but nothing
like scream or outery. Dexterous as
butchers, slice was taken successively by
the operators from the calves, the thighs,
and then the breast, of each. 1t may be
supposed, or at any rate it may be hoped,
that by this time the sufferers had become
insensble to pain, though they were not
dead. The knife was thrust into the alb
domen, which was ripped up to the breast
bone, and then twirled round and round,
as the heart was separated from its hold
ings. Up to this moment, our informer
said, that having once set his eyes upon
the victim under torture, they became fixed,
as if by strange spell; but now neither
could he stand it, nor they be riveted any
longer. A whirling sensation ran through
his brain, and it was with difficulty that he
could keep from falling. But this was not
all; the lashings were then cut, and his
head, being tied by the tail to limb of
cross, was severed from the body, which
was then dsmembered Of hands and arms,
feet and legs, separately.
After this the Mandarin left the ground
to return, howe, or, with man and woman,
the latter, as it was said, the wife of a rebel
chief, and the man leader of some rank
among the rebels. The woman was cut up
in the way already related, but for the mao
more horrible torturing still was decreed.
He was literally flayed alive. Our infor-
mant did not see the operation; his over
powered sensibiIities did not permit 1t; 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 pull
ed over the eyes and so on, till the horrible
butchery was ended, There is a temple
in Canton, which l visited, called the "Tem-
pie of Horrors" because in several apart
ments are the most horrible representations
of the tortures of the Buddhist hell. But
nothing there was more Internal than that
which was seen here.
Such was the tortures inflicted by 1eh,
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 exuliation
l.