Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1859-09-21

as they knet and awaited the fatal moment.
No entreaties were made; no shrieks were
heard. One blow was sufficient for each, the
head tumbling between the legs of the victim
before the body fell. AS the body fell, the
trunk, spouting with blood, sprang forward,
falling on the breast, and was still forever.
In. four minutes the execution was com.
plcted, and one hundred and fifty human be-
ings, Of all ages, had passed into eternity.
Thereon the other sections commenced work
still more barbarous and horrifying; it might
be said to be even deyilish-for what could be
more so
The victims Of torture were tied to the
crosses which had been planted at one end of
the arena, when an executioner approaching,
cut slice from under each arm with short,
sharp knife which he carried. a low, sup
pressed, fearful groan from each victim fol-
lowed the gashing, but nothing like scream
or outcry. DeXterous as butchers, q slice
was taken successfully by the operators from
the calves, the thighs, and then the breast of
each. It may be supposed, or at any rate it
may be hoped, that by this time the sufferers
had become insensiblc to pain, though they
were not dead. The knife was 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 informer
says, that having once set bis 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 ran through his brain, and
it was with difficulty he could keep from fall
ing. But this was not all the lashi"gs were
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 q man and woman,
the latter, as it was said, tie wife of rebel
chief, and the man a leader of some rank
among the rebels. The woman was cut up
in the way already related, but for the man
more horrible torturing was still decreed.
He was literally flayed alive. Our informant
did not see the operation; his overpowered
sensiBifttes did not permit it; bat an Ameri.
can sergeant of marines did, who described the
horrors of the scene. The knife was first
drawn across the forehead, at which piercing
scream was Sc: forth by the sufferer, and then
the flesh was pulled over the eyes, and so on
till the horrible butchery was ended. There
is temple in Canton which | visited, called
the Temple Of Horrors" because in several
apartments arc the most horrible representa-.
tians of the tog;lras of the Bu'lhist hell. But
n t,irr there was mere internal than what
WAS seen here.
Such " re the tnrturcs inflicted by Yeh
up5n ut least 100000 human beings in the
city Of Canton. 1t is not surprising that the
ncws OF Ills dealt: and The arrival of his body
ca;.sd Guthursts Of exultation among the
Chinese. whu either had lost some of their
friends under the operation Of his cleaver, or
else s,o,N III Constant fear for their own lives.
Th"u>ands were put TO death who We're en-.
tirclY innoccnt, except they happened to be
the wives or children Of others. or else had
some family connections. The calmness and
even indifference with which tue Chinese meet
r,e t,h are past belief and uuaccountable; and
yet, a> the late war has shown, they are a
nation of ruwarls: but cowardice and cruelty
usually go gether. l was told an incident
III one Of these execution scenes which dehcs
crerence, and yet is affirmed to be onl y the
snber truth 4 young man was brought on
tae fatal ground with severa! hundreds who
were tc he hcheaied at the same time. All
were upon their knees, ard awaiting the fear.
fnl signal for the commencement of the days
hatchery. a fruit pcdar happened to be
passing, when the young man happened to
remember he had few cash, or farthing
pieces in his pocket He was hungry, for he
had been brought long distance in his basket,
and had gone without his breakfast. Eyving
the length of the rank TO which he belonged,
he could calculate the time with much exact
ness when the clcaver would fall upon his
own neck. Nothing daunted, he bought some
bananas and ate them knccling, the cleaver,
however. almost in:ercepting them before they
had passed from the throat into the stomach!
Sometimes twenty-five or fifty condemned
rebels were cast into the river together in their
b .skcts, to save the labor of execution and
the expense of interment The Chinese are
mystery-I cannot understand them.