Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1859-09-13
THE GAZETTE.
TUESDAY MORNING, SEPTEMBER IL, 1859.


The horrible executions still continue in
Canton, Notwithstanding the place is in the
occupation of the English. A letter to the
Boston Traveller, written May 3lst, gives the
following account Of an execution:
"Theexecution had been fixed ut noon. AT
hall. past eleven half dozen men arrived at
the execution ground, each armed with what
rcsembled cleayer rather than sword, and
preceded BY bearers Of rough pine boxes,
decorated with sides painted Us if with blood.
These were collins for the gang to be executed,
which that day numbered one hundred and
fifty. General unconcern and even stoieal
Indifference marked the countenances of both
soldiers and spectators, who together amount.
cd to about one hundred and fifty. A breeze
sprang up, which carried the intolerable
stencil from the quarter occupied by the for
cgncrs, who, to the number Of u dozen, had
obtained admittancs to the top Of one of the
houses on the side of the street at the en-
trance Of this field Of blood" Soon after the
arrival of the executioners and the collins, a
division Of the condemned appeared on tae
ground, consisting of ten individuals, speedi-
ly followed by the rest of the unhappy wret-
chcs in companies of the same number.
Each prisoner had his hands tied behind
his back, and label stuck in his tail or long
queue, while he was thrust down in wicker
basket, over which his chained legs danglcd
loosely the body riding uncomfortably, and
marked by long paper tally pasted on strip
of bamboo, thrust between the jacket OF each
condemned individual and his back. These
IMAM baskets" as they are called, swung
with small cords, were carried by bamboo
poles, upon the shoulders Of two porters =
AS the prisoners arrived they were taken
from the baskets and made to kneel, facing
the south. In space of twenty feet by
twelve were counted rs many as seventy pri-
soners ranged in halfa-dozen rows. tive
minutes to twelve, Mandarin, wearing q
white button, arrived, and the two individuals
who were first to be cut in pieces were tied
was probably designed to increase the terror
Of death to those who were about to expert
ence it, just ~ though the natural bitter
ness was not sufficient. In the meanwhile.
that this frightening process was going 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 ex-
ccutioner's knife or cleayer fell upon the neck
Of the victim. No signs Of fear were seen in
the faces of the prisoners, as they knelt and
awaited the fatal moment. No entreaties
were made; no shrieks were heard. One blow
was sufficient for each, the head tumbling be-
tween the lege of the victim before the body
Tell. As the sword fell, the trunk, spouting
with blood, sprang forward, falling on the
breast, and was still forever.
In tour minutes the execution was compile
ted, and one hundred and fifty human beings,
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 devilish-for what could
be more so?
The victims Of torture were tied TO the eros
SEES which had been planted at one end Of the
arena, when an executioner approaching cut
Il 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, slice
was taken successfully by the operators from
the calves, the thighs, and then the breast OF
each. 1t may be supposed, or at any rate 1t
may be hoped, that by this time the sufferers
n:lu DcCOIU6 lu6CubiulC w shoy
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 his eyes upon the
victim under torture, they became fixed as If
hy strange spell but now neither he could
stand it nor they be riveted any longer. \
whirlng sensation ran through his BRAIN
and it was with difficulty he could keep from
falling But this was not all; the lash:ngs
were then cut and the head being tied by
the tail to limb Of the cross, was severed
from the body, which was then dismem-
bered of hands and arms, feet and legs sep
arately.
After this the Mandarin left the ground, to
return, however, with man and woman,
the latter. rs it was said, the wife of 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 man
a more horrible torturing still was decreed.
lie was literally hayed alive. Our infor-
mant did not see the operation his over
powered sensibilties 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 set 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
are the most horrible representations OF the
tortures of the Buddhist hell. But nothing
there was more internal than what was
seen here.
Such were the tortures inflicted by ieh
npon at least 100, 900 human beings in the
city Of Canton. tits 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 cleayer or
else stood in constant fear for their own lives.
Thousands were put to death who were en-
tirely innocent, except that they happened
10 be the wives or children OF others. or else
had common family connections. The calm
ness and even indifference with which the
Chinese meet death are past belief and un-
accountable: and yet, as the late war has
shown, they are a nation of towards; but
cowardice and cruelty usually 60 together
| was told an incident in one OF these exc
cutiou scenes which defies credence, and yet
j. affirmed to be only the sober truth. a
-. ..,~. l,,,xhf tho fatal prOunu