The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1859-01-28

| The execution Of Don Msichoir, . French Ro
man Chtholic Bishop in Cochin China, has beer
noticed. The Hong Kong Register contains tb,
details of the terrible execution. It says he wa,
carried to the capital on suspicion Of being al
insurgent, and kept close prisoner until his ex.
ecutiou:
| On the 2sth of the same month, at Z o'clock In
| the morning, the troops, elephants, horses, &C.
| Ieft the city for the place OF execution by the
North gate. They led with them the two servant,
Of the venerable martyr; both Of them wore heavy
chains on their necks and went on foot to receive
| joyfully the martyrs palm. On arriving at the
| place q great circle was formed and the execu.
tioner tied the two yonns men to two posts
placed near each other. They were kept for about
an hour in this position OF torture. After thi,
,cepe occurred one still more cruel andterribls-
| After the attendants had led the two young men
TO the place of punishment they brought forth the
| venerable Bishop by the East gate
| The whole of the circumstances with which they
conducted the venerable victim to his death were
| truly terrible. His Eminence 20 was led through
| all the streets of the city with heavy chain
round his neck; in his hand he carried bis breyia-
ry. Twenty guards, sword in hand, surrounded
him. The escort of the three prisoners consisted
Of about 500 soldiers, two elephants, four horse-
men, two men bearing instrumeD 10 called "caieno u
| a drummer and four trumpeters. When the
Bishop reached the scene Of his glorious martyr.
| dom he was covered with sweat aud mad. On sec.
ing his two servants, who we're awaiting the blow
which should let their spirits .soaSsfos~ keayep
| his Eminence exhorted them 20 Courage and gave
| them bis blessing. few moments later
| the mandarin, who was seated one of the
elephants, raised his voice and ordered the heads
| of the two servants to be Arst cut of, and
| afterwards that of the kou uhc term applied
| head of one of the servants, named Tiep was
struck off, but three blows were requisite to effec,
| this. The executioner then took the head aud
fnpg it into the air, that it might be by eve.
IN. a.
| of the second, uamed lIieu, but on this occasion
struck with a more fortunate hand, ,-for he only
needed a single blow. Happy souis, which had
ascended to Heaven to recevs the reward of their
courage, aud to prepare, so to speak, that seat Of
glory for their master which was destined for him
| by our Lord in 30 few moments. These faithful
attendants had served the Bishop in this life, and
in their deaths they shared his glory and his tri-
| umphs.
| Now let us pass on to the horrible torture suf
| having been executed, the executoners stretched
| mat on the ground, placed small carpet upon it.
broke the chain which was around the neck of his
| Rminence, and made him lie down on his back
| upon the mating. The bishop at this time
| nothing but pair of trousers tarRed up to
| the thighs. The vtcm being thus placed, the ex
| ecu;ioner took two stakes, which he fixed in the
| ground each side OF him, and to which his
hands were tightly bound by cords, causing great
| pain Two others were then placed under his
armpits, and crossed over the chest Of the bishor
| SO as to press it tightly Two other posts were
| then set up at a short distance from his feet -
| The cords with which the feet were bound were
| stretched round these posts and stretched violent
ly, the feet being then pegged down; the loins
were similarly secured 1t would be difficult &c
to conceive the tortIres Of the venerable prelats
| thus bound and racked. An order was then is.
| sued first to cut off the feet, then the hands af-
| terwards the head Of the martyr, and lastly te
eyscerate him
At this order. five executioners commenced
| their frightful duty. They were armed with a
kind Of bilihook or hatchet, pNrposely blunted
| menced by cutting of the legs above the knees
each limb receiving about twelve blows before il
| was severed. The same process was repeated with
/ the arms. But the power of speech now failed
| the happy martyr, who 20 long strength re-
| maiDed, bad not ceased to call on the name Of
Jesus His head was then struck off, after repeat
| ed blows, and lastly his body was opened and hiI
| e1trals drawn out with hook.
| Such is tho exact account Of the death and to
lures Of Monseiguor Mechoir, near the very spot
| which had been conseorated two years earlier by
| the martyrdom of his predecessor. Inmediateiy
after the execution, the different parts of the BODY
| were wrapped up n the mat and thrown into d
pit dug for the purpose. The Tonquinese wished
to make the elephants pass over the spot, as to
| trampe under foot the grave of the venerable
| confessor of our faith, but these animals, les.
| savage, and we may almost say, more humane
| than their masters, obstinately refused to do 40
as If they would not profane the relics of the no.
BILE martyr
Bishop Melchor's head was exposed for some
| days ou the southern gate of Nan-dinp, and then
| broken to pieces and thrown into the sea.