Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1859-10-06
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The Chinese Execution Ground.
From the Boston Traveller.

You have heard of Yeh, the late Governor
of Canton the world has heard of him. and
that name, like Nero and for the same reason,
will be a familiar word in all future. Singu-
lary, as we were steaming over the Straits of
Maacca in our outward bound passage year
ago, we came near falling in with British
man-Of-War which had been made the prison
Of Yeh, and was conveying him to Calcutta
few days before we left Hong Kong on our
present cruise to Northern China, the British
war steamer the Fiery Cross came into port,
and anchored near US, having on board the
Jody Of the fallen tyrant and butcher, which
it was conveying to Canton for interment-
lie had been kept in confinement, but not in
prison, in Calcutta being treated with all in
diligence and kindness But he took no exer-
else he ceased to be an object of interest {;
no one visited him no one, however poor, did
him honor the game of life was up; his race
was run; he could not recover his position
in Calcutta he was in disgrace and to return
to his own country, even should he be liberia
ted, was certain death His mighty spirit,
haughty as it had been, was humbed and even
broken and turning upon itselflike VuIture,
preyed upon its own sensibities, and at length
he died. His immense frame, his savage heart
and ndomitable will were obliged to yield to
the inward horror which were pent up within
him
There was once q Pasha of Acre, in Syria
Of whom | read much aud heard much when
residing near that celebrated old city, to whom
the Arabic name Of Djc--ar, or Butcher, was
given, so enormous were the crueltieS he in
Hctcd and like him, Yeh will be remember
only as the "Chnese Butcher" Pity never
entered his heart he was never known to for
give, and human Sympatbies he had not. His
only pleasure was in others pain, and his only
business in blood. / had read accounts of the
scenes on the execution ground" | had heard
rccitalS from those who had witnessed them
Little did | expect to stand on the same ground
ana walk the iiagStOnes on which the executed
kueIt aud soak my shoes in the dewy grass
which had been nOurished by their blood =
But so it has been. | have been in this Col
gotha have walked and mused in this Ac-
edama, and almost trampled upon human
skulls. The place on the execution ground
where two crosses were erected upon which
men and women were fastened, and then "hewn
liz pieces" by a lingering process, | have stood
upon, though the crosses had been removed
! conyerSed with different persons who had
Witnessed those frightful butcheries, sometimes
i've hundred human beings being driven into
these shambleS, or else carried in baskets, as
they carry living swine in China, for single
hccatoufb in a sacrifice, in which more than one
hundred thousand were offered, and some say
near two hundred thousand Upon the over
throw of Heh, and the capture of the city by
the French and English, the executions, which
still continued numerous, and even now are,
were removed to another place, but not far dis
tant, and very much resembling the old ground.
By natural mistake, guide took me to the
new ground in the first instance, where for the
lrst time in nay life | saw human blood shed
IN execution. ItIay thick upon the pavement
almost in pools in some places, and dried to q
coat in Others glittering in the sun with hor-
Hbie redness. For long time after English
occupancy, gangs were executed numbering a
dozen or more, at least every fortnight and
the other day au American resident Informed
me he had just seen twenty-five decapitated on
the new execution ground. Life is nothing
with the Chinese, there is such an excess of it,
and strangely one seems not to care for his
own more than that of others.
The old execution ground is situated about
ne hundred yards from the river, and is of an