New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1860-03-26

The PILLoRY IN JAPAN.-A correspondent of
the Photographic News gives the following sketch
of scene he witnessed while residing among that
most wonderful of all wonderful people, the ia
panese:
We had been at work about three hours, whea
the landlord came in to tell rs that woman had
been convicted, but as the plaintiff had recovered
his money, her punishment was light, and it was
just going to take place in front OF the hotel. A
couple OF thick mats were placed for us in the We
randah, upon which we could stand and see over
the heads of the crowd, and watch the proceedings
OF the officials upon whom it devoyed to carry out
the sentence. The woman's countenance was
calm-so calm and composed that it seemed.to me
that she must either have received much lighter
sentence than she expected or else she was stupe-
fed by terror. A square solid block of wood was
first laid upon the ground in the center of which
post, about six or seven feet high, fixed, hay
ing piece of board few inches square nailed on
the top of it.
One of the officials then removed the woman,s
clothes, and cut off her hair close to her head !;
after which she was compelled to mount by lad
der to the top Of the post and take her seat upon
| 1t, the ladder then being removed. The next
| thing done was to nail paper to the post, in
scribed in Japanese characters stating the nature
Of her oense, and the punishment allotted to her,
and by whom. and winding up with the sentence,
That which is stolen profiteth mott She was then
left to be the butt of the obscene jests of the mob
for three hours, during which she was compelled,
by her sentence, to remain in this position. There
was no atlefnpt at YlOleuce--n0 throwing ufrI AZ
her; and, perhaps, under other circumstances, the
punishment might not have been so severe, but,
under the burning rays of the sun, which was then
shining, her suterings were dreadful. They fell
| her bare head and body until the latter was of a
| deep red color; and she was only saved from sud
| den death by keeping her hands pressed upon her
head, to shield it, in some measure, from the in
| tense heat. Her screams were heart-rending, and
| the manner in which she writhed her body made
| me expect every instant to see her fall to the
| ground.
By this time the mob, finding the heat too great
| to bear, had. for the most part, dispersed, and
the poor wretch was left to agonize almost alone
| Her shrieks were getting weaker, and one of her
hands had already fallen helplcssly by her side,
when, unable to endure the sight any longer, left
Dsetjuma, and without saying anything to him, for
| fear of his making objections, took one Of the
| enormous broad brimmed hats which were hanging
in the room, and hastily dipping il in tub Of cold
water ran across the road with it. and offered it
to the wretched Sufferer on the pillory. She had
still strength sufficient left to take it from and
| put it on her head. Finding that nobody made
any remark on what had done, ] went and fetched
| a bowl of water and gave her. and the eagerness
with which the poor creature swallowed it evil
| denee enough of the torture she was undergoing.
/ never in my life saw so great change in the
| appearance of any human being in so short time
/ as in this woman. Her face was swollen, and her
eyes seemed ready to start out of her head, while
her shoulders, breast and legs presented the same
/ appearance as if she had been roasted; and yet
| she had not been exposed more than an hour and
had still two hours longer to remain there, accord
| ing to her sentence.