Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1861-03-21

| greater work OF naval architecture than thl
last specimen of British ingenuity.
Terrible Scenes in China-rwe Hundret
Bandits Beheaded.
From the Canton Pressl
| FoocHow, Nov. %, 1860.
The entire community here, native and for
| eign, has been thrown into a state of great ex
element during the last few days, the cause
| and progress Of which I shall try to give you
| as briefly as can.
You are aware that for some years past 9
feud has existed between Cantonese and Chin
| ehetcIte sailors and lorchamen. This broke
| out afresh during June of this current year
and in more formidable form than it had
previously assumed.
By willy policy the warlike lorchas, mum.
bering some twenty-three, were enticed to
leave this river. As soon as this was managed
| the local authorities determined hereafter to
confne all Canton lorchas and West Coast
boats to the anchorage at Quantow, about ten
| or twelve miles below the Pagoda station. To
| carry out this resolution, large body of ma
tive militia and marines were collected, chiefly
from Quemoy and Annoy, several war iunks
and armed pullaway boats were fitted up, and
| the entire force was put under the command of
Commodore Wee, a brave and fierce fellow,
dreaded by his own class as a man of war, and
hated by Cantonese as a savage villain.
Commodore Woo had been on the watch,
fully anticipating the move that this outside
fee would make to bolt past his station and
ascend the river in collected body. They
| attempted this on last Monday, the 10th, but
found their match in the Commodore. There
sailed past his guard post three, some say ten,
| Canton lorchas and tymoons; others hanging
on outside in case this detachment succeeded.
They were attacked by the mandarin force
three were burnt. two ran up to take refuge at
the Pagoda anchorage, and the rest made out
to sea as fast as they could. The remainder
OF that day was occupied in pursuing and cap
turing the fugitive pirates who had escaped on
shore. Next morning, the Goth, the Mandarin
armed boats were in pursuit of the two boats
that had escaped up the river. They came up
with them about noon, lying in shore at the
Pagoda. There they were attacked, their
crews dashed into the stream to swim ashore,
and while floating on the water some forty or
fifty were speared and shot; fine sight to be
seen for foreign seamen and residents Early
in the morning Of the 21st, it was evident, from
the packed throngs on the great bridge and
the habbub around, that something strange
and novel and exciting had occurred
About O'Clock, some Of the Mandarin war
boats had como up with two prizes and two
hundred captured pirates. The latter they
commenced to land, each man under guard of
at least four marines, bearing drawn swords
spears, matchlocks, or sporting gay flags. The
| CdptlScc Wcfc III pllR0t, stripped ana
naked, hands tied with awful tightness behind
their backs, and feet scarcely able to walk
while they were driven along with the most
barbarous savageness. Eight or ten had been
beheaded on their way up the river, and two
or three Just as they were showed on shore, for
showing fight and their reluctance to move on.
The heads Of these unfortunatss were slung on
poles, and swung before the eyes of the re-
msinder as a token Of what awaited them very
shortly. When all had been landed, they
were marched across the bridge to the north
ern end, and on the way, as if to crafty the
public gaze, the heads of four were deli iberately
chopped of, and their corpses flung into the
river below.
But We were surprised in seeing, when it
was supposed that all had crossed the bridge,
large band of captives returning post haste.
They were slowed away again on board these
war junks, bound and tied with double fury,
several hands tied together. No mercy was
shown to any. A boy of ten was pushed in
with a naked sword over his head. An aged
wretch failed to creep back to his boat, and
was flung On board to expire as best he could
Almost all had their wrists SO tightly tied that
the flesh was eaten into, and the spectacle
brought vividly to mind the tortures inflicted
on our oountrymen in the North, over whose
cruel fste there is no ono that does not mourn.
These armed boats, with a cargo of ITO Chi
nese pirates, showed of to 60 back to Quantow, 7,
to have them decapitated there; the remain
ing thirty having been carried on to the North
Gate execution grounds.
Upon this announcement the thick crowds
moved away, and the tbronged streets and
bridges were cleared But that Mandarin
move was found, after all, to be a dodge. At
o'clock thu crowds had been thickening, and
1t began to be apprehended that the large
Canton population here might rise and atten pit
the rescue Of their countrymen, who were
al hQfn hefr ;laSa Il
and brutally. The maneuver succeeded in
thinning the streets, and at a signal the boats
were moved back to their position as in the
morning, the unfortunate victims were at once
landed, and, with the same guard, they were
fastened along a street of two miles in length
at double quick time, to the parade ground
outside the South gate.
Here some of the principal officials were
seated at 3 o'clock, at a tribunal, which, with
out trial or mercy, was to hurry more than
$50 of their fellows into eternity. The work
was short; one after the other the whole lot
were beheaded, and in half an hour the
judges, troops, and staring mob were dispersed.
Among the oaptives there were two youths Of
10 and IL; for one of them seven merchants
advanced their guarantee, and he was asaved.
The other died unheeded and uncaring under
the executioner's knife. The executioners, OF
whom there were several, We'd to see who could
do the largest amount of work; one succeeded
in cutting of SO heads, for which he would re-
ceive what he would consider q handsome
douceur, as 500 cash is given for each caput.
Commodore Woo, the hero of the day, went to
the tribunal with blue button, but returned
to his feet with red one, honored and ap-
plauded by all his 90 -mandarins.
1t Is worthy of note that those brigands that
made the desperate effort to break the block
ade against the Canton lorchas did 30 Just after
the John Adams, U. 8. man-of-war, left the
port.
FIESpIsH We learn from the Salem lind !
Times that an inhuman wretch In an adjoining
County to Washington deliberately plotted the
following, by which to put his wife to death. IL
seems that to accomplish his hellish work, 1t was