Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1862-08-09
REM MARKS

THE EXECUTION OF TAPPING PRI-
NFRS-FEROCIOUS CRUELTTES.
The following account Of the brutaltics
committed on the Tacpings by the Impcra-
lists is from the pen of an Englishman, who
was present, in commpany with both Eng
!sh and French olliccrr and soldiers at the
execution by discmbowlmcnt Of Tapping
prisoners
! went with the crowd to see the cvccu-
tion of the Tapping prisoners that had been
given up for execution into the hands Of the
mandarins by the English and French
authorities; or, what is the same thing, they
took no measures TO prevent the ruthless
hutchcry of those who lent their aid to cap.
turc, when horror of horrors, how am to
describe the dreadful scene, or will il ever
leave my memory? Among those wrctChcs
were young and old, of both sexes, and of
all ages and sizes, from the infant recently
born, to the man of eighty, tottcrinG on his
staff; from the CHctr}ttc woman to the young
maiden from ten to eighteen. The latter
were pushed out by the guards among the
crowd of rulians assembled and were taken
into sheds and byplacc5 and dcbauchcd.
and again dragged back by the hair of the
head to the Chinese guards to await their
turn for execution. Some of them had
tainted, and were pulled along the ground
to the cXcCutioncrs, who threw them on
their backs, tore off their clothes, and ripped
them from the lower part Of the abdomen to
their breasts, which were cut or and dashed
with a curse into their faces
The bowels, a Il matter of course, CushCd
out; but the cut was made in such way,
Ill
that the intcstmcs were seldom injured.
After little time, in this state of excessive
torture, the cXccutioncr thrust his hand into
the chest and tore out the rcckinG heart. his
victim looking him in the face all the while.
\ young female, apparently about eight
months pregnant, who never uttered groan
or sigh at all the previous cruclues she had
endured from the surrounding mob, had her
infant cut out Of her womb, and held up in
her sight hy one of its little hands, bleeding
and quiyering, when at the sight she gave
one hcartrcndinC piercing scrccch That
would have awakened pity in tiger, ami
after it had been in that state dashed on her
breast, she, with q last supcrhunan effort,
released her arms from those holding her
down. and claspcd her infant to her bleeding
heart and died, holding it there with such
force that they could not he separated, and
were thus thrown together on the pile OF
other Carcasscs.
Another young woman among the prison
crs awaiting her turn to he discmhowllcd,
with fine hoy of ten months old, crownng
and Jumping in her arms, had him snatchcd
suddenly away from her and flung to the
cxccutioncr, who plunged the ruthless knife
into his tender breast before his mothers
ewes. Infants but recently born were torn
from theirmothcrs breasts and dscmhowcllcd
before their faces. Young, strong men were
discmbowcllcd, mutiatcd, and the parts cut
off thrust into their own mouths or flung
among the atmiring and laughing crowd OF
Cinnamon.
But no more. can write no more of these
scenes; ] can only regret forever that |
looked on the dreadful sight | am no
longer fit TO be n soldier. i have been in
many battles during the last twenty years,
and in the thickest of the fight in most of
them, where rage and thirst for carnage
is dreadful to reflect on afterwards, but
nothing heretofore that ] have seen or heard
of. or even read of, could be compared TO
the dreadful cruelty OF this discmhowClling
execution. May God forgive England for
the part she has taken IN this war, and may
the in oi the cnormities -hc has assisted in