The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1862-05-24
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Pas csnsspoalsacs Of the Loedoa Court journal.
| The japanese Ambassadors lsf
a. Yesterday 70 proceed to London. The las
| days Of their stay 1t the Hotel du Louvre vert
marked BY most extraordinary and impress
i've oc .urrence One of the officers belonging
to the suite Of ENJOYS received the order,
which had been dispatched almost immediate.
" after his departure from japan, to commit
the act Of suicide, or self-execution, known O.
the hdri, described BY Bayard Taylor and 9th.
er travellers 10 japan - the only method
Of avoiding the disgrace and torture ACCOM-
paying public execution. What the offence
committed by the miserable man.before his de-
parture from Japan was, or what the means
whereby it Was discovered must forever remain
ssecret. But what is certain is the fact Of the
act Of suicide having been faithfully performed
BY the victim, and, according &c Official form,
in presence Of the representatives Of the spir-
itual majesty Of Japan, and by stAhbing him
self in the bowels with the broad yataghan
which every Japanese officer Of distinction
wears upon his bosom, suspended by thick
gold.:chain round his neck. 1t appears that it
has been the custom daily Of an afternoon for
the four twenty chief officers Of the expe-
dition to take their bath in large marble basin
which has been expressly fitted up for the pur-
pose on the first floor Of the hotel. In this,
the water being let of and renewed at pleasure,
it was easy to accomplish the work of ven.
gsance; and here, alone with the minister Of
Imperial wrath, the shadow appointed 10 watch
every movement Of his companions and report
every action to his sovereign, did miserable
being put an end to his existence, at the word
Of command issued from the other side of the
globe. The bath walters Of the hotel had re-
ported on the suspicious appearance Of the wa
ter which remained at the bottom Of the bath
on certain day, and the evident attempts
which had been made to cleanse the floor with
unusual care. But so strange are considered
the customs Of these people, and so utterly inn
possible has it been found to understand their
language, in spite Of the numerous Swans in
Paris paid by the government not only to learn
but to teach it, but who, although proclaimed
perfectly conversant with all its dialects until
the Ambassadors arrived, seemed suddenly SO
struck with awe, perhaps at the sight Of their
Excellencies, that they lost their memory en-
tirely, and could neither understand nor utter
single word,-that it was deemed by the per-
sons consulted on the subject that the disorder
must have been created BY some religious or
superstitious custom, and no further inquiry
was therefore deemed necessary. After the
that one OF the officers was missing; the walters
noticed moreover, that the room occupied by
one Of them remained undisturbed, although
his vestments Of ceremony remained extended
on his bed; and at last many little circum-
stances and sundry religious observances, which
seemed to have no adequate explanation, oc-
casioned an inquiry to be insisted on. The
result Of this inquiry seems to have been the
discovery Of the corpse Of the victim, rudely
and placed with great care in q
large wooden chest, all ready packed to con-
vey it away. The embalmment merely con.
sisted Of the most careful baudaging in silken
wrappers, tightly compressed by leather
thongs. As far as gesture and information can
convey the impressions Of the mind, it soon
became easy to perceive that no concealment
was sought, and that the occurrence was greatly
regretted by the victims companions, although
regarded as q stern necessity of duty. The
discovery, Of course, Colated the greatest en-
barrassment to the government and NJ. Thou
venel, after consultation with the Emperor,
sent down message to the Ambassadors as
both Of the temporal and spir.
itusl sovereigns Of their country, declaring his
great establishment and disapproval at what
had taken place. lntimation was given at the
same time t. at such barbarous customs being
totally at variance with the laws and institu-
lions Of the country, any repetition Of the same
occurrence would be followed by expulsion
The body Of the unfortunate man, being but
embslmed, was conveyed away,
upon an order issued from the Ministere des
Adaires Etrangers to the Minister of Police, at
s o'clock in the morning to the cemetery of
Mont Parnassee, where it has been temporarily
deposited to await the return of the Ambassa-
doris, who on pain of the same order of hari are
bound to lay it piece de conviction at the feet
Of their Emperor. This is the story whispered
about in Paris, and unfortunately confirmed
by the only possible proof-that of the absence
Of one of the suite on the departure of the EN-
bassy, which was ascertained beyond doubt
BY those who. reused by the interest excited
BY the tale which has been suffered to get
abroad, had the curiosity to assist at their de-
parture yesterday evening, in order to com.
pare their number with the Photographic sketch
executed on their arrival. This proved, not
the truth of the story here related, but that of
its foundation-the absence of one of the most
Of the group.
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