The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-11-25
ia RA-KfIsA.
The Ceremony OF Standardization In
Japan.

After an interval of q few minutes of anxious
suspense, Taxi Hcnzaburo, stalwart man OF
thirty-two years OF age, with a noble air, walked
into the hail attircd In his dress OF ceremony.
with the peculiar hcmpcn clotii wings which nre
worn on great occasions. He was accompanied
by kdfshdEu and three officers, who wore the
With the haiShak1 on his left hand, Taxi ZenZa-
bur0 advanced slowly toward the japanese wit
nesses. and the TWO bowed before them, then
drawing near tho Foreigners they saluted us
In the same way, perhaps even with more
dSlsrence; In each case The salu.ntion Was
great dignity, the condemned man mount
ed on to tho raacd foor, Frustrated him
seli before the high altar twice, and seated HIM
self ON the felt carpet with his back TO the high
altar, the E1fShnkn Cronching on his left hand
side. One OF the three attendant officers then came
forward bearing stand OF the Kind used in tenn
pies for offerings on which, wrapped In paper
lay the 7oahizGshf, the short sword or dirk OF the
Japanese, nine inches and half In length, with
he handed, proslrating himself to the condemned
mnn, who received II rcverently, rnsing 1t to his
wh SS,n and Il front q
Henzaburo, In a voice which betrayed lust 30
much emotion and hesitation az might be expect
cd from q man who ia making painful confes-
sion, but with Sign OF fear either in his face or
manner, spoke as follows:
~, and alone, unuarrantably gave the order
10 lire on the foreigners ut Kobe, and again az
they tried to escape. For this crime dsem.
bowel myself, and beg you who arc present to
do me tho honor OF witnessing the act"
Bowing once more tho speaker allowed his
upper garments to slip down to his girdic and re-
mained naked TO the whist. Carefully, according
to custom, he tucked his sleeves under his knees
to prevent himself from falling backward, for q
noble Japanese gentleman should die falling for
ward. Deliberately, with steady hand, he took
the dirk that lay before him; hc looked at IL wlst-
fully, almost aHcctionately; for q moment he
seemed to collect his thoughts for the last time,
and then, Htabbing himself deeply below
t!le waist OH the left.hand side, he drew
u slowly across 70 the right side, and turning the
dirk In the wound gave slight cut upwards.
During this sickcningly painful operation he
never moved muscle OF his face. When he
drew out the dirk lie leaned forward and stretched
out Ills neck; an expression Of pain for the first
time crossed his face, but he uttered no s0und.
At TINT moment The kafshakn, who, Rtii crouch
Ing by his side. hatl bccn Eccnly watching his
every movement, Rprang to his feet poised his
sword for second In tho air; there was flasli,
heavy, ngly thud, q crashing fall; with one blow
the head had been seycsed from the body.
n dead acHco followed, broken only by the
hidcous noRc OF tho blood gushing out OF the In
ert heap before Us, which but u moment before
had been q brave nnti ciiivairou6 man. ;. ;Sas
horrible. The EafSh0kiL made q low h0W, wiped
his sword, md retired from the raised floor; and
tio stained dirk Wis Soicnn'y borne away,
bloody proof Of the execution. The two rcprcsan-
tatlvcs OF the Miktd0 then left their places. and
crossing Oyct 20 where the foreign witnesses aat.
called M To witness That the sentence Of death
| upon Taxi XcIzaburo had been faithfully carried
out. The ceremony being at an end. VIC left the
templc-ThG EIecaif0n, IN Uara-Kfra, II, the
COy71h{H