The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1872-04-25
Japanese Executiensa

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/ - Japanese Executions -idf
-Four nre1, Exec1ted4rhe Smiling Exscu
TONERS ~ The solemn PFooession = Sad
From the san Francisco Bulletin, sz2tts'' +
4 The decapitstioh. Of four men ieu & a a
/ Tobe, (Yokohama) for the crime d
stealing some forty RIOS, is thus des-
| cribed by an eye witness of the scene,
Il The execution, ground was. fenced
4 in the form of a CORA, and stood
IEamidst fields of waving barley II
one corner of this enclosure was a
Inat-shed, and Just outside of If an
ominous group of trees-omn nous, al
least to condemned prisoners, foIthe
fast decaying skulls which lie around
too plainly tell the tale of that Sc
J. questered spot, The birds and dogs
have been at work in that offensive
kburying place, and have unearthed
those remnants of the, dead. The
dread hour appointed fertile sentenced
.cuIprits to expiate their crimes, is !
a. m. but at six numerous and
somewhat motley group of, foreigners
and natives assembled. While moving
about the spot we observed prepare
tions which have been made, for the
Lexecution. A horizontal baE upon
which are four ominous, spikes pro-
fjecting upward, and whereon the
heads Of the doomed prisoners win be
bleaching in the sun for two or three
days, stands about two yards from the
fence. Opposite to, this. are two holes
lin the ground. the. dimensiopss OF
which are about three feet by one and
a-half feet, and about eighteen Inches
deep. Beside these the poor wretches
will have to, kneel that their heads
may fall into ,them.l Near one of
these holes is a white handkerchief on
a staff. In the hut sit-tile execution
ers complacently awaiting the arrival
of the procession from the prison.
| Anxious to have q chat with the chief
theadsman, a man apparently fifty or
sixty years of age, we enter the mat
she'd and wish them good rning,
which is politely returned, light cigars
and enter into a conversation regard.
ing the prisoners. We then casually
examine the executioners sword. a
long, two-handed one, Sahdi doubtless
of the best steel 3slMo1ingA outside:
again we witness the increasing con-,
course, anxious, TO witness the. dying
throes OF the unfortunate men.
5 1i'ni THE. PROCESSION. 49, 90
= But listenl That mourDful chant,
eoftly waited over the fields q of grain
thatglow in the morning sunshine,
betokens the, approach of the sad, pro-.
'cession. Nearer and nearer is ap7
prOaches us, and as it's sorroWful lay
is echoed by the hills and isappices
around. q thrill of pain 90 flsympathy-
fort those on whom another MORN will
never brighten isgfelt by aim ost every
heart that is there.diNoW it is within
few yards Three men are carrying
as many boards, held aloftl an poles.
upon w hich isawritten declaration o =
the crimes committed by the euiprits;l
then came three or four more, having
poles with across covefedlwith spikes
at the top--emblematic1 of the prison
and justice !; then, follow a, lstring of
officers and attendants, in the midst.of
whom are the prisoners@four very
young men, Three of them with finn
ness and strengtii,l butithe lfoaftb, sick
and overwhelmed with distress, ,is be-s
ing carried in a .kqngo, or basket chair,
THE DOOMED MEN. ~
I, AS they pass through the gate we
are somewhat surprised to hear one OF
them; as he walks 1close by US, say
ohago gus0ninaas i6goed imerning0 and
then, express the opinion that the ter 4
'ribie fate to which he, was doomed
would resemble going to sleep. Tie
three men (the fourth being In q state
of semi-insensibility9d 9dake a long, long
gaze at surrounding objects and the A
proceed to blindfold them,
their arms having been securely bound
before leaving the jail The three
men. each in turn then gave iittelance'I
to sort of fexhortation and prayer.
The miserable wretch in the .jcango |
is now lifted out and placed inside the
hole on his knees. while two mem
stand behind him holding his body,
but there is nothing to place his head |
upon. Another takes him by the chin |
to put his head in position which he
succeeds in doing in minute and a.
half adelay terribly agonizing to the
victim. 9l 9tif eS'a4RNe'
3nd q 1.THEaExECUTIoN.s 9zf91 5a3 n
The executionernow steps mp, and
smiling like mau about to perform a
feat of sport, takes aim, and the. next |
moEnentAwith asudden CLEAN of that |
sheening sword and a sickenibg thud /
1.-The. head, saturated with blood, rolls 4
into the EARTH, the blood at the same /
time gushing from the headless body
which lay quivering on the ground.
The blood d-sfained head.is imIhediate-
" lifted fromits receptacle blythe hair,
and presented to the public gaze with
an air of, satisfaction. :. Water is then
poured over it, the lifeless trunk being
covered with straw mats and removed
! short distance, away At a given
signal another is led forth, and kneels
1t the other hole; the same scene of
blood was enacted. The third is now
brought forward, his slaughter differ
ing from the others only in the fact
hat another headsman does the work.
And now the fourth-the man partic- Il
llarly remarkable for his seeming in
Inference to the horrible fate which
awaited him-steps up to play his part
n the dreadful tragedy. Another aim,
lnother CLEAN of that terrible weapon
of death, and the last. victim sinks to
he earth asleep"--asleep in DEATH
This scene of, blood isonow ended,
ind four human heads are upon those
ugly spikes, bleaching in the sun, as a
errible warning to law-breakers. But
painful as this recital may be. the Jap
slese lnflict far greater pHni hRen s
IN those guilty of forgery homcideyl
ssc., crucifixion being quite common.
Il 4 s-sss-&------ --------H 8at va
A CooL DIsPosIqIoN.- -There is an
bid man in Concord, N. H., of such
singular turn thar If there were many
ike him the cordwainers of Concord
would come to insolvency for no
natter what may be the depression
Of the hethermometer,' be the mercury at
zero or below zero, this ancient char
.cter wears neither shoes or stockings
indoors or out. He thinks it wrong
% kill animals, and therefore wicked !
% wear, leather. On through the snow
Ie goes barefooted without a vince /,
,ut the letter writer who describes
lim says that he is somewhat "husky F.
If voice. We should think so, espe-