The true northerner., 1873-01-10
Life Among the Celestials.

To live in the Celestial Empire might
not exactly seem very enviable fate for
a European who reads and understands
the following official notice, recently
given by the courts of the district of
Chow Yang, near Swatow: Wanted, a
hundred bamboo cages. This short
notice means that one hundred Chinese
are to be beheaded, and that one hum
dred bamboo cages will be needed to
transport them to the place of execution.
This hecatomb is got up by Gen. Pang,
special Imperial Commissioners, for the
benefit of the people of Chow Yang and
his own private delectation. Pang has
been sent to this district TO mete out
justice to its inhabitants. During the
revolution of some twenty odd years ago
frightful anarchy prevailed there. The
civil mandarins were defied, bloody
feuds were fought, the payment of the
taxes were refused, and the Imperial
assessors were maltreated. But the
Chinese Government has a tenacious
memory. 1t books every unlawful act,
certain of avenging it some day. When
the revolution was therefore quelled, it
ordered Pang, who had been famous
district, and to "soothe" his old asso-
ciates, which he promised faithfully to
do. Though it is now only three years
since he came to Chow Yang, he has
within this period 'soothed" no less
than 5000 of his old friends, and SO
etlectUally that they will never again be
troublesome. Whether Pang takes the
Duke of Alba for his model, or whether
he copies some Chinese Alba, or whether
he is himself the inventor of this "sooth-
ing treatment" we leave the historians
to decide, The General has n strong
military escort, and makes short work
with the accused, though he is always
careful to give them a trial, at least such
one as is customary, for appearance
sake, in China. 1t happened, however,
that the last time only so, not 100, as
contemplated, were soothed." The
way in which this came about was as fol-
lows: The victims are placed in rows
! ten feet apart, SO rs to afford the execu-
toner sufficient room. With ape-like
celebrity the living guillotine flies from
one victim to the other, and when half a
! dozen have been "soothed, fresh
hatchet is substituted, until the sad
work is completed. The executioner is
small, compact fellow, with an eagle
nose. The people of Swatow relate OF
him the following story: One day n row
of candidates for death had been strung
ont by Pang, who looked on as the ex
ecutioner awkwardly butchered them
! The future executioner was among the
condemned. Disgusted at the evident
awkwardness of the fellow, he asked
Pang loudly whether they were all to b,
! treated in the same unscientific manner
and demanded in the consciousness OF
his own superiority to be unbound, that
he might show the tyro how to do better
Pang, amazed at his coolness, granted
the request Liberated, the condemned
man seized the hatchet and acquitted
himself admirably. When the unappre
ciated genius reached his own place il
the row, he knelt down and asked to be
soothed." But Pang, who has n keer
eye for talent, said, "No; this man is too
useful / want him myself" Thus ths
future executioner was saved, and imme,
diately began the bloody career of which
he is quite vain. He never misses his
aim, and never strikes a second blow.