Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1874-07-16


With this according to the latest FASH
1on) he gives himself a respectable
scratch, sufficient to show his cliivalry,
and then allows the assistant who stands
behind him to complete the work by
dispatching him as rapidly as possible.
But, as l say, this spot and method are
but little used nowadays, either because
the Samourai distinctions are becoming
obliterated, or else because the guilty
people are usually If the common order.
However, do not think that this little
| square courtyard of which / speak is at
all lacking in modern horrors, even if
the hari-kiru is falling out of date. For
while we were standing underneath the
little shed of such peculiar associations,
the prison-keeper directed the attend
ants to remove a small roof like cover
placed over spot few PAGES from us.
Walking up to the little square hollow
in the ground thus exposed we saw,
with suppressed shudder, what the
placed really was. 1t was only a small
hole, few feet each way, and half a
foot deep, with four beams of wood
lined about it on either side; but in
his little space was the most sickening
sight I ever saw. Straw mats clotted
with human blood lay piled in the hole,
while strips of paper with bands or
cords still attached to them, and both
covered with gore, showed the manner
in which the victims had been blind
folded, ere their heads fell on that ter
rible spot. Looking upon the beam of
wood on which 1 STOOD, / saw that its
end, near the corner, was hacked away
to the depth of several inches by the
repeated blows of the sword which had
fallen upon it for years gone by. 1t is
probable that hundreds of unfortunates
have persisted at this very corner, for
the spot has been used for the purpose
of capital punishment for long time.
Twenty-Five persons have been behead-
ed there this year, only since Jan. l.,
and two were executed last Thursday,
the fresh mark of whose blood we then
saw. inquired if a victim was led up
to the spot in the condition In which it
was at the present time. The yaconim
said yes, but that he was blindfolded
before he entered the gate, and could
not see what was in store for him,
though the odor of the place was quite
enough to tell him. He was made to
kneel at the fatal corner, and bow his
head forward, and in second or two all
was Over. Just beyond this unpleasant
spot at the end of the courtyard, is a
long black shed, looking something like
a boat-hodse, only it is mounted up
higher, and is reached by two flights of
steps. At first thought it was kind
of gallery for the spectators of the
yaconims but ON going up the steps to
the platform above, I soon saw by the
rings, the pully, and the open trap
what the place really was. 1t was a
gallows, built in the most approved Jap
or foreign style, and upon which -four
men may be hung at once and in fact,
fifteen victims have already fallen from
that fatal trap the present year since
the 1st of January. In order to explain
the modus Operandi to us more fully,
the prison-keeper caused the rope to be
brought, which he placed over one OF
the pulleys and attached to the iron
ring in the usual manner. The rope
was very strong, and as fine a specimen
of hemp. work as one would ever desire
for the purpose the sGp-noose was
also excellertly made, and had an in
genious froat catch to it. The trap
ton, and securely bolted the end o.
the rope was placed upon it loosely
and at a signal the drop fell with {
loud thump. A mans neck would
thus fall six or eight feet and was
pretty sure to be broken. They seldom
fail in producing death Immediately
The gallows has only been introduced
! here recently, and this scaffold wa.
erected last year, probably in imitation
of foreign countries. This manner O.
execution is not consideredqnite so bai
or disgraceful as decapltation, and i
will possibly come more and more il
vogue. 1t was a strange contrast, how
ever, TO see in the same square thu
three different modes of execution, com
, bining the ancient and modern ideas o
the subject, viz: the spot for perform
ing hari- kiru, the hole for decapitatioI
and the gallows for hanging. The lat
ter is an innovation here, and the three
, methods are quite as queer mixture o
, Jap and foreign styles as anything t.
: be met with in more peaceable sffairs
But we will hasten out of this subject
, for though might describe the ole
| strangling-posts, with their bidder
holes and pulleys and stone weights
{ which we saw by the side of the wall
yet think it is time for us to step int,
the guard-house at the entrance an,
, take cup of tea to refresh ourselves
While we were slipping our tea, two lonl
swords in black sheaths, and with blacl
! handles, were kindly brought in for ou
+ inspection. Laying aside our cups, W
> drew out the swords from their scab
, bards. and both the edges of the blade
and the ador which accompanied thei
. withdrawal, told distinctly what the
| were. These were the executive swords
, and one of them especially had evi
I IDENTIFY done good and frequent service
, Though often sharpened, its edge wa
! nicked in so many places (where it ha
struck bone) that it was somewha
: : dulled but heavy blow overcomes a
obstacles presented by the hicks. Jus
> tice, and not unfrequently injustice
, is sure and speedy in Japan, for
! man is executed the same day he
. condemned.