The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1877-07-19

riedly removing pots and jars from the
center TO make room for the executioner
and his victims.
At first sight nothing could be more In
tiocent and calm than this potter's field, I"
but on looking along the wall-horror,
what did one sees A heap of skulls
bleaching in the sun, some boxes and jars
of quicklime in which might be seen
scattered tufts Of hair, and crosses from
which depended bits of stiffened rope.
" To those, :" said L., "they tie prisoners
who are to be tortured. A common mode
of punishment is to cut them to pieces
while alive, beginning with the eyelids,
the nose and the lips, and then going on
to the arms and legs There is All Fong,
the headsman," he continued, indicating
q thick-set man, with trousers and sleeves
rolled up and bearing large saber. He
is an important parsonage and leaves the
heavy work to his assistants. Dccapitating
is his specially"
At this moment the cortege entered the
little field; the coolies, out of breath and
sweating, deposited their lading on the
ground; the executioners seized their VIC
Tins, led them to the middle of the space
there was barely room; made them
kneel one before the other In two lines,
twenty -four prisoners in all stretched out
their necks by raising their pinioned
arms; wrapped around their skulls the
queues that had been loosened or disar-
ranged-then waited.
The Mandarin did not arrive. He had
probably had some difficulty in making
his way through the crowded streets, and
till he reached the ground nothing could
be done. While waiting for him the
headsman examined critically the edge CO
his weapon and frightened his girdle, and
the kneeling prisoners weariIy twisted
their outstretched necks. Thus at least
ten minutes passed. Imagine what
thoughts must have cOiirsed through the
brains of those poor wretches during these
ten centuries Of waiting, the mental tor
ture superadded without motive and by
sheer negligence to their physical punish.
ment. There they were, kneeling in a
long line, each one beholding before him
the heads that should be topped off ere
his turn came. I scanned the yellow
faces with some such thought as this; but
did not see upon them one impression,
one indication Of sentiment one muscle
move, one sign of fear. Everywhere was
resignation, Indifference or british uncon.
sciousness. Two were chewing the betel.
root, or something of the sort
At last the crowd opened and the Man.
darin's sedan appeared. This was the
signal to begin. What then transpired l
dare not write you. Its remembrance is
like that of nightmare. l have still be-
fore my eyes the two executioners swing
ing their Redeemed blades, heads rolling
upon the ground or remaining attached
to the necks by a rag of flesh, decapitated
trunks sinking down all flecked with
gore. see All Fong breaking off from
his work to change his sword, the edge of
which had become dulled; then hear
again the steel clicking on the neck-bone,
the thud OF heads falling on the bricky
clay, the cry of admiration raised by the
throng at each scientific blow!
In a few minutes all was done; in the
middle of the yard in pool Of bloody
m.re lay twenty -four Topped corpses, and
the attendants were plashing about in it,
carrying by the hair several heads with
fixed eyeballs, or dragging behind them
the bodies. hacked, ignoble, hideous. At
this instant the headsman, who had just
noticed US, approached and presenting,
still smoking with blood, the two swords
with which the work had been done, of
fered to sell them to us for S., as we
might like TO have them by way of SOU
yenir!-C0r. N. Y. World.