The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-01-05

EOrne Of the Terrible TOrtures to which
I. Criminals I'm Japan May
be subjected.
Japan Gazette.l

W GIll5 hItICle
The accused, secured by handouts and occa
sionally bound, is conducted to the place 81
examination, and there seated upon straw
mat spread on the ground. A constable lie In
charge of the accused, and the officer to in.
uict punishment Is In attendance. The
magistrate, accompanied by spies (mettsuhe)
then proceed to question the prisoner and
II IL appears that he Is unwilling to give such
replies as shall prove his guilt, other meas
ures are adopted. At signal from the mag
lstrate the torturer strikes the accused per-
son with q whip, described by Mr. Longford
as an implement three feet In length, one
and q half inch In circumference and half an
Finch In diameter. 1t Is made OF three strips OF
bamboo. the knots Of which have been planned
Eoff, bound tightly together with hempen
vestfgation Whip" II these blows are insult
ficiant for the purpose heavier whipi La used
one inch In diameter and the blows are con-
tInued until the prisoner yields, faints or be-
comes utterly Frustrated and unconscious.
| Care Is taken not to strike any part OF the
body where bones may be broken or fatal in
juries be inflicted. When the accused makes
confession of the crime charged against him
he iS unbound, permitted to drink water-the
deprivation OF which is often employed as an
aggravation Of his sufferings after hay
Ing ratified his confession, by afflxing mark
with the thumb nail to the record, he Is re-
turned to prison to await sentence or the
further action Of the authorities. This sys-
TEN OF subiecting persons under examination
ated by TOda Yamashlro No Kami on the
twelfth day OF the fourth month of the fifth
year Of Kioho "a. d. 1720.)
CRIMINALS.
Persons accused Of murder, incendiarism,
robbery and other serious and capital crimes /;
those who are morally proved to be guilty, or
whose accomplices have confessed, but who
themselves remain mute, and all those who
are charged with offenses against the gov
eminent are liable to be subjected to any or
oil Of the following modes Of torture, not, as
II II IL s
apart for the purpose, presided over by the
official torturer. When person charged
with any of those crimes refuses to plead or
enters plea Of not guilty, he IL informed
ton, and that when he desires to explain the
full extent Of his misdoing the proper officer
will attend to record his confession. Arrived
at the prison the accused IL securely hand
euifed and may first be subjected to the
IsH1-zEMB CTHE STONE ToRTURE)
This mode OF torture Is Identical with the
S0roban-zeme mentioned In the Nichi Nichi
Shinbun az applied to some Of the Takebashi
wood. triangular in shape, and about three
feet long. are placed upon q. platform, side by
tide, the apexes uppermOst, and upon them
the accused Is made to kneel In position
which exposes the front Of the lower legs to
full as Il must be, Is but preliminary, for upon
the sufferers thighs are placed, one at time,
pieces Of the Idsu stone, each weighing sixty
pounds. Stones are slowly added until the
accused yields and makes confession or be-
comes insensible
HAKo.zEMB tBox ToRTuRH)
The accused, bound hand and foot, Is placed
In q crouching posture In strongly-made
box having movable lid arranged to it in
side the box and to be raised or depressed at
pleasure. Upon the lid Of this machine
weights are slowly added until q crushing
power is acquired under which nature must
succumb.
rEMBIN-zEME SCALE TORTURE.
An. upright triangle is. prepared. from
which depend two ropes attached to a pole,
forming an inner triangle suspended from the
apex Of the other. The accused Is fastened to
the ropes by his feet and ankles, while each
arm, stretched to It's fullest extent, is bound
Ing ii this position, with head downward, 70
tary motion is given to the rope In one direc-
ton sufficient to give 1t force to revolve In the
pther direction with great velocity, during
which the body OF the accused Is beaten with
bamboo poles.
lDIU.AEhE tWAIEt IOhIUhE}s
The origlnators Of this cruel device relied
upon the torment OF thirst as more powerful
than mere corporal suffering Theprisoneris
for several days confined to an extremely salt
diet, without rice or water. When two or
three days have passed the craving for water
tortured man approach the bounds OF insani-
ty. Efforts are then made to obtain confess
sion by subjecting the sufferer to the agony
endured by Tantalus. when In the midst OF the
On all sides the thirst-distracted prisoner be-
holds Whitewater for which he would sacri-
Ace everything which he cannot touch
except upon the condition OF confession.
UTsUsU- zEME (DEPRIvATIoN OF SLEEPY
y This is simply permitting the accused per-
son to sit or recline upon bed upon which
water is continually dropping. At the appear
ance OF sleep attendants, by means OF bells,
drums, fire and other appliance. render repose
the sufferer grows wild and dis
ordered, his mind wanders, and eventually he
becomes raving and oftentimes hopeless
maniac.
This (Kamaboko) signifies "baked fish" and
Is significant title for this mode Of torture.
A charcoal fireis made In a holein the ground
then bound, the backs Of his legs and thighs
are covered with coating OF mud or clay,
and he is placed In o sitting posture on the
grating. The fire Is then stimulated; the
clay dries, cracks and is replaced until the
heat causes 1t to tear away the in
famed and burnt flesh This was considered
80 horrible practice that 1t was abolished In
1851.
MoKUBA-zEME (THE WOODEN HoBsE,.
This inhuman device equals in cruelty the
method just described. wooden horse with
edged back Is prepared, on which the accused
Il placed In q nude state. Two executioners
then seize the arms and feet and draw the
sufferer down backward upon the wooden
edge. A machine Is also used for the pur-
pose. by means OF which sufficient force can
be applied to dislocate every joint and to in
fiict a d agonizing death upon the unfortunate
wretch subjected to the torture OF the Mo-
kuba.
HI-zEME (FIRE).
In cage Of green bamboo the accused,
bound hand and foot, Is suspended with head
downward. This machine revolves slowly in
q circle Of charcoal fires, famed into fierce