The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-07-19
JAPANESE EXECUTIONS.
The Difference Between Our Mode and That
of the Japanese.
Pittsburg Leader.

Pittsburg Leader.
Speaking about executions said stranger
at the court house, yesterday, ''as far as can
see the mere fact of hanging, the way it is done
here does not require a great amount Of cour-
age. Indeed. think man has very little cour
age who could not go through with the short
ceremony necessary After the trap falls tho
victim, as we have every reason to believe, be-
comes unconscious Immediately, and does not
suffer even as much as the strain upon the sys-
tenn of the persons looking on. The only agony
is that borne in getting ready, and ceases when
the real work commences When it was the
custom to fix the rope in such manner that the
neck of the criminal was broken, there was
more of a contortion of the muscles of the body,
but the present system even lessons that l
happened to get admitted to the recent execu-
ton of George Jones, and must say was i'm
pressed with the extreme sickness of the work
Everything was done that could lessen the suf
fering, and the contortions were slight at first
and only lasted short time / can't help but
contrast the system here and the one used in
Japan, where visited some time ago If the
people who are opposed to capital punishment on
account of cruelty and suffering would witness
an execution there and compare the two they
would get an idea of what 'barbarous" execu-
ton is. While was in Yokohama, witnessed
the public execution of criminal. He was q
fne-looking Japanese, in the prime of youth and
strength, and was standing under huge post,
in the middle Of a posse of guards The post
had a crosspiece. Nearly nude, he was standing
straight before him. Presently his jailers
moved aside, and a gaunt repulsive looking ma
tive, the executioner, made his appearance, clad
from head to foot in suit of dingy yellow.
Two assistants accompanied him, carrying half
dozen round bamboo rods. The assistants
dropped the rods, and stretched the criminals
hands over the crosspiece of the post The exc
cutionef now dalied with the bamboos and the
poor victim still looked into the shadowy dis
tance as though he was dumb. / watched him
closely, and thought detected pallor spread
over his countenance. The executioner now
spat on the pointed emil of one of the
bamboos and with a twisting pushing motion
thrust it easily into the flesh about halfway be-
tween the hip and the armpit The poor wretch
turned and looked at his tormentor and his lips
slightly opened, but he did not struggle. In
couple of minutes though it seemed longer the
bloodypoint of the instrument emerged from the
sufferers shoulders, and slight exclamation of
satisfaction escaped the crowd. Then the ex-
ecutioner went to the other side with another
bamboo and did the same thing. During ali this
there was not q single groan or cry of mercy
from the man. At this juncture to my surprise,
the executioner and his assistants picked I'D the
remaining bamboos and walked away. / in
quired what they meant, and was told the exc
cution was over. It was customary to leave the
man that way, and he would die in o couple Of
hours or So The bamboos would remain in him
until he had expired A Japanese executioner
is taught to carefully avoid the vital organs so
as not to bring death too quickly, and the execu-
TONERS reputation Is gagged by the length Of