Sword and shield. (Clinton, Miss.) 1885-1888, 1885-06-27
Chinese Executions.

II
A correspondent Of the Brooklyn
Eagle writes: During the campaign
against the Taepings from Shanghai, a
large number Of the insurgents were
| captured and Il batch were turned over
to the government oflieial4. This. of
| course, meant execution, and | went
with score OF other young fellows,
inexperienced like myself to witness
the performance. 1t was the strangest
and most revolving sight lever behcld.
The day was bright and beautiful,
and gentle breeze shook out the folds
of the flags and banners, borne by the
almond-eyed troops drawn up on all
sides of a small, level square or parade
ground. Two hundred rebels were to
dispatched, but from their manner and
freedom ! should not have known which
were the intended victims had they not
been distinguished BY their clothing.
When the hour arrived the prisoners
got into line, and one after the other
awaited their turn. say they rot in
| to line-l mean each man stepped in
anywhere, apparently not caring which
was the beginning or which the ending.
l..
laughed as if nothing in tile world con-
cerned them, and reminded me OF a
| line of pleasure seekers in the lobby of Il
theater awaiting their turn to get their
tickets at the boX-oi1ice. Some OF them
had nuts and swcetmGats. which they
ate with seeming relish, though quiet
ly. There WAS nothing false about
their actions, no vaunting bravery nor
look of pride. Their manners were
wholly unconstraincd and natural. and
! looking at them ! wondered if our fear
of death was not altogether artificial,
and whether, naturally, lying down to
die was any more repulsiTe 10 human
instincts than lying down to sleep.
The more / think Of it the more the
dread of death seems like the bugaboo
of nursery lore, made TO play upoa the
Imagination of unreaSoning beings,
but not to be tolerated by full-grown
men.
The warning note sounded The
first man stepped out and dropped on
his knees. His hands we're caught by
an attendant and held behind his back.
Another drew the victims cue out oppo-
site to his hands, thus bringing his neck
in q horizontal position. Like a flash
the executioner brought down long
glittering blade, and one stroke severed
the head completely from the body.
The next prisoner stepped ont prompt
ly and underwent the same operation.
As fast as one fell another was ready.
There was no hesitation OF urging.
The men presented themselves as if
they expected some benefit, with no
sign of emotion, save perhaps of some
who were engaged in quiet humor.
Two of the fellows were evidently en-
ioying joke. The story-teller would
frequently glance askance at the ex-
ecutioner and talk faster, probably
fearing that demand would be made
upon him before the tale had been fin
ished. lie sang away in higher key
every time he looked around and saw
his time getting shorter. At length,
when he discovered his turn had come,
he motioned to the eXecutioner to delay
for moment and gabbled away hard
er than ever When he finished his
story he and his listener burst into
roar of laughter Then he hurried up
to the bloody spot and had his head
whisked off, and his friend, still chuck
ling over the joke, moment later did
likewise.