The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1886-04-01
HARI-KARI.
Easily Done when You Get Used TO II
"A Travellers Experience.


\ gentleman who had travelled ex-
tensiveiy in Japan. in speaking with a
reporter recently, said: "Hari kari, or
the happy dispatch, is not committed
By the japanese on every trivial occa-
sion. as many people believe. AJapsn-
ese does not slaughter himself on the
front door step. if the dinner TO which
he has been invited is cold and the
wines poor. as some writers would
have one TO suspect On the contrary.
the ! Apply dispatch Is much esteemed
privilege. allowed 10 the aristocracy only
and only exercised by them on special
occasions and vita great ceremony.
You see u Is something a man can do
but once, and not every man that once.
so when il i done II Is done we'll The
p -ivlege formerly belonged not only 10
- Dal!nios. but also Ia their fighting
men, those. two-sworded fellows who
correspondent in the old japanese civil
izaIiOn TO the sword and buckler men
who surrounded the baTons of the mid
die ages. when 4 Dalmio committt 4
bari-kaTt il Was considered the proper
thing for his fighting men TO avail
themselves of the privilege Of following
his example. when he was defeated on
the field of battle he lost caste II he and
all his two-sworded followers did not
Immediately perform the happy dis
patch In these DAYS a japanese only
commits hari-kiri when he has committed
some offense the punishment of which
is death. Then he is sent an official let
ter intimattng thar il is about time be
stepped out. On receipt of the letter he
sets his house in order. sends invitations
to his friends, and performs the re
quired operation.
~ gentlemen who was about to avail
himself of the privileges of his noble
birth sent me an invitation once. and
| went. There was & gOod-siZed COM
pany preset, and after partaking of
refreshments in the house We all went
out into The garden. Seats were ar
ranged for the company in a semi-circle
around mat placed close to the walls
OF the building. Rich screens hid the
place from the view OF any curious peo-
pie who nigh be lurking in the
neighbOrhoOd. All being seated, the
man who Was about to die stood
on the mat, and his best friend.
with sharp sword in his hand,
took his place beside him. Then a
salyer, on which was the hari-ksri
knife, was handed TO his eldest son,
VINO, kneelng on one knee, TOOK the
knife by the point and presented IL In
his fcthe-. The father knelt on both
knees, and, graspIng the kniie with
both hands, made a large cross-shape,i
cash in his abdomen. Not CONTEXT
with this he grasped The point in one
hand and the handle in the other and
pressed it into his throat. Then quick
as thought. the frienc', sword flashed
in the AIR and the DaimiO WAS Oeheaded.
The happy dispatch had been con-
summated. / was quite cured of
all curiosity to see hari-kari.
The man whom l saw take his own life
in this way was regarded as having
put on great many frilis.' end IL is
con sidered quite sufficient II the noble
gentleman about TO die. merely pune
lures himself with the D tri-kiri knife
and hen permits his head TO be taken
oft ~ his friend The practice I'M
doabtedly originated III that feeling
which. even ia Europe and America.
sometimes induces a mau OF position
and education to commit suicide rather
than TO suffer the iGnon4iny OF public
execution, aud the desire which every
man has 10 prove 70 hi> friends that he
can die game Il.