The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-08-19
AN EXECUTION IN SLAM.
Pirates Behesded to the accompaniment of
Fantastic Sword Dance.

SWoHU 0SuCc.
Straits Times.
The execution Of the Maharajah pirates who
were condemned to die took place as Lonekah,
Siam. on the 10th. About two hundred of the
principal inhabitants. Stances and Chinese, had
assembled. and . large number Of police. per-
haps nifty Sikhs and a hundred Siamese, sur
rounded the plaza There were nine prisoners,
two OF whom were arrayed in white coats, which
is the sign OF condemnation TO death, while the
others were clothed only in sarones. All OF
them were In heavy chains. The sentence,
which. with other documents. took about twenty
minutes to read, was, that two of the prisoners
should be oeheaded; the other seven were each
to receive ninety strokes with the rattan-sixty
on the spot ana thirty at Banxkok-and to be
imprisoned for life.
cred that one Of the white coats had been mt on
the wrong man, and one Of the seven on hearing
himself thus condemned to die, came out from
the rest and prayed for his life. at the sam time
saying that one OF the others deserved death
more than lie. 1t was ia vain. and the white
coat was transferred to the unfortunate suppl
can't The iogcing then commenced. Stands
had been erected whore four men could be
logged at once-curious erections, consisting of
two posts placed about eighteen feet apart, with
two parallel bamboos running from the foot OF
one to the top Of the OF her, the culprits' heads
being fastened between them by two bars across.
On sitting down o rope was fastened round each
prisoners waist and tied to the post behind him;
bis arms and legs were then pulled out
straight In front Of him, his hands tied TO the
bamboos and his feet to the other post, the
ropes being pulled 90 tight that his back was
stretched like . drum First four men were
ioeged. The rattans used in the operation were
about four feet long. and a. each stroke fell the
men shrleked with agony, and their backs grad
ually rose In q CORY, swollen, shapeless mass.
After administering thirty strokes the foegers
stopped for . rest OF about q minute and shen
gave the remsioing thirty; the other three men
= - ALL -
were to be beheaded. looking on all the time.
When the four had been logged the other three
were treated to the same dreadful punishment,
after which they were allowed to crawl
in among the crowd. AS they were
all heavily ironS0 there was no chance
Of their escaping. On the foeeing being
over the police closed up. and marched with the
two condemned prisoners to the place of execu-
ton. . field picturesquely situated at the foot of
q suesr-loaf-shsped hill. where o space about
had been roped OF, round which q great crowd
of people. principally Siamese and Chinese. had
assembled. Inside the Enclosure police were
stationed all around at intervals Of about three
PAGES. AT one part of it q shed had been erected
for the commissions and others. At another
there was q small platform. on which were
placed food and water for the prisoners; aud
there, after being spriukled with water, large
dishes of curry and rice were placed before
them, Of which they partook heartily. They
tuou Wdsucu tuelT AScL. CoVeroQ Jlolf QedQS, anu
prayed towards the setting sun.
When they had finished, the executioners, aft
er sprinkling themselves with water, proceeded
to ask forgiveness of the deed about to be done.
and on this being granted. presented each pris-
oner with a flower. The sxecutioners then
partook Of food. In the center of the field two
short stakes had been driven into the ground,
and to these. when the executioners had finish
ed their meal. the prisoners walked slowly out
without any one to guard them. On arriving at
&kA IL A~- A.@T- 1890 I-- 80 H.
with their backs toward the STAKES. TO which
their arms were tied. after which an official
walked out. blindfolded them with strips Of
linen, filled their ears with clay and then retired
with his assistants. leaving the condemned men
alone in tho middle OF the field. About two
minutes after the executioners walked out armed
with Japanese swords and sat down some thirty
PAGES beyond the prisoners. They sat thus for
perhaps q minute; then rose and advanced to-
wards the doomed men, executing fantastic
dancelike figures, almost as IL approaching an
enemy, till they came within striking distance,
when they raised their swords as If to strike,
but instead of doing so turned round ard retired
TO where they started from. After o short
pause they advanced again in the same manner.
but, on coming close. stopped down and looked
ixedly for about ten seconds into the faces OF
the prisoners, who sat perfectly motionless. and
then again retired. The third time they ad-
vanced, and. as In the first instance. raised
their swords as il to strike, but instead of doing
80 they turned round and again retired. Then
they knelt down. and bowling towards the com.
missioner. called out, in Siamese. that they
awaited hs order,
On receiving the word they advanced towards
the prisoners more quickly than before, and
when within reach, after standing for o few SEQ
onds with their swords poised in the air, pro.
ceeded to cut their heads of. The head of the
man who bad begged for his life was taken of al
three blows, but seven or eight were struck be.
fore the other-an immensely powerful-lookin
man. with a thick. muscular peck-fell. The
moment the first mans head fell the executioner
ran of to q temple close by to perform certain
rites. the other executioner following as soon as
his victims head was of. The heads were
thrown into kerosene tins along with arsenic, &c
be sent to Trang. where the piracy for which the
men were executed toek place. The bodies were
then cut down. and a Chinaman with an Ak
knocked off the heels from the lifeless limbs, sc
AS to permit of the irons, which were welded on
being removed.