The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1889-11-17

a siAMEsE ExEcOTlON.
FulI "Details eG the Trngscal Csresuony by
~ Eye-W stnesa.
The death penalty Of capital punish
mcnt ny decapitation was inflicted On u
robier and murderer at Bangkok Aug. ID
at . o'clock I'm she morning, on the cxecas-
ton grounds near Wat Mat ka San at
Sapatoom, says the Bangkok Tiwes. The
criminal was a Siamese, who while at
tempting u burglary at Muang Rah Yong
murdered n Chinaman named Chin Chez
in ~ somewhat brutal manner Try means
Of ~ blndgeOn.
shortly after = o'clock i'm the morning
Representatives OF the four special lie
psArtIhents Of the government hogan to put
i'm AN appearance on the ground, These
wer, followed AT intervals by members OF
tho staff at exccutiOners. with attendants.
Shortly aftcrward two large bcnats belong
ing to the war department. manned 10y
sailors and containing u Detachment of
soldiers under the command of "a Sianese
captain of infantry. arrived with the
prisoner. The arrival of these boats was
~l,craltlcd 10y the sound of u h~and-gony,
struck Significantly at intervals 10y the
is struck an shiphoard. s-one-two. one
two. one two. This sounding Of the gong
was continued regularly during the pre-
variations for the execution, and was u
particularly solemn feature of the pro-
cectlings. The doomed man was attended
by means of chairs, his head, however.
being fixed i'm portable stocks about five
feet long. borne on his shoulders. his
hands bsing put throu9h between the long
bars forming the stocks. and there secured
at the wrists by means of small wooden
stocks. ON being helped out of the boat
full view of ALL He was n fair specimen
Of his class, as far as strength and power
years of age. Although a few partially
healed scars were visible ON his back.
from which il may be judged that he had
..pax snr ~ sn Aa m
extent. the criminal showed no traces of
suffering or hardship and had certainly
been far from starved during his detention
i'm the jail. He was bold and seemingly
Indifferent as regards the preparations
going on. and with his future grave in full
sight, after signifying his desire for food:
ate "a very hearty meal of rice. fish. and
fruit. which was provided for him. On
one oCca sion he actually aughed
Meanwhile the temporary altar was bc-
ing made the repository of the swords OF
the executiOner's stall, to the number of
fully sixteen Weapons of various makes,
and one special weapon adorned as to
its handle with u carved head. and the
purpose of which will appear hereafter.
The swords proper We're placed ON the
super-altar, all i'm order, the special
weapon, a short. thick. sharp c~leaver. on
TN" LIVER altar. ne Who'll, ~ altar qua mas .hsis
cooked boiled pigs heads. fowls. plan
tains. lines, c~ocoan'Its, custartl, apples,
articles. what could not he placed on the
altar being arranged on the ground on
palm leaves before IL.
The executioner-in-chicf. who was dis
tinguishcd from the others by his white
gold-fringed drawers under his panony.
the others wearing red ones. then arrayed
himself i'm his red vest and bound his fore
head with "a red sash. all the stall doing
likewise. The criminal was then placed
in "a central po~ition. seated on the palm
lcaves,t the stock and neck chains removed.
and his elbows secured to II short bamboo
post placed in the ground hchind him.
which. ly the toy. had also been under the
altar during the preparatory ceremonies
there. The cxccutioner then talked with
the criminal. apparently asking forgive
ness. as the prisoner nodded and spoke
assent To what had been said. The special
attcIidant.acting somewhat in the capacity
of "A priest. with the eNccutiofler. marked
ont "a line which was easily recognizable
Oh the neck of the prisoncr.and continued
to- talk in AN apparently c3iisolatory strain
while the ear orifice.s of the prisoner were
quietly closed with clay. The religious
ceremonies were still kept on. burning
tapcrs and joss-sticks being placed i'm the
hands of the prisoner and then set up in
the ground before, him. The minister of
the law then, with stately trcad.came from
near the altar behind the prisoner, and,
while IA solemn hush fell on all around. he
drew nearer and nearer To the doomed
man.
The exccutioncr himself is about the
medium size. perhaps some - years of
age. hut quick and active in movement,
with "a face. which rather betokcns bencvo-
lence and deep religious feeling than au0l,t
else. a look of determination and stern
sense of duty was on his face as he APP
pstsh u" at'i t"t'Ie thH'
latter could possibly he aware. with n
single sweep of his sword i'm his right hand
he severed the spinal column aud the
whole neck. With the exception of "A small
portion of skin under the chin. which he
cut with his sword. The head
of the criminal was exposed then for "a
short time on "A pole. while the irons were
being removed from the legs of the body
by cutting of the heels with the special
Weapon spoken of previously. IL lacked
two minutes To s:3O in the morning when
the fatal stroke was given. and at s:'5 the
body had been doubl in the grave, the
head thrown i'm and covered with earth.
and traces of the recent event removed.
For rapidity of execution. painl"~-Siess,
solcmnity. decorunh, and all the require
nncnts of Justice. il il very evident that
Siam il indefinitely ahead of most eastern
nations. If not OF western ones land even
that * open tn serious question: in it's
methods of iniiicting aud carrying ont "a
scatcuc. of capital punishment.
Land of the Haired Girl.
Siam is the land of the siort-hairctI girl.
All of the women of this country wear their
hair from. n, IN tun infh,.. lnt.,v aud