San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1890-04-17

IGlutob ~ Ions o'Nt
the councillors, when they had heard the
words Of Sogoro, "but your memorial
cannot be received"
Disheartened beyond measure Sogoro
sought out his companions and acquaint-
ed them with the result Of their efforts.
It was gloomy evening which the
Soma men spent together, discussing
with fearful voices tho desperate extrem-
ity to which tho failure OF their plans
had reduced themselves and their friends.
At last Sogoro said:
"There is still one thing left for us to
do; we can appeal to our lords master,
the shotgun. know 1t Is a capital Of
fense for commoner to approach his
ma jesty, yet, for the sake Of my suffer-
ing brethren, l shall sacrifice myself
that their wrongs may be made known
and happily righted. On the morrow,
therefore, do you oil, except six men,
return to Soma and tell our poor friends
to have stout hearts, for there is yet hope
for them"
Sogoro had from the first been recog-
nized as the leading spirit OF the enter
prise, and his companions now made
haste to follow out his suggestions. The
intrepid farmer and his six associates
drew up new memorial setting forth
their grievance in n plain, straightfor-
ward manner and earnestly appealing
for redress.
Shortly after, while the shogun, 1ye'
mitsu, was on his way to Uyeno to wor-
ship at the tombs Of his ancestors, So
goro contrived to break through the
troop of armed retainers that were
escorting his majesty, and thrust the
petition into the hands of the shogun.
The daring farmer was seized and hur
ried off to prison. Iyemitsu was just
ruler and gave the peasants memorial
his careful attention. The result Of II
an was that Kotsuke-no-Suke was or
dered to reduce his tenants taxes to Q
proper amount, and to return to them
the money he had wrongfully deprived
them of.
The lord of Soma was q very angry
man, but, though he might rage and vow
vengeance upon the heads of his tenants
he had to obey the orders of his chief
And thus relief came at last to the long
suffering peasants.
But, alas for poor Sogoro, the irrevo
cable law of the nation pronounced hi
otfense deserving of death, and he wal
turned over to his legal lord for execu
ton. In feudal Japan the nobility helc
the power of life and death over thei
peasant vassals, and now the cruel Kot
suke-no-S -Suke, thirsting for vengeance
determined to destroy the whole family
Of Sogoro. In vain his tenants, his sanu
raj, his councillors, and even theprince
Of the surrounding country bes6ugh
the lord of Soma to be merciful; tn
bloody tyrant was inexorable. Sogor
and his wife were condemned to be cruel
fled, and their three sons, aged z, 10 ant
13 respectively, were ordered to be be
headed in the presence of their parents.
On the day of the execution all the in
habitants of the 1875 villages of Soma
assembled to bid Sogoro and his wifi
farewell and to encourage them will
their presence and prayers. There wa
not one there, even to the executioner
themselves, that did not call down the
blessing Of heaven upou the martyrs
while curses, deep and bitter, wer'
hurled against the hated Kotsuke-no
Suke. After the parents were made fas
to the crosses the three boys were lee
forth and beheadod in their sight. Friends
received the bodies and bore them away
to prepare them for burial. 0 Man, So
goro's wife, turning to her husband, sale
in cheerful voice:
Remember, my husband, that from
the first you had made up your mind te
this fate. What though our bodies bt
disgracefully exposed on these crosses
we have the promises of the gods before
us; therefore, mourn not. Let us fix oui
minds upon DEATH we arc drawing neal
to paradise and shall soon be with the
saints. Let us cheerfully lay down oul
lives for the good of our people,"
"Well said, wife," responded Sogoro
gayly. 81 am happy because have at
tanned my hearts desire. Our petition
was successful; had | 800 lives, and
could QUO times assume TINS shape OF
mine, would die 500 times to redress
the wrongs Of our people"
Then the eXecutioner, taking his spear
thrust it into the side of o Man and into
the side of her husband, and both died
there in the sight of the sorrowing peas
ants. And Kotsuke-no-Suke's chief coun
cilor, when all was over, came and kneli
down before the dead body of the farmer
and said:
although you were but peasant you
saved your brethren. You bruised your
bones and crushed your heart for their
sakes. Honors shall yet be paid 10 youI
spirit, and you shall be canonized as 9
saint; you shall become a tutelar deity
among the people of Soma"
And SO it came to pass. The farmers
of Soma made the grave of Sogoro place
Of prayer, and gradually came TO look
upon him as divine. Finally, temple
arose in his honor, and he was at length
duly canonized as Buddhist saint.-W.
G. Kitchin in New York Ledger.
a Pest Of White Ants.
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