Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1890-09-26
JAPANESE EXECUTION.
A Naval Officers Description Of q
Scene He Witnessed in Yokohama.

About daylight Of a pleasant summer
morning in ISIS party Of officers were
sent ashore IN the dinghcy Of man Of
war lying in the hafbor Of Yokohama,
Japan Notice had been posted in town
a fcw days previously that thr men
were to suffer death on that morning for
the crime Of robbery, and while hoping
that some time during the cruise we
should have a chance to witness a 'hari
kari, or happy dispatch, we made up
party to see a decapitatiou.
We landed Just above the French ha-
toba and a short walk brought us to the
execution ground, sloping hillside be
yond the town limits, but not enclosed
A small tent had been put up and three
holes dug to depth Of couple Of feet
and in line In front of each hole was
planted a stout post, with an iron spike
on top.
A iew spec ators, mainly foreigners.
were assembled and soon proc ssion
was seen coming up the lane to the
ground; a bonze or priest led aud bchi I'd
him marched in single ti,c the criminals,
iianked by dozen samourai or soldiers
in charge of an officer.
The men who were to suffer death wee
large and fine looking, dressed in the or.
binary middle class costume and lad
their hands tied behind their backs, but
were otherwise unfettercd. Each had
pinned to his breast white placard in
scribed with characters which | was told
gave name, crime and sentence. As they
passed within few feet Of me | noticed
that each man was rccit NJ ina low tone,
but their bearing and features we're i'm
passive and their step firm. They were
halted a few PAGES in the rear Of the
freshly dug holes and the Office, steppin :
in froct read what suppose was war
rant for the execution. had placed my
self by one Of the posts facing the men,
and as the reading finished heavily
built man bearing two handed Japan
csc sword stepped from the tent with two
assistants The sword was naked and
such as in those days every yakonin Of
feudal retainer habitualy carried, and
the cutlery then was equal to any Toledo
work
The executioner stopped by the first
hole while the attendants led forward
the nearest man, who quickly knclt
down and bending forward his body,
stretched out his neck till his head looked
down into its grave The assistants also
knelt one on each side and supported the
criminal in his constrained position by
holding his shoulders. One Of them also
pushed back the gown from the neck and
wet the nape from tub Of water The
cxccutioncr, who had been standing by
with the sword resting on his shoulder,
then advanced his left foot, lowered his
weapon to a level with his thigh, and,
with a seconds pause, as if to take aim,
gave a quick, downward, slicing cut.
The head, completely severed, disap-
peared in the hole, and the trunk, released
by the attendants, Strengthened out with
hardly quiver, but streams of blood
gushed from the severed arteries
The other two criminals stood behind
with bent heads, but, so far as could
see or judge, gave no sign of emotion,
and, in shorter time than it takes in
telling, each had in his turn knelt and
received the fatal stroke.
When all was over, the exccutioner
affixed each head on the spiked posts,
and the bodies were taken OIL for burial.
i Washington Star