Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1891-06-05
STONED TO DEATH.
Summary Justice Melted Out In the biDh-
cal Manner I'm Afghanistan.

cal Manner in Afghanistan.
IAN eye for an eve and tooth for a
tooth" The dic.uE of the Old law stiil
holds good in Afghanistan, says the
Sheffield TELEGRAPH. In fact, the man
ners, Gu toms, and surroundings OF the
Aighans Of to- day might be prototyped
in the pages of the Old Testament as
faithfully as the life of the lsraeiites'
The Afghans are Mohammedans, 1t Is
true, but their religion is built on old
law lines and their social life IS as
simple and patriarchal as when the
great lawgiver Moses ruled the destlnies
Of the people of Israel.
For in Afghanistan of to-day oxen
tread out the corn and pillow the fields;
and the pillow itself is a counterpart OF
the Mosaical instrument Corn Is
ground in hand-mills, and goatskin
serves as bottle" Household
and farming utensils have changed
nothing during the centuries that have
elapsed since the Israelites tramped
the desert by the Red Sea. In short
you cOnld find a series of "tableaux
yiyant," in the surrounding of Afghan
istan Of to-day to fill up chapter by
chapter the scenes depicted in the Old
Testament. 1t is said that the Afghans
are ore Of the lost tribes, and certainly
as far as logged adherence to Israeli
iiish notions is concerned they might
be.
There is no mistaking the Mosaical
parallel as far as the social customs,
present themselves; but | was aston
ished one evening, during the Russian
scare, when l was on the AfghanI
frontier, to see the very similitude of
the old law punishment of stoning toI
death put in practice. I
a yelling mob of people came rush.
ing from all directions toward the out-
skirts of the village of Puckfa, picking
up pieces of stone by the way and pill
ing them in little heaps by their feet.
l thought at the time they were going
TO baye pitched battle, with stones as
missiles. But shortly man came run
ming forward, followed by splitting,
hooting mob, shouting Sag SagP
dog dogD The unfortunate runaway
evidently knew his fate, for his long,
earnest appeal to heaven rs he stopped
short and threw his arms up was but
the preliminary to his fearful fate-his
final appeal for mercy on his soul, for
from that bowling mob he we'll knew
he need expect none.
The man had scarcely time to finish
lis invocation, when from all directions
literal shower of stones fell on him.
For a moment be swayed to and fro
under the onslaught. Soon the terrible
shower had battered him in a jellied,
blood despatched mass, his very clothes
showing rents through which the blood
found vent and spurted freely. He
wayered for a moment with his chin
bobbing his chest, and then, after
doubling up at the knees and middle,
fol- in heap, dead
Still the bowling mob continued their
terrible fusilade of stones until around
the already lifele,s body q cairn was
formed, completely covering in the
corpse. And then the mob clapped
their hands, crowed, and went their
way. That dog is done for" said they. /
Done for! Yes, it was terrible doing; i
for there under the heap of stones the
mans nerves and muscles still yibrated
in their post-death struggle, causing
the stone heap to rise and fall as If in
labor with thing Of life; rose and fell
in their horrible parturition for few
moments until the twitching of nerve
and muscle ceased, and all was still.
"ConSunlmatum est The murderer
of Afghanistan has breathed his last
aud his jacet is written around the
tombstone in those blood marks that
be'pattcr the ground about his grave
EARN.