The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1891-08-26
MOHANIAIEDAN JUSTICE,
BtonIng to Death Still Practiood
Among tho Atghane.
Tho Terrible Punishment Melted Out to
Criminal--Pclted with Stones
by q UOwling md Pitt
less Mob.

IAN ego for an eye and tooth for a
TOOTH" Tho dictum of the old law
still holds good in Afghanistan. In
fact, tho manners, customs and sur
roundings Of tho Afghans Of to-day
might be prototyped in the pages of the
Old Testament as faithfully us tho life
of the Israelites.
Tho Afghans aro Mohnmmedans, IL Is
true, but thoir religion Is built on old
law lines, and their social lifo Is Us
simple and patriarchal as when tho
great luwgiver, Moses, ruled tho des-
tinics OF tho people Of Israel
For In Afghanistan of to-day oxen
tread out the corn and plow the fields,
and the pillow itself is counterpart of
tho Mosaical instrument Corn is
ground In hand mills, and goatskin
serves as water bottle"
Household and farming utensils hove
changed nothing during tho centuries
that havo elapsed since tho Israelites
tramped tho desert by the Red sea- In
short, You could find series of
'tableaux wants" In the surroundings
Of Afghanistan to-day TO fill up chapter
by chapter tho scenes depicted In the
Old Testament
1t Is said that the Afghons are of the
lost tribes, and certainly Us far as a
logged adherence to Israclitish customs
Is concerned, they might be-
There is no MISLEADING the Mosahcal
parallel as far IA the social customs
present themselves; but l wns aston
ished one evening, says writer In the
Sheffield Telegraph, during the Russian
scare, when was on the Afghan
frontier, to SEQ tho very similitudc Of tho
old law punishment of stoning to death
put in practice.
a yelling mob Of people came rush
ing from all directions towards tho out
skirts OF tho village of Puclsta, picking
up pieces Of stone by the way and pill
ing them up in little heaps by their feet
/ thought at the time they were going to
have n pitched battle with stones as
missiles. but shortly II man camc
rushing forward, followed by n splitting
hooting mob, shouting: "SagI Sng."
(dogl dogD
The unfortunate runaway evidently
knew his fate, for his long. earnest up
peol to Heaven us no stopped short and
threw his arms up was but the prclimi-
nary to his fntcful .fate-his final appeal
for mercy on his soul, for from that
bowling mob no vol knew he need cx-
pect mono.
Tho man had scarcely time TO finish
his invocation, when from all ,lirec-
tions literal shower Of stones fell on
him. For u moment he swayed to md
fro under the onslaught Soon the tor
rib Eal l...
tcll:ed, blood despatched mass, his
very clothes showing rents through
which the blood found vent md spu,-tcd
freely. lie wavered for moment, with
his chin bobbing his chest, and then,
after doubling up at the knees and mid
die, fell in n heap dead
Still the bowling mob continued their
terrible iusilli,,c of stones until around
the already lifelcss body cairn was
formed, completely covering in the
corpse. And then the mob clappcd
their hands, crovved. and went their
way.
That dog Is done for" said they.
Done for! Yes, it was terrible Co
ing; for there, under the heap of stones,
Che mans nerves and muscles still vi
bruted in their postrdeath struggle,
causing the stone heap to rise and fall
as if in labor with q thing of life; rose
and fell in their horrible parturition
for Il few moments until the twitching
OF nervo and muscle ceased, and all
was still, "consummatnm est" The
murderer OF Afghanistan has brcathed
his last, and his hic jacet is written
around the tombstone in those blood
marks that bespatter the ground about
his grave cairn