Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1891-06-26
Stoned to Death.

An eve for an eye and tooth for
a tooth" The dictum OF the old law
still holds good in Afghanistan, says
the Sheffield Telegraph. In fact, the
manners, customs, and surroundings
OF the Afghans of to-day might be
prototyped in the pages of the Old
Testament as faithfully as the life OF
the Israelites The Afghans are Mo
hammedans, it il true, but their so
cial life il as simple and patriarchal
as when the great lawgiver Moses
ruled the destinies Of the people OF
Israel.
For in Afghanistan to-day the oxen
tread out the corn and plow the
fields; and the plow itself is a counter
part OF the Mosaical instrument.
Corn j. ground in hand-mills, and IA
goatSkin serves aS a water bottle
Household and farming utensils have
changed nothing during the cent
uries that have elapsed since the Is
raelites tramped the desert by the
Red Sea In short, you could find IA
series Of "tableauN vivants' in the
surrounding OF Afghanistan OF to day
to fill up chapter by chapter the
scenes depicted in the Old Testament.
Ii i said that the Afghans are one of
the lost tribes. and certainly as far as
doyged adherence TO lsraelitisG no
tions j. concerned they might be.
There is no miStaking the Mosaical
parallel "a far A. the social customs
present themselves; but | was aston
ished one evening, during the Rus
sian scare. when was Oh the Afghan
frontier, To see the very similitude Of
the old law punishment OF stoning to
death put in practice.
\ yelling mob OF people came rush
Ing from all directions toward the out
skirts Of the village Of Puckta, pick
ing up pieces Of stone 10y the way aud
piling them in little heaps by their
feet. thought al the time they
were going to have II pitched battle,
with stones as missiles. But shortly
man came running forward. followed
by splitting, hooting mob. shouting
Sag Sag dog dog , The un-
fortunate runaway evidently knew
his fate. for his long, earnest appeal
TO heaven as he stopped short and
threw his arms up was but tho pre-
liminary TO his fearful fate-his final
appeal for mercy on his soul, for from
that bowling mob he we'll knew hr
need expect none.
The man had scarcely time TO finish
his invocation, when from all direc-
tions literal shower OF stones Tell on
him. For moment he swayed Ia
and fro under the onslaught. Soon
the terrible shower had battered him
in jellied. blood bespattered mass,
his very clothes showing rents through
which the blood found vent and
spur lItflNs llf NhNflNh lbl "
moment with his chin bobbing on his
chest, and then, after doubling up Mt
the knees aud middle, fell in "A heap,
dead.
Still the bowling mob continued
their terrible fusillade Of stones until
around the already lifclcss body "A
cairn was formed, completely cover
ing in the corpse. And then the mob
clapped their hands, crowed, and
went their way. That dog IL done
for, said they.
Done forl Yes, IL was IA terrible do
ing, for there under the heap Of stones
the mans nerves and muscles still "!
brated In their post death struggle,
causing the stone heap 10 rise and fall
as IL In labor with thing Of lie; rose
and fell Ia their horrible parturition
for few moments until the twitchlng
OF nerve and muscles ceased. and all
was still Consummdtum ed The
murderer OF Afghanistan has breathed
his last and his jacet Is written around
the tombstone i'm those blood marks
that bespatter the ground about his
grave cairn.