The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1891-06-05
A CHINESE EXECUTION.

1ASftAA1 % Lub AkECtuE Doc
hending of tho Nineteen Pirates.
Hong Kong Daily Pres.
A keen interest, Of course, was be-
trayed rs each succeeding motions lead
ing up to the grand finale took place,
and the appearance Of the executioners
subordinate with three swords brought
the interest to fever heat. Immediately
afterward four boats containing the
prisoners, who were chained hand and
=tteeetST wuTe run up on the beech and the
prisoners disembarked. OF these mis-
cradle wretches there were nineteen,
thirteen OF whom were concerned in the
Namoa piracy, the remainder being
concerned in. ofenses committed on
Chinese territory. A short description
Of those connected with the piracy may
be Of interest. One, Chow A-on, fur
nished funds to the other pirates
and was on.--board the Namoa
when the attack was made. Ghum
Kang-you, Ii Ping, Loo Yuen, Low Iom-
yuk, Leung A-sz, and Tsang A Wing took
part in the attack. Chun Ful-yin is
the man who shot q foreigner supposed
to be the captain). Lung Chuen-shing,
Leung Foon-yung, Eau Koon-tai, Leung
Sam-tai, FOX Moon-kwong, and Lum
Mah-soon were on board the junks re-
ceiying the booty from the steamer.
Low Awai also furnished funds to the
pirates, though he wasnot on board the
Namoa at the time Of the commission of
the piracy; but he confessed he was one
OF the pirates who attacked the Grey
hound. Whileon this pointitshould be
recorded that great praise is due to ADJ
miral Fong and his officers for the zeal
they have displayed in hunting down
aAthose connected withthispiracy. The
prisoners having been landed were placed
in line on their knees few feet apart.
Whether, Observation-Disclosures these
prisoners were drugged is not certain,
but the majority seemed to evince but
little interest in what was going on.
One certainly had the appearance OF
being drngged, or else was paralyzed
with fear. He was carried ashore in
basket, and on being placed in line on
the beach, fell forward, burying his face
in the sand. The victims having been
arranged amidst much beating of drums,
slowly from the far end OF the line ap-
peared the executioner, preceded by
two trumpeters. Ihis officer with an
attendant walked slowly down the line
and took up position at the extreme
right. Then the business commenced.
Having selected sword, his attendant
takes up position behind the first
prisoner. The victims head is thrust
forward to make the better mark for the
executiOner, who, seizing his sword
with both hands, HfSshikes with tire.
mendous force on the outstretched
neck. A scarcely perceptible yet a
suggestively sickening sound as the
sword cleaves the neck, and the next
moment q head rolling in the sand, jets
of blood spouting in the air and the at
tendant tumbles the body forward--a
momentary quiverfng OF the limbs, the
spout of blood stops, the body stitfens-
fms. Before this has scarcely taken
place the executioner and his attendant
are making the preliminary arrange
ments with the next man. The same
outstretched neck, the same ominous
sound, and again another head and
body roll over. The executioner is evil
IDENTIFY master OF tho trade. From one
to another he goes deliberately and
Quickly down the line, never ALTERING,
and ut each stroke. head severed
cleanly and instantaneously from the
body. Stay at the eighteenth man he
is at fault. Whether it is that his
terrible sword has become blunted,
the head is not taken clean off,
but rolls over the shoulder, still con.
nected by few sinews, while the blood
spurts from the neck covering the fea-
lures which still moye-a sickening
sight. The executioner, however, does
not appear to be put out. A glance ut
the bungled job, word to his attend
ant, another swords handed to him,
another cutmade, and thework finished.
The last head falls as smartly as the
previous ones. Then the Mandarin and
officials retire, the soldiers follow,
and the crowd spreads round the
corpses strewn along the beach.
The more curious examined the
the labels attached to the bodies, upon
which are inscribed the names and Of
fences of the prisoners. With the ex-
ception Of these the general crowd move
toward the Yamen, from whence the
officials are departing. The executioner
rushing through the crowd makes his
way to the chair OF tho Mandarin, drops
on his knee and howls out something,
the Mandarin nods.and is borne away.
The various officers hurry on board the
gunboats and Immediately set off for
Canton, the Europeans rush down the
wharf and discuss the best means for
returning to Hongkong.
origin Of some Words.