The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1891-06-06

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world. To such an extent, indeed,
that children are purposely manned
to make them objects of pity.
"By this time we are approaching
the Field of Blood-the execution
ground of Canton. Our chairs sud-
denly come to standstill before a
narrow door in high wall. We are
outside the city gates and within a
stones throw of Pearl river and it's
floating population. On entering
we do not see many signs, at first
glance, of the terrible scenes which
daily take place here. We see moth
ing but a triangular piece of land,
barely 100 feet long, and at it's widest
part not more than 25 feet. Yet,
probably, more victims have here
suffered the penalty of their crimes
or indiscretions than in any spot
of the same size in the world.
"There is no execution to take
place to-day, and the potter, whose
place adjoins it, has put out his
earthenware jars to dry in the sun.
AS we walked down toward the end
our party suddenly stops before a
dark, wet spot, upon which we do
not care to walk. The interpreter,
in a nochalant way, tells us that an
execution took place there a few
hours before, and, in his pigeon
English, he adds: Big man; heap
blood. There are other dark spots
where, probably, some devoted head
has fallen.
"The skeptical members Of our
party who had any doubts about
this were quickly quieted, for one
of the potters lettering near by, ev-
identity in expectation of the uni
versal 'kumshaw,' walks over to the
brick wall on the left, kicks over a
bamboo mat, and there upon the
ground lies the head of a man who
but a few hours previouslywa alive.
This he takes up by the queue, as
we stand momentarily fascinated
by the horror of the spectacle.
Coolly replacing it under the mat,
he says: Heap more have; like
see2' He lifts the covering from
the jar; one of our party peeps in
and hurriedly jumps back. The
Jar contained a number of human
heads.
Toward the further end, against
the wall, are a number of crosses.
It is upon one of these that the
woman we saw at the prison will
pay the penalty of her crime. With
the thankful thought that we do not
live in such country, we say good
by to the Field of Blood. 1t is hard
to believe that such an insignificant
looking place should have been the
scene of so many violent deaths,
but it is historical fact that in the
year following the Tonquin REBEL
ion over fifty thousand executions
took place in this spot.
"For a number of crimes the
heads of the executed are exposed
to public view, at the spot where the
crime was committed, and it is not
unusual, in making trip up some
of the Chinese rivers, to see on the
banks a number of human heads
stuck on sticks. Upon one of our
trips up the Yang-tse-Kiang myself
and three others got separated from
the rest of our party shortly after
we had left the house-boat to shoot
birds. The birds seemed to have
taken to themselves the wings of
the morning. and, tired of our
tramp, we sought a spot where we
could await the return Of our COM
panions. We chose pretty glade,
and there found huge tree to shell
ter us from the fierce rays of the
sun. We threw down our guns and
ourselves. and lit our pipes in a
contented mood, when suddenly an
odor that made one of our party
homesick-for it was worse than
that the east wind watts in sultry
weather over New York from Hunt
er's Point-assailed onr Dostrils.
We walked further into the glade
to investigate, and it is we'll we were
not of timid disposition, for the
unexpected scene was striking one.
Pushing back the underground
we came upon an open glade on the
river bank. There was dilapidated
ruin or what might have been some
country temple. Upon the weed
covered ground there lay four head
less bodies, and nearer to the waters
edge were as many heads stuck on
sticks. The noise we made in ap-
preaching startled q number Of
carrion crows, which had evidently
been feeding upon the CHASTITY re-
past. A few of them, with cav
of anger, flew away. Some of them
few into neighboring bush, some
only hoped along the ground, as
if in the belief that the interruption
to their noisome feast would be but
momentary. It was. Lawyer Del
afield in New York Continent.
The Royal Grandsons.
When the two sons of the Prince
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