Idaho semi-weekly world., 1892-03-08


Shortly after, while the shopun IT,.
ni'su' was on his way 10 Uyeno % w,,r.
snip ~ The totnts OF his ancestors 81.
goro contriyed 70 break tbrouoh ~
troop of armed retainers thar wers
escori'ng his majesty. and tbrus, he
petition into the hands Of the shoo,,n
Inc daring farmer was seized and l,nr.
r'ed OIL % prison, Ivemitsu was 4 ius,
,u'er ann gave the peasants memorial
nis careful attention. The result ~ 4
az was that KotsuiEe- no-Suke was ~.
dered TO reduce his tenants tnxes ~ !
proper amount. and To return To thor,
.he money he had wropgfully deprived
them Of.
The lord Of Soma was a very angry
man, but. though he might rage and VOW
vengeance upon the heads Of his tenants
ne had to obey the orders Of bis chief
And thus relief came at last to the Iona
suffering peasants.
Bat, alas for poor Sogoro. the irrava
cable lay Of the nation pronosnced his
oifense deserving Of death, and he was
turned over to lis legal lord for execu.
ton. In feudal Japan the nobility held
the power of life and death over tbeir
peasant vassals, and now the cruel Kot.
suke-no-Suke, thirst;ng for vengeance
determined to destroy the whole family
Of Sosoro. In vain his tenants, his samu.
rai' his councillors. and even the princes
OF the surrounding country besourht
the lord OF Soma To be merciful: tho
bloody tyrant was inexorablc. Soeoro
ana his wife were condemned 10 be cruci-
he'd. and their three sons, aged 7 10 and
10 respectively. were ordered to be be-
headed in the presence of their parents.
On the day Of the execution all the in.
habitants of the 1876 villages Of Soma
assembled to bid Sogoro and his wife
farewell and to encourage them viii,
their presence and prayers. There was
not one there, even to the executioners
themselves. that did not call down the
blessing Of heaven upou the martyrs.
while curses. deep and bitter, were
hurled against the hated Kotsuke-no-
Suke After the parents were made fas,
to the crosses the three bows were led
forth and beheaded in their sight. Friends
received the bodies and bore them ava,
to prepare them for burial 0 Man, So
goros wife, turning to her husband, said
in cheerful voice:
Remember. my husband, that from
the first you had made up your mind te
this fate. What though our bodies bt
disgracefuily exposed on these crosses
we have the promises Of the gods before
us: therefore, mourn not Let us fix oul
minds upon death; we are drawing neal
to paradise and shall soon he with tn.
saints. Let us cheerfully lay down oul
lives for the good of our people"
well said. wife," responded Sogoro
gayly. Il am happy because nave at
tanned my hearts desire. Our petition
was successful; had 500 lives, an,
could 500 times assume this shape o
mine, would die 500 times to redress
the wrongs of our people"
Then the executioner, taking his spear
thrust it into the side of 0 Man and int
the side of her husband, and both dice
there in the sight of the sorrowing peas
ants. And Kotsuke-no-Suke's chief coun
cilor. when all was over. came and knel
down before the dead body of the farmer
and said:
although you were but peasant 70,
saved your brethren. You bruised you
bones and crushed your heart for thei
sakes. Honors shall yet be paid to you
spirit, and you shall be canonized as
saint; you shall become a tutelar deit,
among the people of Soma
And SO it came to pass. The farmer
of Soma made the grave of Sogoro plac
of prayer, and gradually came to lool
upon him as divine. Finally, a tempt
arose in his honor, and he was at lengtl
duly cauonized as a Buddhist saint.-W
C. Kitchin in New York Ledger.