Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1892-11-30

4
ana inventive Pewsp 81 tAs YAsa q -
Chinese swordsla3tk
THE haRdsoReSt Of AL b esassAfa
saber about foax tset and half loRR.
slightly japanese la style, with a. edge
like q razor and . Polntthat woali szs
tort admiration froA Col Jack China,
of Louisville, KY. Unlike our OWE.
the thickest part of ths elaaa 10
the center. This gives great vsight
to the weapon, Joined 10 the sp,ssar-
ance OF extrsRe ightness. The seak-
bard 10 made of hard, tough weed. .
lacquered to represent black iron en-
crusted with mother of pearl The ALA
Is OF black iron nodded Ia the fora ef
full-blown rose, the pearls OF which
have been drilled with small holes, and
these filled with bright, brass bars.
THE most curious 70 the lot - nay
eye is the so-called warriors two
bladed sword from Ho-Nan 1t is oaly
about two feet long and la the scab-
bard looks very like the sword bayonet
of our own army The scebbard il
plain, but very neat and covered with
white Ehagreen or sherkskin sad
trimmed with brass nouatiags. When
you draw it the blade divides
into two, each fac-simile
Of the other, double edged and
spear pointed. The twin blades have
lemarha Die decorat lou made by drilling
seven holes about IN iu.sh and q half
and put IN zirz lin8 from Hit to
point. These are Eled with para sop
er, which is ground do IN 70 form
aooth surface ausb with the steel and
polished to a misTor-54-e F,igh tfles4
= ffaf1
are found in nearly 81 the martial
pons Of Ho-Nan and are relics Of
Che old astrologie faith that still pre-
walls 80 many PARIS of China. It's hold
IS 50 strong that ii ste copper falls
! out OF one Of tho sword holes it is ac-
cepted as sure precut-sz- Of death and
the lucllless wielder Of the blade usual
! ly commits suicide to escape further
trouble.
1.-The hort stabb.ng daggers which
find favor chiefly with pirates and
revolutionists form a strong con trast
with the weapons described. They are
generally SO ugly that they would be
ludicrous were it not for the purposes
to which they are applied. 1 have one
which looks like queerly-made ace of
spades fastened into wire-bound
handle. To increase the artistic effect
of the weapon the armorer has followed
out shallow, spoon-shaped concave on
either side of the blade and filed in
with blood red lacquer, the effect Of
which, when suddenly drawn from
black sheath, is very startling. Spades
are not the only suit in the pack that
is popular in the Monaghan mind.
have another weapon whose blade
is perfect ace of diamonds All four
sides are ground down to an almost
concave edge and the blade is made
hideous by Chinese red lacquer work
made to represent drops of blood and
gouts of gore Still another dagger is
about the clumsiest affair of the kind !
ever handled The blade is foot long,
about three inches wide and half an
inch thick. With its heavy brass hilt
and gigantic guard it weighs over three
pounds If set with a long handle it
could be used asan ak. 1t is used chiefly
by the black flags and other Celestial
outlaws, who, in addition to using it in
the ordinary MANNER, throw Lit with
fatal precision.
''The ex-resident of Tonquin told me
that during the late war he had known
instances in which the knives were
thrown with such force that they
would go through n mans body and
show two inches Of bloody steel Beyond
his back. The handles Of many Of
these instruments Of death are finished
with what we call pistol grips. The
most dreadful looking weapon Of al
was the executioner's sword Gesod by
the late headsman of Annoy, IS is o.
Manchurian type, being long, almost
straight, very heavy, and loenly
edged 1t is used with one land, an6
, is shaped and wound SO as to give thC
executioner powerful hold upon hi
weapon. Upon the blade near the
> hilt are Chinese characters record
7 ing the tragic events in which i
has taken active part Ny inter
prefer told me that they record no les
than hundred and ninety-throe bu
man lives which it has taken out @
this world. This record enhances IS
value. 4 new sword Of the Same lin,
could be bought for ten dollars o.
live dollars. but for this sword, witt
IFS CHASTITY history, the tar.fty broke,
wanted Two Hundred dollars cash- HI
dentIv thJaght although il came
L J must have It. oII accordingly
ed the price. He was very heart
broken erea ture with the editorial lin,
50 familiar 10 the spriugpoet Declinet
with thauks.' A word of canton as t.
these oriental swords and dagcerz
Very many Of them are poisoned, s.
that mere scratch VIII cause death
= The venom IS produced by sleeping ia
blade In decayea human blood, and
one of the deadliest known to physio
1oricaI science "-Philadetubfa Times