The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1893-08-22
A SIAMESE
Startling Description of a Wife Murderer
Being Beheaded.

startling Description OF a wife Murderer
Being Beheaded.
A Siamese named Al Yone, who
murdered his wife because she had
forsaken him for a lover, was executed
by decapitation, the method bearing a
close resemblance to Chinese and the
spectators showing the same eager and
unsympathetic interest in the proceed
ings and the same haste in quitting the
scene Of blood the moment the victims
head was Topped off.
AL Yone was a young Siamese, who
lived near Phraptoom with his wife.
About four years ago she suddenly de.
camped with a handsomer man. The
husband tracked the pair like a blood
hound, never leaving their trail till he
Fan them down in a house where they
were hiding. The lover escaped, but
the woman was overhauled as she was
flying and was horribly slashed with a
sharp knife, no less than eighteen
wounds being made by the maddened
husband. He was caught red handed
and convicted. He never showed any
fear when sentenced, but he refused
to see his mother because he said the
sight of her grief would unnerv him.
The execution was set for 9 in the
morning. AS early as 5 o'clock the
prisoner wasled out, heavily manacled.
He formed the central figure in an inn
posing procession of officials, of all the
state departments dressed in their
richest robes. The whole party took
boats and went up the river to the
execution grounds. The condemned
man was among the coolest in the
crowd, chewing betel and apparently
enjoying the early morning boat ride.
On the grounds a temporary alter
had been erected, and before this the
seven superbIy-built executioners, with
drawn swords, made offerings of boars
heads, fowls, rice, etc, and lighted
large tapers. Then the swords was
anointed. The condemned meanwhile
remained on the funeral burge, where
Buddhist priests gave him the last rites.
He smoked and chatted after the cere
mony and never showed any sign Of
weakness.
At last he was brought out in front
of the alter and placed on freshly cut
plantain leaves. The executioners
asked his pardon for killing him, after
they had wound red sashes about their
body and placed red handkerchiefs
about their heads. A snow-white
cloth was wound around the con-
demned mans loins, his ears were
stopped with clay so that he should
not hear the headman's footsteps as he
came behind him. His neck chain
and handouts were removed and his
elbows were secured to a bamboo post,
while he was forced to a sitting posi-
ton. Then a white line was marked
on his neck as a guide to the swords
man.
The executioner, a lusty young Sam,
son now approached from behind, ad-
vancing with many fancy steps and
mOV1lR LIS S"O1O 14AO GA1O OC1UOA VI "
bandmaster. His six associates formed
an attractive group, and watched every
movement. For a moment the sword
cleaned in the air. Then it decended
exactly uponthe white line. The body
fell slightly to one side, the head
dropped, but hung by a bit of skin,
aud the mans life blood leaped forth
upon the sand.
One of the attendant executioners
severed the head completely, and an
other neatly placed it on a pole and
exposed it to a crowd of Siamese and
Chinese that filled the enclosure. Then
the body was hurried to the unmarked
grave near at hand, and before five
minutes all the crowd had vanished
and only the grizzly head and n
blood stained stained sand remained to
mark the tragedy.
A speaking watch has been invented
by a Geneva artisan named Caslmlr
Livan. A little phonograph inside
---a,,-ooa A. L1.,-o LolE hOIIPd and