The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-11-11
EXECUTIONS In CHINA.
CRUEL AND REVOLTING FORMS OF
THE DEA TIL PUNISHMENT.
suspguIstion Estcemsd ~ Rars Favor
Cutting the Offender In PIsces--Horrib!e
EXPOS ires of tho Heads Of Victims.

Few people regard the great eventual
ity" with less dread than the Chinese.
Their nerves survive shocks which would
prove fatal to a more finely organized
people and they practice methods OF sell
immolation for unseifish ends inconceiv-
abe 10 the western mind. such a Gus
tom. for example, az substituting one
self to be executed IN consideration OF a
certain sum of money, that the family
may be left enriched and independent,
is beyond our ken, and the toleration OF
it is impossible OF understanding.
1t Is a queer anomaly that these Asia
tics infiict through their laws, fright
fui punlsbments OF torture and ueath,
and, on the shgategt provocation, human
blood is poured out like water, while IN
their social relations they are kind-heart-
Ell and good-natured, and the Thoroughly
brutal, hardened rulIan who beats ms
wife and starves his children IL proDaDy
rarer In Shanghai than in SnoTeditch.
Under the heading OF Death IN Inc
Pen Code come tae several modes m
ficted. A sliding scale OF capital Puhlsh-
ments IL used TO marx their sense Oh
the varying Nervousness OF murderous
crimes.
For parricide. matricide. and whole
sale murder, the usual sentence IL tnat
OF Ling Chin" or 'IgnomInious ana
slow death" In ordinary cases execu-
ton by beheading is the common MODE,
and still another is stranguiation. win
the exception of those cases OF hlgh-
way robbery" and burglary with muir
der" and of rebellion and treason,
in which the guilty having been caught
red-handed the death penalty must be
paid within forty days, the criminals SEN
fenced TO death in Pekin and other cities
are executed in the autumn.
The date is hxed by imperial edlct ana
is usually about ten days before the VIII
ter solstIcc 1t is then that the Emperor
proceeds 10 the Temple OF heaven 10
render an account at the great d',aI VI
- .st.s ~
intrusted TO him as the. che agent Oh
earth" of the "most high Ia heaven.
i'm the general record OF the imperial
acts is included statement OF the name
and crimes OF those who have suffered
death by his will during tho year, TINS re-
cord being burned ON the shrine, ana IT'S
contents thus waited up TO the cosniZ-
aLce Of heaven. A..
Preceding this ceremonial. OF course, the
wr.tcbed culprits have been tried before
ihe Board Of PuHIshments COR Criminal
CourU. where quiveIIng' prrQstrate they
have heard fbc fatai Ch'lng Shlh
found guilty. droned out by the clerk
There is no jury TO try the unfortunate
delinduents; there is no oath prefacing the
testimony Of witness; there IS no plead
ing 10y snrewed lawyers, hut an auto
cratic condemnation, subject TO no APP
neal In spite Of this. mercy II some
times shown. A criminal condemned TO
death Is saved from punishment II 1t be
proved that aged parents depend upon
Inn for support
All prisoners look eagerly forward 10
these trials They feel only Joyous re-
Lief from the conclusions OF them or me
calm certainty Of death: They are about
10 escape She indescribable horrors Of
a chinese prison The NTH and dirt OF
The rooms. the brutality of the 1aiiers,
the miserable diet, the entire absence
Of the commonest sanitary ARRANGEMENTS,
and their beds more Ike rait-jackets.
> ith the vermin that infest every nook,
make any change welcome to the miser-
able culprits.
compulsory confession is the sitting cage.
This is a strong box of heavy timbers
made Just the height OF the shoulders OF
the culprit and just large enough 10
hold him In a sitting or douoled-up posi-
ton. An opening at the top is made 10
encircle The neck. the head being held
without In this cramped position he Is
kept for long hours until the pain Is
so great relief must come In uncon-
-ciousness or n confession, II may be, TO
obtain physical ease.
The "swinging-pole" from which hangs
the prisoner suspended at one end by
his queue. his arms bent backward, as
also his legs. at the other by his feet
Cives pcrfOrce exquisite agony and leaves
the subject too lame, II not broken OF
bone and taut of sinew. to resist any
smand for full confession.
The Triple Cangue, seemingly SO
drag on the bones Of the spine. as bleed
ing necks and lacerated shoulders attest,
willie sWarming mosquitoes. pestiental
flies. and unrelenting unmentionabies per-
sisiently torture. the collar being too
wide TO permit the free use Of the hands
TO drive them away
Perhaps not least in pain is the "Chain
Coii." one sees some wretch stripped OF
his trousers. knceling with barred legs
on a coil Of rusted chains. He Is sup
ported by man on either side with
long pole run under his arms. which are
bent behind him. similar pole is placed
I'm the bend of MS knees, and on the
ends Of this pole the demons who tor
,ulc stand and stamp. pressing down the
raw flesh of the victim on this heap OF
jagged IRON.
S,rangulation is an honorable death,
ana veIy much mercy is thought to be
shown the condemned in permitting it
instead Of decapitation, because the
method doOB not involve mutilation. OF
Tie body. which to the Chinese mind Is
The height of disgrace In death, since
the BODY in recompOsing itself in the
spirit world may get head or members
not belonging to II.
Decapitation comes next. In this, as in