Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1894-04-20
THE VICTIM CONSENTS.
CHINESE BURY THEIR RELA-
TIVES ALIVE.
People Who Have Become Burden to
Their Families Arc Thus Put out of
the way-A Ceremony Attended with
Great Magnihcence.

There is one country IN the world
whore people are to this day buried
alive. What is more, the victim is not
only consenting party to the deed.
but even takes part in the funeral as
his own chief mourner. The country
where this practice remains in ex-
istence is China; and the people who
are thus buried alive usually those
who, either on account Of their
incorrigible misconduct or incurable
maladies. have come to be regarded
as burdens to their relatives, and as
constituting not only nuisance. but
also danger to the community to
which they belong. these inter
ments Of living men and women are
generally the result Of a decree OF
sort OF family council, composed
of all the principle relatives of the
victim, and they are so far regarded
as legitimate that the local author
tiles do not hesitate to attend the
obsequies.
Sometimes, too. the decree is pro-
nounced by a vigilance committee. or
"Vehmgericht," an institution that
fourishes quite as extensively in
China at the present day as it did in
Germany two or three centuries ago.
The obsequies OF live persons are
attended by much pomp and cere-
mony, but only when disease or old
age, causes the family and the fel
low citizens of the candidate for
funeral honors to desire his depar-
ture for another world. Every thing
that is possible is done to smooth
the way and to cheer, If one may be
allowed to use the expression, his
last moments. Relatives and neigh
bors combine to purchase the most
expensive coffin that they can afford.
the price ranging from $40 TO 500
and even 81, O00 At the funeral re-
past that precedes the interment he
is the guest OF honor, and as soon as
the feasting has been brought to q
conclusion the process sion to the
grave begins. 1t is led off by the
empty coffin, which in form resem-
bles the trunk of a tree, the boards
being three or four inches thick and
rounded outside.
Immediately following the coffin
walks the "morlbunl," magnifcently
arrayed, generally in the supcrbly
embroidered garments ola mandarin,
and bearing fan in one hand and a
prayer written on piece OF paper in
thel other. Then follow the mem.
bers Of the family, the village or
town authorities and the neighDors.
On reaching the border of the grave,
the principal actor in this part OF
the performance takes q solemn leave
OF all these present, arranges tho
garments in the most convenient
and comfortable fashion, takes q last
big swallow Of opium, and thereupon
assumes his place in the coffin A
piece OF silver having been placed
on his chin, the lid is placed on the
casket and is nailed down by his
sons and nearest relatives the earth
is battened down ana all is over.
These statements may seem to be
mere travellers tales, some OF those
absurd OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
is perhaps the most appropriate term
to which people wSo have jour
neyed far are popularity supposed
to be addicted. But have, when in
China, frequently heard the matter
discussed by people who had actually
witnessed ceremonies OF this kind
and further information is afforded
by duly authenticated instances de-
scribed in one of the recent numbers
of the Austrian Oriental Review, one
of the most erudite and weighty Of
all publications dealing with Asiatic
affairs, being edited under the
auspices Of the worldrenowned I'm
perial Oriental academy at Vienna.
There can be no doubt as to the abb
solute authenticity of the cases de-
scribed in the Review, one of which
in particular took place only three
Or four years ago at @ place called
Tchim Kong.
The object in burying people alive
In this manner is to get rid OF them
in manner calculated to free those
who have taken part in the affair
| lTOln All IA wills WOllu'
and at the same time to save the
victim from the odium of suicide in
the next world; for, theoretically, at
any rate, the party inferred is a
consenting party thereto, and his
relatives and neighbors are merely
executing his last, and, therefore,
sacred wishes in mailing down his
coffin and burying him. Strictly
speaking Chat is, from a Chinese
point of view, there Is no 1uroer.
no execution and no suicide. 1t is
merely q sort Of mutual arrangement
affair, satisfactory alike to all par
ties, the occupant of the coffin com
plying with the desire of his rela-
tives and neighbors for his departure
for better world, and they, on
their side. endeavoring, by every
means in their power, to render this
departure agreeable and easy.
China is, believe, the only coun
try where this ancient custom o
burying people alive still exists
That It used TO be practiced in many
of tho countries of Europe is an &C
knowledged fact the medieval sur
vivals of the custom taking the form