The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1894-01-04
A SIAMESE EXECUTION.
The Taking Off of the Head of "a Young
Wife Murderer.

A SiameSe named Al Yonc, who
murdered his wife because she had
forsaken him for lover, was executed
recently by decapitation, says the N.
Y. Sun, the method bearing a close re-
sem blance to the 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 1one was young Siamese who
lived near Phrapatoom with his wife
About four months ago she suddenly
decamped with handsomer man.
The husband tracked the pair like a
bloodhound. never leaving their trail
till he ran them down in house where
they were hiding. The lover escaped,
but the woman was overhauled as she
was flying and was horribly slashed
with sharp knife, no less than eight
cen wounds being made by the mad
dened husband. He was caught red
handed and convicted. He never
showed any fear when sentenced, bat
he refused TO see his mother because
he said the sight of her grief would I'M
nerve him.
The execution was set for 9 in the
morning. AS early as O'Clock the
prisoner was led out. heavily manacled
He formed the central figure in an i'm
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 exc
cution grounds. The condemned man
was among the coolest in the crowd,
chewing betel and apparently enjoy
ing the early morning boat ride.
On the grounds temporary altar
had beer erected, and before this the
seven superbly built executioners, with
drawn swords, made offerings of boars
head, fowls, rice, ETC., and lighted
large tapers. Then the swords were
anointed. The condemned meanwhile
remained on the funeral barge, where
Buddhist priests gave him the last
rites. He smoked and chatted after
the ceremony, and never showed any
sign of weakness.
At last he was brought out in front
of the altar and placed on freshly cut
plantain leaves. The executioners
asked his pardon for killing him, after
they had wound rel sashes about their
bodies and placed red handkerchiefs
about their heads. A snow white
cloth was wound around the condemn
ed mans loins; his ears were stopped
with clay SO that he should not hear
the headsman's footsteps as he came be-
hind him. His neck chain and hand
cuffs were removed and his elbows
were secured to bamboo post. while
he was forced to sitting position.
Then a white line was marked on his
neck as 4 guide to the swordsman.
The executioner, lusty young Sam
son, now approached from behind, adj
vancing with many fancy steps and
moving his sword like the baton of
bandmaster. His six associates formed |
an attentive group, and watched ev-
cry movement For a moment the |
large sword cleaned in the air. Then |
it descended exactly upon the white |
line. The body fell slightly to one
side, the head dropped, but hung by a
bit of skin, and the mans life blood |
leaped forth upon the sand. One of |
the attendant eXecutioners severed the
head completely, and another neatly |
placed it on a pole. and exposed it to
the 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 large crowd had vanished. and
only the grisly head and the blood
stained saud remained to mark the
tragedy.