The Pioche weekly record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1877-1900, 1894-06-07
DEATH BY THE SWORD.
military Execution BY the French in
IndO-China,
DecaPitatRg Native Rebels Wonderful Display Of Courage
BY Chinese General

much service in Indo-China in the many
wars of conquest carried on there by
France is authority for this account of a
military execution held at Travinh, on the
east shore of the Cambodia river, some 20
years ago:
At that time France needed all her
available troops at home to resist the
steady advance of the German armies to-
ward Paris, and all the colonial garrisons
were reduced to the lowest possible limit
Several of the Indo-Chinese annexed prov
inces took advantage of this condition and
instituted a revolt under the leadership OF
the two SONS of Fan Tan Giang, man
DARN who had been captured and killed
by the French in 1862 and by the Biuh
Bee Biuh being the corresponding rank
in the Anamite armies to that of brigadier
general in Europe.
The French naval commander, Sal1cettl,
with as many sailors and marines as
could be spared from the few gunboats on
the India station, marched against the
rebels, but the small band of white men
was ambushed near the town of Mocay
and slaughtered. When relief column
came up few days later, they found the
town deserted and saw the heads of their
comrades impaled on bamboos along the
roadside. The bodies were never recover
ed, but it was supposed that they were
thrown into the Cambodia river.
When Admiral Dupre, then governor of
French Indo- China, learned of this mas
sacre, he decided that it would probably
be easier to buy off the leaders of the re-
volt than to fight such savage foes. He
therefore made an offer to Biuh Tan, the
To nittI, ninrr
to paw him ,O00, 900 francs, to recognize
his rank as general and to make him
Knight of the Legion of Honor if he would
betray into the power of the French Biuh
Bee and the two sons of Fan Tan Giang
and suppress the rebellion in the provinces.
Biuh Tan accepted the offer and carried
out his end of the contract with the excep-
ton of the surrender of the two sons of
the late mandarin, whom he allowed to es-
cape on a junk to the city of Hue.
After his capture Biuh Bee was tried
by court martial at Travinh and condemn
ed to have his head cut off. The weapon
used for decapitation in 1ndo-China is a
curved yataghan, the razorlike blade of
which is wider and heavier at the end than
at the handle. The condemned may stand
upright or kneel upon straw mating in
the public square, but his neck must be
entirely barred so as to offer good mark
for the executioner. He is also allowed to
mark on his neck the exact spot where he
desires to be struck with the yataghan.
| He makes this mark by moistening his
forefinger with saliva which is colored by
chewing the betel nut, which yields a
bright red juice.
There are no regularly appointed execu
TONERS, but it is considered an honor with
the men of the native contingents of the
army to be allowed to act as headsman.
And as soon as these soldiers heard that
Biuh Bee was to be executed they be-
gan practicng on trees and stumps with
their yataghans so as to be in good prac-
tice if the honor fell to their lot. 1t was
finally decided that the dol, or captain,
of the native guard should act as execu-
| toner.
When Biuh Bee was brought to the pub
lie square to be killed, he looked disdain-
fully at the headsman and then carelessly
drew the red mark across the back of his
neck. He knelt and told the dol to strike
hard and hit the mark. But for some rea-
son the captain of the guard lost all his
strength and courage at the last moment
and struck so weak and false blow that
instead of chopping off the biuh's head he
merely made an ugly cut across his back
and arm.
With a heather curse the condemned
man jumped to his feet and Selling the
sword which had fallen to the ground he
swung it around and Topped off the execu
toner's head before any of the French sol
diers, who were drawn up near by to wit
ness the execution, could interfere.
"Coward' shouted Biuh Bee, "to un
dertake duty you are unable to perform
Die as you deserve and take what you
were unable to give"
The condemned man was then turned
over to the surgeons of the post, who fxet
up his wound so that he would be wei
enough to be executed week later WheI
it came time for the second attempt, sol
der named Bep So, who had proved him
self an artist with the yataghan, was as
signed to the duty of chopping the briga
der generals head off. The French ad
miral, however, gave orders that if Biul
Bee would tell where the two sons OF FaI
Tan Giang could be found his life would
be spared and he would be sent an exile t,
Algiers. Biuh Bee refused to pay any at
tention to this offer, but bowed his heat
and marked his neck and said fiercely t,
Bep So, who was waiting for the answe
that the French lieutenant expected Be
to make:
/, "Why don'tyou striker Are you afraid
Must l show you how to cut off man
head?r
Bep So lifted his yataghan high in tn
air, there was flash of steel, and then tn
head of Biuh Bee rolled on the mating n
his body fell forward heavily.
Bep So picked up the head and held i
by the hair so that the soldiers and tn
crowd of natives might plainly see hoy
well he had done his work Then the thre
wives of the dead chief came out and cal
ried off their husband $ remains for burial
Three months later Biuh Bee s two chic
lieutenants were captured by the Frenc
troops, aided by Biuh Tan's volunteers
and they, too, were subsequently condemn
ed to death by a court matrial. On az
count of his proved skill Bep So again er
: joyed the honor of being appointed ofiicis
' headsman.
Q This time the condemned men stood W
r right, back to back, about six feet apar
: Bep So took his position between the two
Q and as soon as they had made the mark
J. on their necks he gripped his yatagha
: and leaned forward on it as modern att
s lete leans preparatory to throwing han
e mer. When the French officer gave I'll
K signal, Bep So lifted the heavy swor,
a swung 1t once around his head, and wit
i aquick stroke to the right and another I
d tho left decapitated the two men almo
v ! at the same instant. He threw away h
yataghail, and Selling the two heads hel
i one up in each hand that the people a
d sembled might admire his work.
Y They Blend Well.
"Do you believe that contentment is be
q ter than richesf'
Q "Perhaps SO. il yon have them both L