The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1895-03-27
CHINESE CRUELTY.
Horrors OF the Place Of Public
Execution.
Tho Terrible Butchery Of CrIminwIs Re-
garded by tho People As an OrcOsiOn
for Joking and Rejoicing
Work of tho Headsman.

Some four years ago spent four
days in Canton, the metropolis Of
southern China, on a special mission to
investigate Chinese justice, and the re-
suits surpassed my most ghastly an
ticipation, says writer IN Harpers
Weekly.
What l witnessed was nothing un-
usual, and is the daily practice Of the
country, but / am compelled to tone
down the details to make them pre-
sentable for publication. Nothing but
the strongest spirit of inquiry, sup
ported by an iron resolution, carried
me through the horrors of those days,
and for weeks afterward | suffered
from perpetual nightmare.
The place of execution, or "Matou,"
as it is called by the Chinese, is filthy
yard, long and narrow, like blind
alley, and, singularly enough, it is
used as a potter's field when not re-
quired for execution.
On cold January afternoon pro-
ceeded thither to witness the final re-
lease of batch of poor wretches who
had already undergone prolonged
course of torture.
On this occasion the death squad
consists of thirteen, who are tightly
bound hand and foot and carried in,
huddled up in baskets slung on bam-
boo between two coolies On arriving
Mt the center of the ground these living
loads are pitched out unceremoniously,
and immediately seized by the exeeu-
toner and his assistants, who arrange
them in two lines in q kneeling posi-
ton.
At nod from the presiding manda-
rim, and with incredible swiftness, the
butchcry commences. The assistant
seizes the first victim by the shoulders
from behind, while the executioner
steps up to his left side, armed with an
enormously heavy short sword with a
broad blade and razorlike edge. With
out any compulsion, the victim, still
lnecling, bends his head forward, and
almost instantancously it leaps from
his body, severed by one swift stroke.
The assistant pushes the trunk over
forward, and shrill burst of approving
"Hi-yahs" goes up from the crowd.
After the uncertain and clumsy oper'
ations of the medieval headsman, one
had been led to suppose that human
head required a great deal Of sever
ance; but so adept are the Chinese ex
ecutioners that they seem to display NJ
more effort or emotion in cutting off {
head than they would in looping {
poppy from its stalk.
With fearful rapidity the slaughtel
proceeds, and not five seconds elaps'
between the fall of each head. On'
unerring stroke ends each life, and th'
victims are so arranged that each car
witness the fate of all those in front o
him before his turn comes.
The crowd is now in the most jovia
humor, and signifies it's light-hearteC
enjoyment by ribald chaff at the ox
pense of the remaining victims, VIII
frequently retort defantly, and exhibi
the most stolid indifference to thei
fate.
Suddenly burst of merriment arise
in one corner. A portly merchant ha
approached too near, and his lonI
white coat is splashed with blood. How
the bystanders laugh! Was there eve
such good joke!
The last few heads are falling nov
when my hand is plucked by an e2
! cited youngster Of ten, dancing wit
delight, who cries, eagerly: "Ho-taii
Isn't it beautifully | repress fierc
desire to throttle him, and in few SCI
:, onds all is over. Justice is vindicatet
and the crowd quickly disperses, ,.all br
y the city gamins, who remain behind
rehearse the whole proceedings and
' skylark with the bodies.
Horrible though the sight has beel
death has, at any rate, being swift an
merciful, but another day the suprem
horror of Chinese justice is revealed
us.
For certain offenders, notably parl
- cides and women who kill their hu
i bands, the penalty is the "Ling-chee
y or thousand cuts" This is too ghast
q for detailed description, but suffice it
p say that the victim is first crucified to
n low cross, and then slowly sliced
n pieces with knife.
:, So skillful is the executioner that Q
y though his victim soon becomes u
4 recognizable as human being, yet
II vital wound is inflicted till perhaps ha
=, an hour of this torture has elapse
q when the agony is ended by decapit
~ ton.
q So superior an entertainment as Il
v is naturally rewarded by a full hous
n and even greater merriment preva
/, than at mere head-chopping display
n which SAVIOR somewhat Of monotony
\. the blase Cantonese.