Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1898-01-10

u
Often Made n Function, With EInbor.
ate Ceremonies-A Famous Iostance,
Hara-kiri, or "happy dispatch" as
it has been freely translated, is still
the mode of suicide among the Japan
ese. This was shown by Counselor
Katayama's attempt to kill himself in
Yokohama the other day.
Katayama is n bright young grad
nate from the class in diplomacy in the
Foreign Office in Toxic, who had beer
sent to assist the Japanese Minister
Shimamura, in the recent complica
tions with the Hawaiian Government.
He was recalled, and, believing that il
was owing to his failure to accomplish
all his government had instructed him
to do, he cut himself open and silt
his throat
Hara-kiri means, literally, stomach.
cutting. The expression, though
widely known outside of Japan, is
not much used umong the japanese
themselves. They use the word sep
puku, which is derived from the Chin.
ese, as are SO many of their polite
terms, much as French words are used
by those who affect elegance in this
country.
According to Basil Hall Chamber.
lain, an Englishman, Professor OF
Japanese in the Imperial University
in Toxic, seppuku is not custom OF
the aboriginal Japanese, but came into
vogue some time before 1900 among
the samural, or members of the mill.
tary class, the feudal nobility and the
gentry. It was brave death and
CHASTITY in its conception, MS any one
familiar with the japanese theatre car
testify. Its carrying out demonstrated
beyond doubt that the doer was al
least possessed of physical courage,
and by the act he who performed il
wiped out whatever stain may have
sullied his personal honor. He died
like gentleman.
Seppuku was a privilege of the up.
per class. The death sentence with
those above the merchant, farmer and
artisan was not carried out by the
public executioner. They killed them.
selves in the presence of officials sent
to witness the deed. 1t was performed
like all other acts in old Japan, even
to tea drinking, with elaborate cere.
mony and detail Milford, in his
"Tales of Old Japan" describes il
wildly. He was detailed as a repre-.
sentative of the English Government
to witness the sentence carried out on
rebel who had fired on the allied
feet at Shimenoseiki over a quarter OF
a century ago.
In his 'Story of the Forty-seyeu
Ronin" in tho same volume he gives
an account of the most famous instance
of seppuku on record. The ronin were
detached samurai, or military retain.
ers, without n master. Asano, Lord
of Ako, who had been master of the
Forty-seven Ronin, was sentenced to
commit seppuku for laying his hand
upon his sword in one of the palaces
of the Shotgun, or Tycoon, the general.
issimo, and actual ruler of the country
during the centuries which the Mikado
was in retirement.
The ronin, with full knowledge that
they would be sentenced to seppulu
likewise, broke into the yashiki, OF
palace, OF Kira, the noble who had
evoked the breach of etiquette on the
part of their lord, aud forced him to
commit seppuku. They offered up his
head at a neighboring temple and then
awaited calmly the sentence, which
came in due course and was carried
out.
Often seppuku was performed in
temples. The priests prepared ban
quet The relatives of the condemned
man, his friends and the Government
officials assembled and feasted The
condemned man, robed in white, the
color of mourning in Japan, ate and
exchanged wine cups with all present.
Then seating himself i'll the centre OF
the room arranged for the ceremony,
he threw his robes from his shoulders
and was naked to the waist. An at.
tendant placed low stand before him,
on which was cup of tea and the ku.
sun-go-bu, the shorter of the two
swords worn by samural.
Tucking the flowing sleeves of his
robe under his knees, he wrapped
sheet of paper about the blade so as to
leave about an inch of the point ex.
posed, and drew the blade across his
abdomen from left to right, with lit.
tie turn upward at the end of the
stroke. Then leaning forward he
reached for the cup, and his chosen
friend, standing at his post beside
him with drawn sword, severed his
head from his body SO that it hung by
a bit of the skin at the throat as by a
hinge. The witnesses stamped their
report with their seals and departed.
In those days death was the fate OF
whoever had the business to memor.
ialize the Government, but this did
not deter the patriotic. The petitioner,
with his prayer written in the form OF
a letter and concealed about his per.
son, knelt before the gate of some pub.
lie building, and, having disembowe led