The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1900-07-04

ears. and thumb-rings to suspend men
by their thumbs and toes.
The following is the story of a Chi
n6se execution, as told me by Sir Robert
Hart, an eye witness.
Eight pris- ners were to be beheaded.
The Mandarin, who was the executioner,
sat in an open booth and as the eight
men marched by him each was marked
on the forehead. Seven of the prisoners
were to suffer for robbing and numbering
old man. The eighth was a Mandarin
who had been degraded for an offense
which he declared he never committed
Once he had been a gre at man in China,
even as Li-Hung Chang. He had been
prisoner for many years. when suddenly
his execution was ordered by the Viceroy
of Quang Tung.
The Mandarin Struggled.
THE seven first men were executed
neatly and well. but when the execution
er came to the opposed Mandarin, he
struggled and declined 10 put forth his
neck. wildly vociferating that he was in
nocent and had been unjustly accused and
condemned. The eXecutioner caught his
pigtail and dragged his head forward
from the body, with the result that the
head was severed only after many blows
had been struck. The head and body were
terribly mutiated When the head finally
fell the mouth opene d and closed as If
still trying to articulate the words In
justice injustice
The body remained kneelng and the
arms worked frantically in protest for
some time till knocked over. The specta-
tors then ran with bread and other soft
foodstuffs, which they dipped into the
blood and ate, the superstition being that
this man had died a hero and that the
blood Of a brave man would give courage
to those tasting il.
Among the favorite palace deaths is
stoning. The victim is stretched out on
his back arms and legs extended, aud a
man sits on each of the limbs. The exc
cutioner appears with a huge stone. If the
victim has the money TO pay for a speedy
death his head is crushed at once. Other
wise the executioner may torture him at
will, administering blows wherever he
pleases until the victim dies of pain and
loss of blood.
Death in Thousand Pieces.
The most dreadful punishment of the
Chinese criminal code is the Ling-Chi,
which means death in a thousand pieces,
and which is inflicted on men or women
who murder their parents. The condemned
man is placed on his back, arms and legs
extended, and fettered to pegs in the
hacks of the flesh at the eyebrows, the
cheeks, the nose, the ears, the breasts, the
hips. the thighs, and the calves, and then
the hands are cut off and the feet and the
arms and the legs. Meanwhile the body
is being hacked with a knife by another
operator, who skilfully avoids vital spots.
Finally, when the victim is almost dead
from loss of blood. with a stab in the pit
of the stomach and d single sword blow
at the neck he is finished.
Compared to our own views on decapi-
tation a Chnaman thinks nothing of the
operation. rich man can at any time
purchase a substitute who will sell his
life instead for the benefit of his family.
This, perhaps, accounts for why such
frightful cruelties are necessary to make
a death penalty $ GENTLY impressive.
but if nothing eise can be taught us
by the Chinese, their reverence Tor their
parents is a lesson wherein they far out
rank us Even the famous Cheng-Tan-Tae
owes his entire success to the command
of a dying mother to her son, and the son
was none other than our old frend-Li
Hung Chang