The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1900-08-15

been seen IN the history OI Tue WOfIu
will probably follow the entrance of
,he allied forces into Pekin. It is the
customary Oriental way Of escaping
,hc dishonor Of defeat and in this case
,be leaders Of the rebel Chinese will
know that terrible punishment awaits
them if they survive the loss of their
cause. In 1860, when the Taku ports
we're taken, many mandarins took their
own lives, as we'll as the. wives Of
numerous officials, and when the Brit
ish captured Annoy, Ning-po and Chin
kiang scores Of ladies, imagining that
they would be subjected to brutality
and outrage by the foreign soldiers,
slew themselves in the presence Of
their husbands, who followed their
example. The victors found dozens
Il bodies in wells and.ponds belonging
10 private residences.
SUICIDE A CUSTOM IN CHINA.
The Chinese are more addicted TO
suicide than any other people, and un-
der certain circumstances the act Of
self destruction is censidere 1 the most
yirtuous and heroic imaginable. This
is particularly true of civil or military
officers who refuse to survive defeat
in battle or an insult offered to the
sovereign of the country. Opium,
hanging and drowning are the favorite
methods adopted, and the unfortu-
mates, believing that beyond the grave
the shades of the departed are clad
in garments like those tie defunct
wore at the time Of death, usually put
Oh their best clothes in preparation
for the deed. On a previous occasion
the Emperor 8 summer palace was de-
stroyed for lesson to the Govern
ment, but this time, If it is found
that the present rulers are responsible
for the recent mischief, the whole Of
ihe Forbidden City will doubtless be
razed to the ground and the injury to
the sensitive feelings Of the official
class will be frightful indeed.
DOES CHRISTIANITY Ask THIs3
On the other hand, lie the powers:
] that be are able Co clear their skirts.
] Of accountability they will be requir.
ed to inAict punishments on whole
4 sale scale, and this will be accomplish
ed IN ways peculiarly Chinese. The
leaders Of the rebels, or the principal
! scapegoats, will be3sliced to death--a
mode Of execution which, while ex-
i tremely barbarous and cruel, is the
j most scientific known. According to
4 the rules governing the rreeeas sas
i victim is cut into specified number
4 Of pieces, which may be 120, or 72, or;
a 36, or "a If there are extenuating
A circum stances in his case the number
a Of pieces may be reduced even to 8,
B which brings death relatively soon.
& But in every instance the succession
81 Of cuts is regulated as exactly as those
b used by butcher in, dividing up an
OK
The feeling Of horror with which
one regards such doings is mitigated
81 10 some extent by recollections of the
abominable crimes Of which che offend
I'd ers have proved themselves capable.
d In June. 1870, a powerful magistrate
4at Ticn Tsin was presented by the To-
5eil litcrati With red silk umbrella as
reward for doings of his which di-
recty caused the frightful massacre
that occurred three days later. This
massacre cost the Iivesof twenty.three
aioIeigncrs, most Of them ladies', who
sere put to death in manner too
sarful to be described. The magisJ
aate paid foyshis umbrella by hard Ia
S'r for life as o prison convict; twenty
p'tves were beheaded and a large
S lumber were punished in other
5ssys.
' wHoLEsALE. EXECUTIONS.
# blenders Of the second grade in the
resent instance will be put to death
~ decapitation. They will be placed
8 rows, hundreds Of them alta time,
la9ably, and the execntioner
slll strike offeach Of their heads with
single blow Of q heavy, two. handed
FSrd. While awaiting the coup-do-
ase they will kneei upon the ground,
nloned. Those who have influential
lsnds, willing 10 pay money for the
n'ilege, willhave their heads sewn
p0n their bodies afterwards, though
ss authorities in such cases always
auire thatths head shall Be re=ers-
- !. that is, s= !. ~, navk il SIDE fore
aost. The third method s 81 capital
a!nlshmentfis by strangling, rope
sng tied loosely aronnd the neck
f&E5ld