The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1902-01-16
CRAZY JAPS
Persistent in a Horrible Supersti-
ton of Oiden Times.
Enthusiasts Wish TO Be Buried Alive as
Human Pillars" 70 Lend Strength
10 Engineering Projects Now Under
Construction.
Construction

CHICAGO, Jan. IA local pa
per publishes the following re-
markable story from its cores
pondent at Toxic, Japan:
In old Japan people were some
times buried alive-or, more fire.
quently allowed themselves to be
buried alive-at the inauguration
of any difficult piece of engineer
ing work, in order to impart, as
they thought. strength and life
to the undertaking. The victims
of the horrible superstition were
known under the suggestive title
of human pillars" and many
are the quaint and wierd stories
that have been woven around this
custom, and are recounted to this
very day by japanese grand
mothers.
No one would imagine that any
grown up Japanese of the present
day would seriously believe in
these tales, much less offer to
''adorn" one of them-in John
sons phrase-yet this is exactly
what two Japanese have done.
1t came about in this wise: The
Buddhists of Osaka recently
opened subscription lists for the
erection of a big belfry with a
monster bell at Tennoji temple
in the suburbs of that city. An
old lady, a fervent Buddhist,
living in the south island of Jap
an, got wind of the scheme and
Immediately had letter written
to the high priest of the temple
intimating that she was willing
to offer herself as sacrifice OF
human pillar variety if the
temple authorities did not object.
Of course they did object, with
the result that nothing more has
been heard of the old woman or
her extraordinary offer.
The second enthusiast was an
ex-prlest of Osaka, Gwano Hay
ASH by name, who was living
comfortably with his wife and
two children and who was only
40 years old. One evening last
month a policeman attached to
the 'Tenno;i police station noticed
the figure of a man clad entirely
in white, proceedingly cautiously
toward the temple. The lateness
of the hour aroused the suspic-
ions of the policeman, who, on
drawing nearer, noticed that the
stranger was carrying on his
back a coffin. On the closer APP
proach of the policeman the
stranger attempted to run, but
was soon overtaken and led to
the station.
An examination of the coffin
revealed a singularly beautiful
old sword and a mortuary tablet.
A letter addressed to the head
priest of the temple, which was
discovered on the person of the
prisoner, explained exactly what
the latter had been about to do
with himself. The man, on being
ing Intercepted calmly confessed
that he had resolved to commit
suicide that night in the temple
premises in order, as he elegant
ly put it, to vitalize the collec-
tion of the bell funds and to give
strength to the belfry on it's com
pletion.
The would-be suicide was per.
fectly sane and not illiterate, and
the police, assisted by the local
Buddhist priests, finally sue
ceeded in making him see bis
folly and in making him promise
to abandon his rash project.
He was consequently released,
but insisted on leaving behind in
the hands OF the police his valu-
able sword, an heirloom in his
family and an excellent specimen
of the swordsmith's art. His
reason for doing so was that he
could not trust himself with the
weapon.
Good Recommendation