The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1902-01-09
AN AWFUL SPECTACLE.


| ecution Of So Chinese From q Re-
served Seat on Top of a House
! Inc following letter, says the Water
| bury American, was written in Hong
| Kong, China. by Henry L. Fischer, to
| his brother. Gustav H. Fischer, fore
! man in the Manville Brothers employ,
enlisted in the United States navy Oc-
| tober l, 1900, He was on the kentucky
on her trip to the Philippine Islands
and China. When there he was trans
ferred to the Monitor Monadnock, on
winch vessel he Is at present doing
llfst- calss duty as machinist. He was
member of Company A, G. N. G.
IT, s. S. Monadnock,
Hong Kong, China
November g. 1901,
Dear Brother--As you must know by
this time, have left Shanghai for
Canton. We had a good trip down. as
the weather was all that could be de-
sired. With many thanks TO him who
makes the weather, we arrived in Hong
Kong on the 18th of October and left
Tor Canton, 80 miles up the river, on
November 16. 1t was very nice trip
Canton Is not much of a place for us
fellows, as we cannot go into the city
very far unless we take chances. We
have liberty from 3 D. m. until 10 10 M
The consuls and other European peo-
pie live on an island, cut from the
Chinese city by a canal and guard
is always at the bridge gate. This
island is very small, but Is laid out
very nicely with only one hotel and one
chow house. AS you see by the picture
sent you, we are lying opposite the
church on the island Well. while
there I got liberty and saw something
few have seen. and which I never want
to see again. On the 10th of November
guide came aboard about 10 o'clock
and told us that an execution was 60
Ing to take place in the old city and
that he would take us there for two
mex, providing sedan chair for each
man. About 20 of us got special liberty
to go, and I being of the curious kind,
was one of Them We went over to the
hotel, where sedan chairs were waiting
for us, and were carried through the
city to the place, You would be sur
prised to see how fast the 'Chinks"
can carry you in one of those chairs.
had to have three 'Chinks' carry me.
When we arrived out there we We're
slightly disappointed to find that the
place was nothing more than blind
alley between two potteries
The guide we had got us in a place
on the row of one of them about
10 feet high, directly over the spot.
Every time we moved pieces of the roof
would fall off and the whole "shak"
would shake, The alley was about 80
feet wide, so you can see that we had
good grand stand seats.
We did not have long to wait before
a fellow came in running with two big,
knives about two feet long. You ought
to have heard those "Chinks' Uhe alley
was full of them) howl. 1t was fierce
Another howl and in came the chief
executioner. Naturally you would ex-
pect him to be fierce-looking devil,
but he was just the opposite. A smil-
ing, good natured, old bow legged, to-
bacco chewing "Chink," Another howl
and in came a string of soldiers and
the victims. They brought them in
baskets strung on poles, carried by two
"Chinks, with their hands tied behind |
their backs and chains on their ankles. |
They dropped the prisoners out any old |
way. There was seven baskets in all |
When / saw the poor devils / was sor-
ry. and a good many more were, too. |
They placed these fellows on their |
knees in rows of three. A wait of |
about 15 minutes and then another aw- |
full howl. In came some more soldiers, |
a rush, a dump; another dump, 20 |
dumps in all. and there was IS |
"Chfnks'' on their knees. ready for his /
turn. Each one had a tag on his head |
and one on his body for identification