The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1904-12-04

off the head of the dead man. Lastly,
when all the details of the ceremony
were performed. the suicide slashed
! himself across the stomach from left
to right, and in the action he was
bound TO show himself of noble race:
mat is, he must perform the act with
as much distinction as firmness.
Certain 'hara kris are still venerat-
ed in Japan. 1t would take a volume.
NJ. Oh. Sehi says to record their names.
from Max TTakka, heir TO the throne,
who performed the ceremony three cen
turtles before the Christian era. down
ward to the sailors and soldiers of the
Kinshu Maru and of the army Of Man
churia above cited.
The rapidly Increasing contact OF ia
pan with other nations ond the assim-
ilative faculties OF the nation in regard
to progress Of which the Japanese have
given proof. must necessarily lead them
to understand the monstrous character
of the custom Of 'hara- kiri" in fact.
the new code Of the country forbids the
practice. But the sanguinary habit is
so deeply rooted in the customs of the
people that UP to now no court has
been found to apply the severe penal
ties enacted against the witnesses of
such acts. It must therefore be con-
Japan for some time tc come, and
viii be long claimed as a privilege by
the nObinty-and as right by the SOL
diers who are their descendants.
Although official Japan censures the
custom. because it is forced by it's pose
OF western civilization. il is none the
less fact that practically-as NJ. Ch.
Sehl ObseTves-Japan maintains an
admiration, almost amounting to VEN
Grafton, for those who still continue to
commit ''hara-kiri' In the eyes of the
people it is a palpable proof that every
japanese prefers the most horrible
death to the slightest stain on his honor
as warrior. Indeed, ''hara-kiri'
seems never to have been committed
except for a motive in which arms
were in some way or other concerned.
And such will be the case, says NJ. Oh.
Sehl, as long as the soul of ancient ia
pan, which is forced to conceal itself. |
but which still exists. animstes with
sublime savagery a people which has
never had any other worship than that
of arms.
Hara-kiri' prevails especially in ia
pan. But the Chinese. the Annamifes
and other representatives of the yellow
race frequently resort TO it. DR.. Sol !
land has recently cited case which !
came under his observation in the pri- |
son at Hanoi, under circumstances
which merit being recorded.
Inc subject was a provincial manda- !
rim, who was accused of treason, and i
was incarcerated for two months. On
several occasions he endeaVOTed to
starve himself to death. He thus be- ,
came reduced almost to a skeleton In 4
accordance with Annamite customs. he 4
allowed his nails TO grow to an extra I
ordinary length. and was not a little 4
proud when they attained thirty-two I
and the two third fingers
nearly doubled their usual dimensions.
The prisoner conceived the idea OF
utilizing his natural ornaments as in 4
5truments in committing suicide
He succeeded in avoiding observation
md performed "hara-kiri'' i'm an entire
y novel manner. With his own hands
no tore through the skin and destroyed
he various apOneurotic and muscular
strata until he reached the peritoneum (
and the intestines The whole Of the
parts were torn and transformed into
'bouilHe. VI. Solland remarks that it 1
vas the "hara -kiri'' of the japanese.
performed with a refinement of horror
md torture endured in silence
This unusual and sensational suicide. /
which resulted in a formal 0F1Iiga ton
imposed on every prisoner of having
MS nails cut when arrested. is none the
esS proof of the inveterate deternl-
nation in the soul Of the yellow races
o continue the custom Of cutting the
tomach open as a means of putting an
md 20 life.-Paris Herald.