The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-07-19
IA, s, tho Mans u zenaasuro a.oned in

british Legation. The ceremony took
place In f1e presence o. sir Ernest ga.
tow. now Engiish envoy AZ Pektn, and OF
Lord Redesdale, to whom 1enzaburo'
head wes presented for inspection, by
his "karshkif," Of, beet friend who had
derapitated him at the moment when he
had completed his disembowsiing process.
While the Judicial haraekiri is under
stood TO have ceased, tho official sep
puk,l remains. as Is apparent from the
scenes on board the transport Kir,shn
Msru the other day, a. national custom
81 tho people, and continues to be prac-
itieed indeed, according to one OF those
s,ihwritter laws which are 50 much more 1
binding t1an the ones that figure IN the 4
judicial code a man ct the San1urai class
who Is not prepared to die by his own
hand rather than suffer disgrace IS SUD-
jected to the same sort Of ostra eisn a 4
HE continental European who declines
to challenge ana "a barred from the ac-84
ceptance of d commission in the army.
Ii, ali cases where a man who nnds
lhimself face to face with trouble COM
fmits rara-kiri /, any offense Of which no
may iavo been guilty, or wrong that ne
may have done, Is regarded by the law law
and by the public alike as non1p n, ,el
since he Is no longer there to defend him
snif iS n ana word he saves by means
OF suicide his own honor and that Of MS !
family, and as long as these IDEAS prevail
80 long will tara.kiri continue feature
OF Japanese civilization. 8.
RI may not be III consonance with our
western ideas. Indeed, the survival OF.
this form OF self-destruction IN Japan
serves to remind us OF the fact which we
are SO often tempted to forget--namely:
that between the orient and the occident
there is q great and deep gulf. and that
whereas we belong to the occld emf, me
Japanese will always remain Asiatic5, no
matter how many Of our ways they may
adopt. Hara-kiri is not a pleasant Gus.
tom and by many It will be denounced
as savoring OF barba rlsm. And yet un-
DERIVING this particularly chastity method
OF Suicide there il an underlying ideal OF
chiyalry and OF honor. without which the
world would be poorer.
SUICIDE BY ROYAL ORDER.
The notion that 1t IS possible to preserve
by mems OF suicide honor that would
otherwise be forfeited Is. however, BY no
means confined to Japan, though 1t is the
only coudtry in the world where kara
kiri prevails. Thus In China princess
great mobiles, and mandarins Of the high
est rank, X they are considered by the
Dowager Empress as meriting death, are
permitted to put an end to their lives
By means OF gulation or poison, thus
escaping the intamy OF deca pitaatito n.As In
Turkey and other Mohammedan coun-s3
tries digrritaries whose demise was de-
sired by their8rnlers were accust toned TO
receive from the Ia tier. with much cere-5
mony. the gift OF "a sIlken bowstrtng. 70
be used by them for the purpose Of
strangulation, and even on the con tinentS
OF Europe the Off ccr or noble when struck
or otherwise insulted by his sovereign, 81, orS
BY q, prince OF the blood, and who IS de-
barred by the rank of his assailant from
seeking satisfaction by means OF p duel
Is required by sunwritten law to oloWi
ont his brains as I he only way Q pre-
serving intact his honor. for a blow OF an
Insult unavenged is considered among me.
higher classes in most OF the continental
countries Of Europe as disauallIyin e.. =
man from any further associa ton with
the people OF his caste ard as entailingI
the most cruel species OF ostracltsm
SUICIDES VIEWED WITH CHARITY
Wine these are perhaps the only cases!
where self-uestruction Is actually required
In Europe by unwrltten law. people nova
days are disposed to view Wit III more
Charity tina n q hundred years ago instan-
ces OF suicide resulting from o. her mo-
tiyes. G Indeed. there is always a tendency
to deal gently with he memory OF q those,
who when con tronted ~ trouble Or as as
grace. have sought refuge In deaf 2. a ln1S}
| to follow tho exnmple OF the Japanese IN
regarding their offenses as 4, not proven
NJ Even the suicide for whom there IS the
| least excuse are accorded by I he law the
| Indulgence Of a verdict Of temporary
Insanity, n and receive Christian burial
I, instead OF being subjected to the indlg-
mites prescribed formerly by law for
those n who had taken their own lives
These consisted OF thrusting the suicide
at midnight. Will lout prayer, d Dubbed up
I into a hole three feet long and three
feet wide, dug at he cent Ter of the cross-as
ing OF two gh roads, Will 9 stone upon
tho face and q sharp stake driven through
the body. "a man Of the name Of VIII:
SIiams was disposed @ ( in this fashion on
Jan. 70, 1872. Ein London 1t 4 he spot where
Now Road crosses Ratclin highway, the
scene being described at length 4 In the
London Times Of the following day
MoNARcHs WHO HAVE sUIcIDED.
! AT least three Europeans lnonarchs are
kno wn TO have taken their own lives q
Ing the last 100 years. u among them being
tie late Sultan Abdul Assiz OF yTurkey,3
Mo killed himself with a pair OF Scissors,
nd a dozen princes OF the blood, includ-S
ing the late king OF Naples br other.
Prince Gaetan OF Bourbon. married to
the IN Ia Isabella sof SPAIN and who
cut his throat IN Ills wi fes presence 9th
err !, otable instances OF suicide are those
OF Cen Sir Hector Aiacdon aid the late
duke of Bedford, Count VolkensteiD one
OF the great dIgnHaIies OF the court OF
Vienna the marquis OF Lond onderry,
Ring William / VS. natural son ): the earl
OF Munster, Lord Congleton. the Spanish
duke Of San Carlos, grand chamberlain
to King Alfonso of Spai 4; Queen Mar
guerite Of Italy's stepfather, the Marquis
Rappolo: prince corsln. Marshal Ber,
thier, prince. OF agram: Sir Samuel ",
Romilly. and Baron Bruck the Austrian ~
cabinet minister.
Gallant old Gen. Bourbak, one OF the
6nest CURES OF the Franco German War!
OF 1870. attempted to blow out his brains
when the raw and unframed ley ies. In
trusted to his command fled en- masse
across the Swiss frontier. But fortunately
he recovered from the severe wound
which he had iniict ed upon himself !. N
a. moment of despair when he saw his
army in full rout, and lived for q y. nun
her 81 years longs honored both at home
and abroa a as q particularly gallant and
splendid speciment @ the olo Fee'lcn
solder Chicago Tribune. Z ~
ls83F4 CHOLERA sINFANTU M. 4t4 81 {