The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-10-28
NO MERCY FOR
The CHINESE SPIES
Execution Of Cinnamon Suspected
Of Having Sold Japanese
Secrets.
ART OF CUTTING OFF
HEADS ExEMPLIFIED
How Two swordsmen Entertained
Circle of Spectators on
Manchurian Hilltop.

Manchurian Hilltop.
Fakumen, Manchuria, Aug. 20.-Ilhe
way of the transgressor is hard-espe-
cially when the transgressor is a.Chlna q
man caught within our lines With ms
pockets filled with Russian ruble notes
In the world of peace we say : It e
better that a dozen guilty men should
escape than that a single innocent man man
should suffer- True enough--;ll:n,f time
Of peace. But when war settles like a
dark cloud over the land, military sci:
ence teaches us to reverse the old say.
ING. Then in very fact is IS better
dozen innocent men should suffer than
that a single guilty man should escape,
for it may be that one man who carries
beneath that impenetrable maskE>o OF a
face the secret which, when given 70
the enemy, will turn the tide OF pattie
gendarmes and secfet,service men OF the
Japanese in Manchuria are forever pry-
ing out the spies and alleged spies who
five. in the midst OF them. When spies
are caught they are promptly dragged
away to execution. Z: -. : ->:.3 2
When your Japanese general IS stak-
ing the lives of his thousands-aye, ms
tens Of thousands of brave men on~the
issue of his strategy, we cannot eXpecC
him to be too particular or too mild IN
the enforcement of the strictest mill
tary secrecy. So it is that at frequent
intervals those who care to see can go
forth Of an evening and behold the
trembling celestial pay the price OF
his duplicity. Let us take a look at
one Of these executions. ...-~
Gathering for the Spectacle.
IT. is midsummer. The sun is just
setting beyond the black line Of west,
ern hills. Our little town lies bathed
in a glow of molten rays that seem to
warm up the earth with a good might
kiss before night comes on. Behind
our town there is bit of a knoll: 1t
is perhaps few hundred yards from
our doorstep, where we SIT OF an eve.
ming. In the street without we hear
laughter of soldiers, as, like boys re,
B. leased from school, they go .trooplpg
down the road Hand in hand, arms
elasned like silly schoolmaids,, they
move along the narrow Chinese street
that leads beyond the town Walls-and
all are heading toward that little Knoll
There already a bunch OF khak1-ciao
"small banzai boys' are romplng ano
playing, laughing ana 9estln ag,,s aoou'
entertainment SNAA~'
What is it all aboutP We do not ask
for we have seen this same merry gath
ering before But we are westerners
and it is with tagging footsteps that we
90 down the road toward the scene OF
three poor wretehes' last agony or
earth. -
It is not far that we have to 60. II
a few moments we, too, are standing II
the warm glow Of the sun 8, last rays
-,o 4,c nro oh eI1riOllalv tht
coolie as he throws out the last shovel
: full Of earth from the third new-mad'
grave He jumps :nimhly to the sur
face and, wiping his muddied hands OF
/. his khaki trousers, accepts a clgare
+ from a bystander and puffs luxuriously
while he also waits for the show that i
to come.
Enter the Doomed Men.
The wait is not long. Already Their
is stir at the outskirts of the circle
The ring opens and three shuffline
blue clad Cinnamon are pushed into tn
center. Bits of rag are bound abou
their eyes and behind their backs thei
hands are tied. They stand stupid
for a moment, like unseeing, sheep, wait
ing for the next move. The mouth O
one is exposed beneath the death bar
dage and we see his lip culver as b.
the hum of voices and this decisive hal
he comes to realize that the fatal spo
is reached. i.T.'fi. -
The gendarme who has the work i
hand draws his long, sharp servic
sword. Its harsh, metallic CRATE on tn
scabbard rasps our nerves as it cut
thru the silence that has fallen on tn
expectant circle. He runs it's keen edg
comment to a bystander, who laugh
cheerfully in reply. Two of the tren
bling, wretches are pushed into the bacl
ground. He of the quivering lip totte1
forward in reply to low-spoken wor
and collapses to his knees on the ede
of the pit; tho he sees it not, he know
that below him yawns the grave thu
in a few brief moments will receive b.
headless corpse.
Ready for the Stroke o..
A bystander boots him gently5into D,
sition. Another, taking hiss5Spigtai
twists it about the top of his hal
shaver pate. Then, taking the head
both hands-as one sees Photographic
pose the head Of a child in his studio
he moves it about and settles it at. la!
into what seems the ikeliest positio
for the. death stroke. The execution,
hastily as he leans gracefully on h
sword H='S51s* 81 ms
A soldier with little teakettl
steps up. The swordsman throws ava
his smoked-out butt and holds out h
cleaning blade. From the teakett]
a Is poured upon it's razor edge litt]
water, to help it's cutting powe
Again the soldier with the teakettle
busy. This time he pours few dror
of water on the neck of the tremblin
wretch, who has waited several mil
utes now expecting momentarily tt
death blow.
All is ready at last. The jaunt
gendarme steps forward. He touch,
the naked neck, so well posed for hir
with the bare steel A shiver ru1
thru the kneeling figure. The gendarm
lifts his sword! The victim stiffen
. bracing himself for the shock b,
not yet, trembling culprit. Your ex
cutioner lowers his blade and turns /
bystander to push further inquil
as to what he shall do if the head do
not fall at the first stroke-for it
his first attempt at this game.
A Bungling Executioner.
The expectant figure sways on i
knees like reed in the wind. The lo1