The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1910-06-14
Enthusiasts Willing to Become Vic
tins Of Horrible Superstition.
Think the SAcriAcs VIII Give
Strength to Engineering Projects
"HuAaaa Pillars" ResiGa
Themselves to Quick Burial.

In old Japan people we're sometimes
buried alive--or, more frequently, al
Lowed themselves to be buried alive
at the Inauguration Of any difficult
piece of engineering 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 titles 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 Japan
ese grandmothers. writes Francis Nc
Cullagh, in the Chicago Daily News.
No one would imagine that any
grown-up Jananese of the present day
would seriously believe in these tales,
much less offer to ''adorn" one OF them
lin Johnson's phrase-yet this is ex-
actly what two japanese have Just
done. 1t came about in this wise: The
Buddhists of Osaka recently opened
subscription lists for the erection of a
big belfry with monster bell at Ten
noji temple, in the suburbs of that city.
An old lady. fervent Buddhist, living
in the south island bf Japan. got wind
of the scheme and Immediately had a
letter written TO the high priest of the
temple intimating that she was will
ing to offer herself as sacrifice of
the thurman pillar" variety If the tenn
pie authorities did not object. OF
course. they did object, with the result
that nothing more has been heard OF
he old woman or her extraordinary
offer.
The second enthusiast was an ex-
priest of Osaka, Gwano Hayashi by
name. who was living comfortably
with his wife and two children anc
who was 40 years old. One evening
last month a policeman attached tC
the Tennoji police station noticed
the figure of man, clad entirely ir
white. proceeding cautiously TOWARD
the temple. The lnteness Of the hour
aroused the suspicious Of the police
man. who, on drawing nearer. no
ticed that the stranger was carrying
on his back coffin. On the closer
approach of the policeman the stran
ger attempted to run, but was soor
overtaken and led to the station.
An examination of the coffin re-
vealed a singularly beautiful ole
sword and mortunry tablet. A let
ter addressed to the head priest OF
the temple, which was discovered or
the person of the prisoner. explained
exactly what the latter had beer
about to do with himself. The man
on being Intercepted. calmly con
fessed that he had resolved to com
nit suicide that night in the tenn
pie premises in order, is he elegant
ly put it, "to vitalize the COLLECTION
of the bell funds and to give strength
to the belfry on its completion"
The would-be suicide was perfect
ly sane and not illterate; and the
police, assisted by the local Buddhist
priests, finally succeeded in making
him see his folly and in making hin
promise to abandon his rash prof
ect.
He was consequently released, but
insisted on leaving behind in the
hands Of the police his valuable
sword. an heirloom in his family ant
an excellent specimen of the sword
smiths art. His reason for doing sc
was that he could not trust himsel.
with the weapon