El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1911-06-29
GOLGOTHA

6hTHROUGH faith alone you must
be saved" preached the Chris
tan missionary to his flock.
What may a man do to redeem his
soul? All our deeds are vain and our
achievements are of no value, but we
follow great idea. 1t is enough that
we live righteously only when we have
a firm faith In the Lord and are will
ing to follow in His footsteps. Let the
world mock US, condemn and prosecute
US, let them take away from US every
thing we own, nay even our nfe-the
reward that Is awaiting us after death
they cannot rob US Of" Thus preached
the Christian missionary.
1t was Sunday and throughout the
land heather mobs were plundering,
numbering and setting houses and
towns afire and-dying, dying for a
culture which could not withstand the
arms Of the west.
They were conquered and made pris-
oners, as the armies of Amalek were
defeated as Christian armies were,
once beaten by the heather, or as
armies once destroyed one another.
though fighting under the banner OF
the cross
On Monday I stood alone In the large
gray hall of the prefecture at Peking.
1t was a cherries room. Through tbs
open door you looked into the sunl1t
yard, where two fat native policemen
were sleeping with their round caps
with the red tassel covering their eyes.
sunbeam was playing on the clay
floor of the hall and heavy stick OF
bamboo. the national instrument of
punishment, was leaning against col
umn. 1t seemed as If this too, were
resting after its mornings work 1t
was covered with dull red spots, like
the eyes of a tiger that has glutted It
self with food. The spots were made
by the blood of those who had been
punished.
In the shadow Of the column also
stood the bench, with its leather
thongs hanging Imply down. Many I'M
fortunate ones had been strapped to
this bench while moaning and begging
for mercy. But many had also stood up
from the bench with grinning faces,
happy that the 25 blows had not been
so, or those who had got so happy
they had not got 75. The bench had
seen many philosophers of this kind.
but today it was allowed TO rest
Those who were to be punished today
were not to arise again. Today was
day of executions, as was yesterday,
and as would also be tomorrow, 1t was
the first execution it had ever been my
duty to witness.
There were signs of awakening life,
There was the rafting of keys; war
den came across the yard and took up
his position in front of a door with
small heavily barred opening, which
led from the hall to the prison.
The policemen woke up and others
arrived. Now also came the executioner,
a tall powerfully built fellow with
rather pleasant. grinning face. In his
arms, which were crossed in front of
his chest, he carried a yellow silk bag
containing the shining broad sharp
sword. The hall gradually filled up
with sightseers and officials yellow
and white.
At a signal the prison door was
opened and a melancholy procession en-
tered-two miserable fellows in dirty,
ragged blouses and short, wide trou-
sers, with tied hands and staring eyes.
They did not walk, but were pushed
they were to die. Behind came a proud
figure, whose face was beaming with
supernatural happiness, lama, a priest
of Buddha.
1 was moved and said to white Of
ficia1 standing near me: 1T is really
much more than 1 expected. I did not
know they gave the convicts a spir-
itual adviser to comfort them during
their last moments"
nc why, dC 10 the WOIot
of them all. He is to be decapitated
first
What has he doner'
HE is a boxer priest and agitator.
His fiery speeches have brought misery
and death upon many Christian viii
lagos"
I understood. The priest had encour-
aged his followers to defend them
selves against a religion and dogmas
fo1 <hofr
Now he was to be victim Of his
faith beg your pardon of his fanati-
cism, for he was Chinese.
The crowd approached him to listen
to his words as he said in his calm dig
nified voice: Those fools think they
can deprive me of my life. Do not the
ashes of Buddha rest in eight sacred