Year: 1879

Forms of Punishment that Exceed Those
of the Red Devils Of The Plains.
Japan Gazette.


Persons accused of murder, incendiar-
ism, robbery, and other serious and capi-
tai crimes; those who are morally proved
to be guilty or whose accomplices have
confessed, but who themselves remain
mute; and all those charged with offenses
against the government, are liable TO be
subjected to all or any of the following
modes of torture, not, as in preliminary
examinations, in the presence of the
magistrate or Judge, but in a place set
apart for the purpose, presided over by
the official torturer. When person
charged with any of these crimes refuses
to plead or enters plea of not guilty, he
is informed that torture will be employed
in his examination, and that when he
desires to explain the full extent of his
misdeinp, the proper officer will attend
to record his confession. Arrived at the
prison the accused ia securely handcut1ed
and may first be subjected TO the


IsHI-zEME (THE STONE TORTURED.


This mode of torture is identical with
the SorobaDzeme mentioned in "The
Nichi Nicbi ShInbun," as applied TO
some of the lake hsshi mutineers. Five
large pieces of cedar, or pine wood, tris
angular in shape and about three feet
long, are placed upon platform, side by
side, the apexes uppermost, and upon
them the accused Is made to kneel in
position which exposes the front of the
lower legs to the edges of the wood This
position, painful as it must be, is but
preliminary, for upon the sufferers
thighs are placed, one at time, pieces
of the ldsu stone, each " ighing sixty
pounds. Stones are slow added until
the accused yields and ma es confession
or becomes insensible.


HAKOzEME (BoX ToRTURE).


The accused, bound hand and foot, is
placed in COUGHING posture in strongly
made box having movable lid arranged
to fit inside the box and to be raised or
depressed at pleasure. Upon the lid OF
this machine weights are slowly added
until crushing power is acquired under
which nature must succumb.


TEMBIN-zEME (sCALE TORTURED.


An upright triangle is prepared, from
which depend two ropes attached to
pole, forming an inner triangle suspended
from the apex of the other. The ac-
cused is fastened 10 the ropes by his feet
and ankles, while each arm, stretched to
its fullest extent is bound to the pole
below. While the prisoner is hanging
in this position, with head downward,
rotary motion is given to the rope in one
direction sufficient TO give il force to
revolve in the other direction with great
velocity, during which the body of the
accused is beaten with bamboo poles.


MIDzU.zEMU (wATER TORTURED.


The originators of this cruel device
relied upon the torment of thirst as
more powerful than mere corporal suffer
ing. The prisoner is for several days
confined TO an extremely salt diet, with
out rice or water, When two or three
days have passed the craving for water
becomes iDcessant, and the sufferings of
the tortured man approach the bounds
OF insanity. Efforts are then made to
obtain confession by subjecting the sur
ferer to the agony endured by Tantalus
when in the midst of the internal lake
WuOst WhltIt ut tOuIi DtI luutIls bn
all sides the thirst t'distracted prisoner
beholds water-water for which he would
sacrifice everything-but which he can~
not touch except upon the condition of
confession.


UTsUsU-zEME DEPRIVATION OF Sleep.


This is simply permitting the accused
person to siV or recline upon bed upon
which water is continually dropping.
AT the appearance of sleep attendants,
by means of bells, drums, fire and ether
appliances, render repose impossible; the
sufferer grows wild and disordered his
mind wanders, and eventually he be-
comes raving and oftentimes hopeless
maniac.


KAMABOKo-zEME.


This tKsmsboko) signifies baked
fish," and is significant title for this
mode of torture. A charcoal fire is made
in hole in the ground and covered with
grating The accused is then bound,
the backs Of his legs and thighs are COW
cred with coating of mud or clay, and
he is placed in sitting posture on the
grating. The fire is then stimulated; the
clay dries, cracks and is replaced until
the continued heat causes it to tear
away the infsmed or burnt flesh. This
WAS considered 80 horrible practice that
it was abolished in 1861.


MoKUBA.zEME (THE WOODEN HORSE.


This inhuman device equals in cruelty
the method just described. A wooden
horse with edged back is prepared, on
which the accused is placed in nude
state. Two executioners then seize the
arms and feet and draw the sufferer down