The following interesting description of the execution of the Chichou cumin: 7 ated from an account given by an witness. His name is hers of the readers ressive, sensible, be seen th the effec ple are mixed, part; Tt however seems ch lit persons are pun justice rises above any a {the forei ignor.
The account we give in On the afternoon of the twelfth day of the seventh month (August 25th), Twas told that Captain Chou, I ast year command the Chuchou garrison, was to headed.
T was unable to sve the execute brother hearing of it. while at a friend's h muse went sat once to the Prefect's 'A great crowd had gathered, and and other paraphernalia were in evidence at the outer hull, for the criminal himself, being of official rank, had worship toward the north (toward the Presently my brother went up to the prison gate, where he saw Chou Tsz-teh's son and eldest grandson, weeping. They were trying their father for the last time, but the jailer would not permit it.
Presently, the Provincial Treasurer ud Fudge i by the great drum times. The officials. having taken seats, the tablet summoning the prison was sent out, and the runners brought the prisoner in. He came not in a cage, or fettered, like common criminals, but on foot, escorted by soldiers. He was clothed in black, wearing boots, but no hat. He was in appearance short and stout, white-haired, and growing bald, about 50 years of age. One could not come near for the soldiers: but those in front said the officials offered him wine, which he declined, maintaining silence. According to the rule for criminals of rk, he now knelt and worshipped toward the north, to thank the Emperor for his will. (Even the decree to die, issued by the Emperor, is to be received with thanksgiving.)
The crowd was increasing, Strong men pulled the criminal away, and thrust him into an old topless sedan-chait, and carried lim to the execution ground outside the and probably, tens of thousands of specta. tors accompanied them.—Going out of the city, the criminal was in front, and the Provincial Judge, viewer of the execution, was behind, Some tens of steps from the gate three bamboo sheds had been erected, the central one being for the tablet contain: ing the Imperial decree (of decapitation). Asthe doomed man came in view of the hnperial tablet, he sighed deeply and_ stroked his beard, and ws he seated himself on the ground, he stid to the executioner, "Finish it up well!" Some one placed his hands behind his back, and with two strokes his head was severed from his body.
The Provincial Judge passed by in his chair just us the execution took plice, that he might be assured that the man was really beheaded. (This in order that he might report to the throne). When all was over, Chou's son gave six dollars to have his father's head sewed upon the body; and then the corpse was encoflined by the jamily. This took price at 5 pan, S much for the aflains of that day The following day, the talk on the streets was very unsettled, Most. thought that Chou ought not to have died, that it was more important tha should have been beheaded. was reported to have suid, "Pao Tuotai ta tui we pu chi!" "He has treated me infamously 1 cannot be satisfied to die unless he dies!" He desired to know where Pao was, and how his case would be settled.
The above I give at second-hand. But a friend from the Governor's yamen told me that others were to be beheaded, and promised to inform me in time for me to see it. Soon the 25th (Sept. 7th), after ten at night, sume and told ne that at curly dawn thirteen. persons were to be by nand. must yo early, 1 could into the Governor's yamen, about two o'clock T set out' with four or five friends. Everything was quiet, no ne being abroad. When we reached the ward of soldiers was at the in the hall of justice were preofficial seats. Presently the began to arri tang, Hwang, the prefect, Mr. Tsung, Mr. Wang, the Salt Commis.
Hwang, the Provincial Judge, Mr. Hsii, and the "Preasurer, Mr, Chang, Colonels Lei and Wu, with their' military subordinates, were also present. The drum having notified their arrival, the four superior officials bowed the Futai to his seat. He sat in the middle with the Mreasurer to his left, and beyond him the Sut Commissioner, while the Provineial Judge sat on. the right, and beside him the Taotai. The Prefect and the Magistrate stood at the foot, with lesser officials ranged below them on' each side, and ranks of soldiers beyond them reaching out to the second gate, Suddenly all was bright with torches and lunps, and the shouting of the runners and soldiers made one tremble. The Governor himself did not speak, but the head of the ping-fang (that one of the six bureaus of the yamen which is responsible for summoning prisoners) stood by his side and issued the orders. He now called out, " Bring the tablets containing the prisoners' sunimons!" (The tablet ix a piece of wond ghent the size of " butter-paddle, and on each is written the mame of a prisoner.) The Governor then marked each name with the vermilion pen—which ceremony is called Tienchu,—" Marking with vermilion." First were marked the
song, Ts'ui Yuan-hao, Chou Teh-tsung, names of seven prisonerss—Chieng Rrei-Cheng Laoawu, Chow' Siao-keng, Tsiang Yung-lu, and Hsii Chang-kou. Afterward he marked the other six names,—Wang Chung-kwei, Li Chang-keng, Ch'eng Mo-tsz, Lao Fan,-Che'n Yung-chi, and Shao King-yung"
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.