SOLDIER POET SHOT.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 81, 30 December 1907, Page 10

SOLDIER POET SHOT.

TRIED FOR DESERTION. Deserter and incendiary, Iwamatsu Zenzo', ago tivonty-four, was shot at Sendai, by order of court-martial. 110 died displaying all tho traditional fortitude and courage of .the Japanese. Zenzo belonged to the 4th Regiment of the Second Army Division, stationed at Sendai, in the north of Japan. Ho deserted the. regiment and joinpd a party of gamblers. Hunted by tho policc, he took refuge in an inn, and early tlie next morning set'fire to tho place, taking what valuables he could lay his hands on. He was arrested: and sentenced to death. He was told of tho. court's decision, and burst into- frenzied protests. When his emotion had subsided they told him again that ho must be shot, and advised him to prepare for the end. iA change came over the man's l'aco as he listened to their words. Rising from his seat in > the cell, he held up his arms that, they might the more easily , strip his khaki uniform from him. • . •"I am ready to die," he sard* simply, and was moving from the cell when bis aged father and mother came to the door to bid him farewell. Zenzo turned his head away, saying, "I do not- fear death, but if 1 see my father my heart will fail mo. I want to die bravely." , SINGS AT EXECUTION. Ovornight he had composed a poem, in which he regrotted that he had over been led to join tho Army, for he had proved himself unworthy of serving tho Emperor. Translated, tho words ran something like this:— 1 erred in my heart for the sake of my country. The penalty is death, but I do not fear; Yet how bitter it is to fall like a felon, Riddled to death by the guns of my friends. Many spectators were allowed on tho execution ground. Tho aged parents, holding each other's hand, stood with bowed heads among tho crowd. Zenzo, singing the verses that ho had written, walked bravely from his cell'into the open yard. A white wooden cross had been erected in one comer! Ho walked up to the cross, strotched out his arms as though to measure tho length of tho cross-bar, then turned again to the officials. He asked and obtained permission to say good-bvo to Captain Nakamusa, under whom ho had servod. In silence tho two men gripped hands. Then Zenzo turned to the, squad of six riflemen who were drawn up twenty paces from the cross. A cup of water was handed to him that ho might moisten his lips before'ho spoko. "You must shoot me;" he said, without a tremor, "because I have been disloyal to those who were in. authority. If my death serves as a warning to others, I shall not have died in vain. Comrades', good-byo." He stepped back to the cross, threw out his arms, and a white linen cloth was drawn over his face. . "Owari! Owari!" ("I am ready") he called. "Banzai! Banzai!" The rifles cracked. Tho wooden cros3 shivered, and Zonzo's corpso' hung limply from tho bar. • A priest offered up a prayer, and tho spectators, weeping loudly, knelt down by tho corpse and prayed for Zenzo 1 s soul. Tho body was handed to the relatives for cremation, and the old man and woman, who had been silent spectators of the tragedy, bowed meekly to the officials and bore their boy. away.