CHINKY CHOPPERS.

NZ Truth, Issue 64, 8 September 1906, Page 8

CHINKY CHOPPERS.

Story of sChiaese*jExecirfions^ r f

ifcttrible Toifnre snmCsMsasttes&m * Dteafh.

Unfortuna^l^on.F(erbaps4fortun"aSiie-« ly r for, as ifchS 'Ankenteatt paf»er .^uai>edV from has it, they fire ''Photos tira*. ; nvakei one's flesh, cree/p"-^this paper is* unable ta reproduce /the'pictttres alluii-^ ed to m the followtog acticle. Suffice^J it to say that they are ■ engravings -oi^ photographs of the cages .alluded to,* with the; cngomsed faces :<rf victims^ .6i . this crnel 'pimismiieHt ■■■ vWidhy ■' shown, peering ■ jjerfoitie vjbboTe tbet franieTOOE%of i*6^<i, and of the»-site! <it the i -ex^ciHib^ts '■ referred to, ; the^ ajid heaths inlying. aramiid mv ay pluWic piaffe as,^ they -fefl - '■'wfeehs the hekvy i sWpr^ had done i its deadly 'wxAk.' iThie, stocy, from the Los &%elesV(Gal j) ' 'Times'' - ■is as follows^:-' ; ,-7 ;' ;^ ; "'[ ." ■ . ;-. An unusually incisiye 'infeight; : iirto« itjie atewcities practiced*'^ by, the .-iChin- ' j^^^v-ernriiertt -untfer. the guise, oV, captt^il '■: punisfaq^eirt of ■,^^ crraiairals -as -#f-* lorded ;in ." v .a- ; photogijapbs ■ .{taken, by^ilL»m;Bd^Kenzi».:'j^ JLos- Angeles,;; who spent six months an China recebtl^.- . ; Thaj; an American, .of the race^'desW^i' above the> other, "foreign' devils" Jby.the' Chmese, should be able to» iwitness these fa-trociiaes and above alln secure photographs of - the bloody ■ scenes attending: Chinese executions is little less than wonderful.

The pictures -show the< cruel and appalKng cunning that- has been used m, (devising the ■ methods of torture. , the -scenes are ordinary among ■the. Chinese , is established by the photographs -showing Mongols going calmly about their 'business matters while within a few feet of human, carnage of the most terrible charac- , ter. " . ' . i

The photograph of 'the boidies of a. (number of Chinese coolies lying about, hlecapitated, was taken shortly after the arrival m port of the Whang-Ho, a warship of the Chinese navy, 'which was subsequently purchased by Los Angles business men to be put on exhibition off Long Beach. '£: WITNESSES BUTCHERY. ■*;-'The Chinese executed had been capf tired on a small vessel plying along | ihe coast and were charged with be- ; inR pirate.s, tltc accusation being fna4« by the uai'tiaiu of the Whang;-

fHo. ti'iiere was no evidence against^ I'the •coolies other than the fact that■:a warship of the governmen t' had captured *them. This was deemed sufficient prbof of -their guilt and so their > ,sieads- .were cut - off •

( ,The photo- was taken by Mr Milne"a, few moments after the execution. was allowed^tq witness the butchery, having gained the necessary permission to be a spectator through/ -influential officials from whom he afterwards purchased- ,the Whang-Ho» warship. ■

Mr 1 Milne describes the- execution as? being>-one of the most matter-of-iacti happenings in 'the life of the Chinese. A few natives- had gathered to see it. • The condemned men were apparently, not disturbed- at all and showed thej utmost stoicism as they stood about' with their hands tied behind them. ' |

AH the coolies knelt m a row. and executioner began ; his. work." Alter a few beheadings he rested from ••Wjeariness and., the remaining victims quietly assumed postures of greater ease as they waited upon their doom.

Mr Milne says tha-t i>he Chinese have the nerves of -an oyster and look upon death as a:.thing to be met, under certain circumstances,, with, 'great pleasure;' '■•■', The' men put .^o-'deatK'KCQuld^- -have secured 'Siibstitiites ■ to be executed an their place had they been- ablfr-to paythe rate of 40 taels- apiece.

DEATH PASSPORTS. When a substitute is secured, Mr Milne says, the money is paid kHhis' nearest relative and the substitute then submits to the death penalty* ( , This payment of a certain sum^of-; money to a Chinese coolie's nearestrelative and the substitute's death a&' a result is looked upon as oncof the' act 3 that bring to the person"' execu-: sed a sure passport to a better worlds

' The executions shown m the photograph took place m the morning. So little was, thought of the affair ihat not more than fifty feet from, thescene a Chinese family sat eating at a -table placed m the shade of a tree and m full sight of the horrible spectacle. The bodies are left always at the place of the execution for at least two days as a warning to other, malefactors.

The picture showing the bodies * m the frames was taken after the inmates had been fastened m the cages for five days without food" or water. Then the official executioner passed among: the prisoners, half of whom were either dead or dying, and "officially" killed each one by piercing their bodies with/a knife.' . .