A CHINESE TALE OF HORROR.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume III, Issue 215, 21 October 1874, Page 2

A CHINESE TALE OF HORROR.

A local Chinese journal states that the presiding magistrate of the quiet city of Chinhai was recently aroused from his dreamy slumbers by the appearance of a wife-deceived and avenging husband, who produced from a cloth wrapper two human heads, which represented his wife and her guilty companion. The injured husband, it is said, had, through his employment upon a steamer, been absent from home for long periods of time, during which the cause of evil was contracted, and at the close of the old year the husband, returning home to enjoy the usual festivities found his neighborhood all alive with the story of his wife’s unfaithfulness. He contrived to conceal his feelings from his wife, and hurriedly left home under the pretence of going to Hankow, but instead of leaving, he, with a few trusty friends, secreted themselves in the neighborhood, prepared to obtain a cruel redress before the fire of his anger cooled down. The unfortunate paramour, ignorant ot the fatal traps, entered the house of the woman, and both being surprised, were secured by the watchers, who speedily severed their heads from their bodies, and carried the former to the district magistrate. There will he a trial, but the whole piece of legislation is a mockery. The guilt or innocence of the murdered will be decided by a test. Both heads will he put into a large tub of water, and set in motion by vigorous stirring. If the heads meet face to face, behold a clear proof of guilt! If not, then all the worse for the avenger. Such is the power of custom. Custom more cruel than law—for it demands the death of both. It is said that if the man had but killed the intruder he would be liable to punishment for murder. But, having effected a double murder, he escapes with a mere formal whipping, and receives a reward of 20,000 cash. The district, to purge itself of such evil, destroys the bodies of the dead by cremation, and the very piece of ground rendered unclean by the evil must be ploughed up before the virtuous will venture to dwell there.