AN EGYPTIAN EXECUTION.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume VII, Issue 1913, 12 February 1885, Page 2

AN EGYPTIAN EXECUTION.

A singularly primitive way of carrying out a sentence of capital' punishment was witnessed recently at Keneh, According to the law the sentence can bo remitted at the desire of the murdered man's family, their forgiveness probably purchased. In this jngtance the prisoner's family had subscribed £SO towards £IOO, which would havo been accepted had the balanco been forthcoming from his friends. However, it was nqt; so at 9 a. m. the condemned man was led to some very rude gallows, under which he sat down m the most unconcerned way, drinking water find altogether behaving as if he was merely a spectator instead of the principal aqtor in the tragedy, He put the rope round his own neck, the knot being exactly at the back. An English officer in the Egyptian army suggested that it would be much better under the ear, but his interference was rejected. The family of the unfortunate man then advanced and .implored'' his liberation at the feet of the mother and brother of the victim. The latter was inclined to clemency, but the former was quite obdurate, shouting loudly that as he had killed her son he must die for it. These parlys lasted over an hour. It is the custom that the nearest male relative of the murdered np) pepfori)]? the qffige of executioner; so at last the prigqi)erqi)ietly stepped on to a stool not SJft high, which the brother pushed away from under him, Of course this only caused him to be strangled, his legs dragging about on the ground, so a bystander took hold of them and lifted them up, whilst the executioner amidst the howls and groans of the crowd shortened the rope, and then had to escape' as best lie could, The body continued to writhe for a lgjjg tiijie hung there till 5 p.m. Therewere soarcely any offloialj or police present.