It is beyond honorable, and this blog actually would back in Continentalist policy, that all such convicted criminals, be made to profess vocal blame for their crimes, and then with short blade be required to shove in that blade, move it right and left, and then present their neck for execution before the public.
After studying the effects which caning by the Spanish lords in Cuba had on ending crime and the need for prisons of large size, along with executing felonious criminals, that beating a bandit on every street corner of a city square, was most effective justice and it prevented crime.
Certainly, the Japanese method of confession of the guilty, the self infliction in a painful manner of the criminal starting the execution would benefit the pains of the victim's families and then the state ending the ordeal quickly in a public execution is certainly a more civilized method in healing a society, to what America now is imprisoned by.
It is a riveting account and is presented here. The basis of this execution was the Japanese Civil War, in which a local warlord had ordered his troops to open fire on foreigners, before they were driven off.
He took all responsibility and it was ended with his end. No matter he was probably part of more intrigue and others higher up were involved, because justice was done and the illusion was appreciated by all.
nuff said
It did not cause us, that is Mitford and myself, much surprise when in
the afternoon of the next day Godai and Itô came to ask for the life of
Taki Zenzaburô, the retainer of Hiki Tatéwaki, who had been condemned to
perform _harakiri_ as the penalty for ordering his soldiers to fire on
foreigners.
A long discussion took place between the foreign ministers
which lasted for nearly three hours, in which Sir Harry voted for
clemency, but the majority were for the sentence being carried out.
It was half-past eight o'clock in the evening when Godai and Itô were
called back into the room and told in a few words that there was no way
but to let the law take its course. So we started at nine o'clock,
Mitford and myself, with a single representative of each of the other
legations. We were guided to the Buddhist temple of Sei-fuku-ji at
Hiôgo, arriving there at a quarter to ten. Strong guards were posted in
the courtyard and in the ante-chambers. We were shown into a room, where
we had to squat on the matted floor for about three-quarters of an hour;
during this interval we were asked whether we had any questions to put
to the condemned man, and also for a list of our names.
At half-past ten we were conducted into the principal hall of the temple, and asked to
sit down on the right hand side of the dais in front of the altar. Then
the seven Japanese witnesses, Itô, Nakashima Sakutarô, two Satsuma
captains of infantry, two Chôshiû captains, and a Bizen _o-metsuké_ took
their places. After we had sat quietly thus for about ten minutes
footsteps were heard approaching along the verandah. The condemned man,
a tall Japanese of gentleman-like bearing and aspect, entered on the
left side, accompanied by his _kai-shaku_ or best men, and followed by
two others, apparently holding the same office.
Taki was dressed in blue_kami-shimo_ of hempen cloth; the _kai-shaku_ wore war surcoats
(_jimbaori_). Coming before the Japanese witnesses they prostrated
themselves, the bow being returned, and then the same ceremony was
exchanged with us. Then the condemned man was led to a red sheet of
felt-cloth laid on the dais before the altar; on this he squatted, after
performing two bows, one at a distance, the other close to the altar.
With the calmest deliberation he took his seat on the red felt, choosing
the position which would afford him the greatest convenience for falling
forward.
A man dressed in black with a light grey hempen mantle then
brought in the dirk wrapped in paper on a small unpainted wooden stand,
and with a bow placed it in front of him. He took it up in both hands,
raised it to his forehead and laid it down again with a bow. This is the
ordinary Japanese gesture of thankful reception of a gift. Then in a
distinct voice, very much broken, not by fear or emotion, but as it
seemed reluctance to acknowledge an act of which he was
ashamed--declared that he alone was the person who on the fourth of
February had outrageously at Kôbé ordered fire to be opened on
foreigners as they were trying to escape, that for having committed this
offence he was going to rip up his bowels, and requested all present to
be witnesses.
He next divested himself of his upper garments by
withdrawing his arms from the sleeves, the long ends of which he tucked
under his legs to prevent his body from falling backward. The body was
thus quite naked to below the navel. He then took the dirk in his right
hand, grasping it just close to the point, and after stroking down the
front of his chest and belly inserted the point as far down as possible
and drew it across to the right side, the position of his clothes still
fastened by the girth preventing our seeing the wound. Having done this
he with great deliberation bent his body forward, throwing the head back
so as to render the neck a fair object for the sword.
The one_kai-shaku_ who had accompanied him round the two rows of witnesses to
make his bows to them, had been crouching on his left hand a little
behind him with drawn sword poised in the air from the moment the
operation commenced. He now sprang up suddenly and delivered a blow the
sound of which was like thunder. The head dropped down on to the matted
floor, and the body lurching forward fell prostrate over it, the blood
from the arteries pouring out and forming a pool. When the blood vessels
had spent themselves all was over. The little wooden stand and the dirk
were removed.
Itô came forward with a bow, asking had we been witnesses;
we replied that we had. He was followed by Nakashima, who also made a
bow.
A few minutes elapsed, and we were asked were we ready to leave. We
rose and went out, passing in front of the corpse and through the
Japanese witnesses. It was twelve o'clock when we got back to the
consulate, where we found Sir Harry waiting up to receive our report.
agtG
