A SIAMESE EXECUTION.

Evening Post, Volume XLVI, Issue 25, 29 July 1893, Page 1 (Supplement)

A SIAMESE EXECUTION.

A Siamese, named Ai Yone, suffered death on May 19 for the crime of murdering his wife. The murdei took place near Phrapatoom. Siam, about four months ago, under the following circumstances : — His wife having left him for another man, he tracked her to a house where he discovered them together. The paramour made his escape, but Ai Yone attacked his unfortunate wife with a knife, wounding her in seven places. She died, and the murderer was duly arrested, tried and condemned ; bu( ho appears to havo made up his mind to meet his fate unflinchingly. His mother having expressed a desire to see him before he paid the penalty of his crime, he refused on the ground that a meeting with her might unnerve him. Shortly after five o'clock in the morning, quite a crowd assembled outside the gaol to witness the prisoner's removal. When brought out, strongly guarded and heavily ironed, he appeared unconcerned, chewing betel, and seeming not to notice the scrutiny to which he was being subjected. The procession, which left the prison by water, was quite a long one. It included representatives of all departments of the State, with strong escorts of warders, police, and the military. The procession was timed to leave the gaol at five a.m., but a start was not made until six. It reached the place of execution, near What Mat Ka Ban, at Sapatoom, about 7.15 a.m., but the preparations for the event occupied a considerable time. The doomed man wns a good-looking young Siamese, apparently about thirty years of age. and not at all of a criminal type He bore himself with great fortitude from start to finish After a few preliminary preparations, the executioners, seven in number, and all men of stalwart physiquo, approached the temporary altar erected for the occasion, and madfl the customary offerings of boar's hmd, fowls, rice, betels, etc., as well as the burning of tapers. The swords designed for the execution were meanwhile placed on the altar and duly consecrated and anointed, the executioners offering up prayers. During this time the criminal remained in the barge — a most funereal and suggestive-looking object, covered in with a canopy draped with black; and here he received tho last ministrations of the Buddhist priests. He smoked with apparent enjoyment, frequently smiling and conversing with those around him. He was now brought to land and placed on the grass, the executioners, who had arrayed themselves in red, and bound their foreheads with red sashes, kneeling to receive his pardon. The condemned man was next removed to a little distance, where his neck-chain and handcuffs were removed and his elbows fastened securely to a little bamboo post behind him, he being placed as before in a sitting posture to receive the fatal blow. Freshly-cut plantain leaves were arranged for him to sit upon, and he murmured prayers while holding in his hands the lighted tapers offered to him. One feature never before noticod at a Siamese execution was the placing of a white cloth round the doomed man's body. This was done immediately after closing his ears with clay, so that he could not hear the executioner's approach, and making a line which could be plainly discerned across his neck, to guide the descending sword. The executioner selected for the occasion — himself a young man — at length approached his victim from behind, with a peculiaily stately and fantastic movement, and maintained a perfect equipose for the delivery of the fatal blow. His six brother-executioners stood around while ho did the deed, and one of these delivered the final blow necessary to completely sever the head. This was then exposed on a pole for a few moments, while the corpse was hurried towards the grave dug near by. On this occasion the practice of cutting off the dead man's heels to release the gyves was omitted, these being buried with him. The acts of execution and intermont were performed with surprising celerity, the closing scene taking place at nine a.m. A great many Siamese and Chinese of both sexes witnessed the execution from various coigns of vantage, a number selecting the surrounding trees. Not the least noticeable incident was the extraordinary speed with which those spectators left the scene of the ghastly ceremony, for within three or four minutes after the execution not a soul remained on the ground.