Democratic Sentinel, Volume 15, Number 52, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 15 January 1892 — A Japanese Tragedy. [ARTICLE]

A Japanese Tragedy.

On tho afternoon in Kyoto, having nothing particular to do, I visited an onnashibui, a theatre where all tho performers are women. There was nothing particular in the performance, but the closing scone was rather amusing to foreign eyes. A pair had been sentenced to death. Tho executioner, apparently a coolie, sat down und calmly sharpened an enormous chopper, while the unhappy victims writhed on the ground. Finally when the chopper was keen enough, up jumped the avenger, und, after much post-ring to represent triumph, gave tho “man” the fatal blow. Immediately from the back of the stage there rushed out a boy with a black cup on his head, the said black cap intimating that ho had nothing to do with tho action of the piece. This “supor” hold a cloth in front of tho corpse, which scramblod off the stuge, at the samo time passing a grisly wooden head to the executioner, who brandished it triumphantly. The same scene was goue through with the lady; and, in spite of the tragic nature of the scene, to say nothing of its sound morality, I must own to have laughed eousumedly.—[Macmillan's Mugazine.