Rensselaer Republican, Volume 20, Number 39, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 31 May 1888 — HORRIBLE CHINESE VERDICT. [ARTICLE]

HORRIBLE CHINESE VERDICT.

Deciding That a Chinese Murderer Must be Slowly Cutjo Pieces. New Orleans Picayune. Advices have been received by members of the Chinese colony at San Francisco to the effect that, unless Executive clemency is manifested, Chang Ssu-Yin-Tizu, who is well known among his fel-low-countrymen here, will on Friday next be put to death by the horrible process known as “slicing.” The methed employed in this execution is to fasten the miserable offender to - an upright stalk, securely fasten his hands and feet, and to slowly slice large portions of flesh from different parts of the body until death puts an end to the victim’s sufferings.

At first the pieces sliced are small, a portion from the arm, another from a leg, then a finger or perhaps an ear. Then the breast is sliced until the vital parts are reached. As a method of tor ture it is indescribable, the time elapsing before death intervenes running from three to six hours. Chang was a member of the Chinese colony here some years ago, but returned to his native land in 1886. 111. luck seems to have come.upon him, for he was glad to find employment as a day laborer in the Department of the K-o-kian, in Shansi. He was in great financial straits, and made several” applications for a loan to Chang Wangta, a wealthy 'second cousin. His importunities finally began to border on black-mail, and,Wangta secured his arrest and communicated with the authorities with a view of obtaining a public prosecution. Friends, however, came to the prisoner’s assistance, and as a result oFinfluential intercession lie w r as released from custody. Smarting with a sense of injury, how'ever, he determined to have revenge, and the day after his release lie purchased four ounces of arsenic. That night, in'disguise, he managed to -enter his cousin’s house and mixed the poison with a pot of flour. The next morning’s breakfast was prepared from this flour, and two hours later six out of the<seven members of the family were dead. Suspicion at once fell upon Chang Ssu-Yin-Tizu, who at once decamped. His whereabouts were discovered after a long search, and he was arrested tried and convicted. Strenuous efforts were made by his relatives to have the punishment fixed at imprisonment for life, but the Court hekb that the law which makes the murder of three or more persons in the same family punishable by death by the slicing process should be rigidly upheld and, enforced, and that there were no extenuating circumstances in the case.