A Chinese Crucifixion by James Jones

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · May 10, 1864

A Chinese Crucifixion.

By James Jones

THE following account of a recent crucifixion in China, interesting because of its resemblance to those mentioned in Scripture, is by Mr. James Jones, of Amoy, who witnessed the execution on the 28th of October.

The victim was a well-known thief. On his trial before his judge, he refused to criminate himself, although repeatedly scourged until his back was raw. If a female witness fails in giving satisfactory evidence in a court of justice, she is beaten with a leather strap across the mouth. His wife, desirous of sparing her husband, refused to give evidence, but after two or three applications of the strap, her courage gave way. She confessed his guilt, at the same time admitting that two hundred dollars of the money so derived was hidden in the sea near the beach. Officers were sent to search, and finding the dollars in the place indicated, the prisoner was sentenced to decapitation, deemed by the Chinese the most severe of punishments, because they imagine that if a man leaves this world minus any of his members, he appears in the same condition in the next. The culprit, therefore, prayed to be crucified instead of being beheaded.

The cross was of the Latin form, the foot being inserted in a stout plank, and the criminal, standing on a board, had nails driven through his feet, his hands stretched and nailed to the crossbeam. His legs fastened to the cross with an iron chain, and his arms bound with cords, and on the cord round his waist was inserted a piece of wood, on which was written his name and offense; a similar piece on his right arm contained his sentence, namely, to remain on the cross day and night until he died; another on his left arm had the name of the judge, with his titles and offices. The criminal was nailed to the cross inside the Yamun, in the presence of the magistrate, and then carried by four coolies to one of the principal thoroughfares leading from the city, where he was left during the day, but removed at night inside the prison for fear of his friends attempting to rescue him, and again carried forth at daylight in charge of two soldiers.

He was crucified at noon on Wednesday, and Mr. Jones conversed with him at five in the evening. He complained of pain in the chest and thirst. On Thursday he slept for some hours, when the cross was laid down within the jail compound. No one was allowed to supply him with food or drink, and during the day there was quite a fair in front of the cross, people attracted from a distance, and the sweetmeat venders driving a large trade. On Saturday he was still alive, when the Taoutai was appealed to by a foreigner to put an end to the wretch's sufferings, and he immediately gave orders that vinegar should be administered, which he expected would produce immediate death; but the result was otherwise, and at sunset, when the cross was taken within the jail, two soldiers, with stout bamboos, broke both his legs, and then strangled him.