SOME FAR EASTERN DEATH PENALTIES FROM THE EARLY 1900'S

SOME FAR EASTERN DEATH PENALTIES FROM THE EARLY 1900'S

Beheaded revolutionists in Wuchang, 1911 (lower right)

The death penalty in the Far East has a notorious past, with some extremely inhumane execution methods having been practiced. In the 19th century "death by elephant" – in which elephants were used to crush, maim or otherwise torture prisoners – was one method of public execution that was still being practiced.

Garrote Execution, Manila, the Philippines, 1901 (upper right)

The man above is being garrotted to death in Manila Bilibid Prison. Garrotting is essentially strangling someone to death using a chain or a wire. However, during executions, a post with a seat to which the captive was tied was generally used, with a metal band placed around the victim's neck that was tightened until the condemned suffocated to death. In some cases (especially in Spain, which used the garrotte until 1973) there was a spike on the band to break the spinal cord more quickly. In the Philippines, the use of the garrotte was banned in 1902, with three priests accused of taking part in the 1872 Cavite Mutiny against the Spanish among the most famous victims of this means of execution. Not a pleasant way to die.

Mancage in Afghanistan, 1921 (lower left)

Banditry in Afghanistan had been a serious problem in the early 1900s and the authorities set out to curb it. They would imprison those captured in iron cages like this one and leave them up there to die without food or water. By 1921 the crime had become less of a problem. No wonder!

Chinese civilians to be buried alive, 1937/38 (upper left)

In this extremely macabre photo, Chinese people are being forced into a pit ready to be buried alive by Japanese troops during the Nanking Massacre, as Japanese forces invaded China. As an execution method, premature burial might be seen to have a practical purpose – there is no need to move the body for burial – but any trace of humanity is sadly lacking.

In feudal Russia premature burial was also the punishment handed out to women who had killed their husbands and was called "the pit". The last known execution in Russia by such a method was in 1927.