The Daily Dispatch: September 14, 1861., [Electronic resource]

An Incendiary burnt to the stake.

‘ We are having lovely weather, and I remember that this is May-day with you, and but few flowers do you gather. Not so here; we have loads of them. Business is dull. We are all laying on our oars. Nothing doing, but we are hoping to have a change soon. We hear nothing from the States but secession and hard times. I yesterday saw the Japanese carry one of their laws into execution. A man having set fire to a house, was burnt to the stake. In a short time they are to crucify another that has been defrauding the government. You may think it was a dreadful death to die, to be burnt at the state. O, no. These people use as much deceit in this as in everything else. They no doubt poisoned or strangled him, for when he arrived at the place of execution they gave him something to drink. He was then tied to a stake; his feet around his body, and then around his neck. The rope that was around his neck I thought was tight enough to strangle him. They then plastered the rope over with mud, made a pile of wood and straw around and above him, and set fire to it.

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