s an instance of 'thrashemono.' The culprit is bound on a
horse, and is preceded by a placard, borne by his relatives or
neighbours, and indicating his crime. In this manner he is conducted
through the town to the place of execution, where his sentence is read
to him. He is then placed (with his limbs still bound) over a
freshly-dug hole, where he is supported by his relatives till the
executioner's sword performs its task.

After execution, the heads of malefactors are generally exposed: that
of Simono Sedgi (the lonin who was decapitated in the presence of the
British garrison of Yokohama, for being the organizer of the
assassination of Major Baldwin and Lieutenant Bird of Her Majesty's
20th Regiment) was exhibited on the public stand at the guard-house at
the entrance of the town.

This man was a fair specimen of the lonin type, and was a most
determined ruffian, whose whole life had been a career of crime.

When exposed in the streets of Yokohama the day preceding his
execution, he conducted himself with great bravado, remarking on the
improvements in the town since he last visited it, and expressing his
regret that he had not killed a consul.

At the place of execution he made an impassioned speech, in which he
declared that he was a gentleman by birth, and had studied the arts
and sciences, and never believed the government would sacrifice a
Japanese for the death of a foreigner. He said that the days would
come when they would repent the encouragement they were now giving to
strangers; and ended by complimenting the executioner on his
well-known skill.

The lonin differs from the ordinary criminal, and is thus ably
described by the highest authority on Japanese matters:[4]--

'As a noble or head of a house is responsible for all who are of his
family, or claim his protection, when any of his people are resolved
upon a desperate enterprise they formally renounce the protection and
declare themselves "lonins;"--in other words, outlaws, or friendless
men: after which no one is responsible for their acts, and this is
considered a highly honourable and proper thing to do.

[Footnote 4: Sir Rutherford Alcock. See 'Capital of the Tycoon.']

The worst of this system is, that any one harbouring or assisting a
lonin endangers his head; and such men are, therefore, compelled to
resort to robbery and extortion as means of supporting themselves. It
generally happens that this legalised method of taking the law into