Mr. D.ii'Ts's Extracts fr 0711 the Peling Gazette. 395 



Tang-heo-moo (condemned to death) may be spared as her support.* Now 

 the criminal board has ah'eady reported that the above felon was condemned 

 by the provincial jurisdiction to be decapitated, having been convicted of 

 slaying a person maliciously ; and that being clearly found guilty at the 

 autumnal trial, he was not reprieved at the representation of tlie woman 

 his relation. But in the petition of Fang-diin-slw it is stated, in entire 

 contradiction to the circumstances of the trial and conviction, that the 

 labouring man Tsd-ktv was killed by Tang-heu-laou in conjunction with 

 anotlier person, both of whom died in prison. Now whether Tang-heu-moo 

 has really been unjustly dealt with, or whether, at the instigation of some 

 other person, he has been tempted by the death of those two criminals to 

 endeavour to set aside the trial, it will be proper to sift to the bottom and 

 ascertain clearly the truth or falsehood of the whole case, as well as the 

 guilt or innocence of all parties concerned. It is hereby ordained, that at 

 the autumnal trial of the present year the case of Tang-heo-moo, in all its 

 bearings, be thoroughly investigated and tried before the governor, Yang- 

 7)ioo-tee)i. Let him elicit the whole truth, and pronounce judgment accord- 

 ingly, making a report to us of the same. The Criminal Board will, 

 according to established rule, convey the woman back to lier province, to 

 be produced at the trial. 



" Khin-tsze." 



XVI. Loss of Lives from the Ed-plosion of Gunpowder. — Imperial Decree. 



3d moon, 5th day (3d April). 



" Sung-foo, governor of Hoo-nan province, has presented a report con- 

 cerning the death of several persons by the explosion of gunpowder, while 

 manufacturing the same in camp. 



" While pounding gunpowder in a stone mortar in the camp of the letit 

 division of the governor's troops, a spark which was struck ignited the 

 whole quantity of powder, and the explosion killed five soldiers, together 

 with six other persons. As this must evidently have been caused by the 

 carelessness of those who had the superintendence, it is hereby ordered 



• When a condemned criminal liappens to be the only son of a woman who is a widow, he is 

 sometimes reprieved, when the case is not an aggravated one, on a representation being made. 

 In this case the woman has no son, and therefore petitions for the next nearest relation. 



