murder. 
417 
An alibi is always attempted to be proved by the accused. 
The charges for certain exemptions from torture, have been men¬ 
tioned. Death and fine rarely go together, murder is punished by 
death. The P,hetchak,haat or executioner asks forgiveness of the 
culprit, the latter repeats a few prayers in presence of a Priest, and 
his head is then severed from his bodv bv the stroke of a 
* » 
sword. 
One or more of the higher officers of justice aet the Sheriff’s part 
on this occasion. Respecting Inquests, when the body of a murder¬ 
ed person is found, the nearest officers of Police assemble and in¬ 
spect it. They seize all the bad suspected characters in the vicini¬ 
ty and cross question them. They are confined until it may appear 
to the judge expedient to liberate them. The heads of Police are 
responsible for murders and robberies committed within their wards 
and if they cannot within a given time, (generally seven days,) pro¬ 
duce the murderers or robbers or’afford some information regarding 
them they are fined and perhaps dismissed. No subject is allowed 
to go armed in the country, a sign that the laws are coercive enough 
and it is believed sufficiently protective also. 
The Tongok is a simple and very effectual way of securing crimi¬ 
nals. A piece of wood is selected from which two prongs branch 
off at a slight angle, a square hole is formed in the handle or low¬ 
er part, into which the hands of the prisoner being placed, they are 
secured by a cross bar passing betwixt them. The fork embraces 
his neck, and is kept firm by another cross bar. In this manner he 
may be marched about without trouble to those who watch him. 
The common mode of treating prisoners of war until delivered 
over as slaves to the officers, is by fixing their heads betwixt two 
bamboos, formed with cross bars like a ladder; one man with this 
machine can manage many unruly fellows, for they are compelled to 
go straightforward, and the keeper retains over them the full power 
of a lever.* 
* On one occasion about half a dozen convicts who escaped from Pro¬ 
vince Wellesley into Kedah were brought back in this manner and deliver-, 
ed over to me by the Siamese. 
■ F 
