<h2><SPAN name="chapter-48"><abbr title="Forty-Eight">XLVIII.</abbr> <br/> THE SELF-PUNISHED MURDERER.</SPAN></h2>
<p><span class="smallcaps">Mr. Li</span> took his doctor's degree late in life. On the
28th of the 9th moon of the 4th year of K'ang Hsi,
he killed his wife. The neighbours reported the murder
to the officials, and the high authorities instructed the
district magistrate to investigate the case. At this
juncture Mr. Li was standing at the door of his residence;
and snatching a butcher's knife from a stall
hard by, he rushed into the Ch'êng-huang temple,
where, mounting the theatrical stage, he threw himself
on his knees, and spoke as follows:—“The spirit here
will punish me. I am not to be prosecuted by evil men
who, from party motives, confuse right and wrong. The
spirit moves me to cut off an ear.” Thereupon he cut
<span class="pagenum" title="346"><SPAN name="Page_346"></SPAN></span>
off his left ear and threw it down from the stage. He
then said the spirit was going to fine him a hand for
cheating people out of their money; and he forthwith
chopped off his left hand. Lastly, he cried out that he
was to be punished severely for all his many crimes;
and immediately cut his own throat. The Viceroy
subsequently received the Imperial permission to deprive
him of his rank and bring him to trial; but he was
then being punished by a higher power in the realms of
darkness below. See the <cite>Peking Gazette</cite>.</p>
<p class="pagenum-h-p"><span class="pagenum" title="347"><SPAN name="Page_347"></SPAN></span></p>
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