自缢身死者,两眼合、唇口黑、皮开露齿。若勒喉上,即口闭、牙关紧、舌抵齿不出。
(又云齿微咬舌)若勒喉下,则口开,舌尖出齿门二分至三分。面带紫赤色,口吻、两角及胸
前有吐涎沫,两手须握大拇指,两脚尖直垂下。腿上有血 ,如火灸斑痕,及肚下至小腹并
坠下青黑色。大小便自出,大肠头或有一两点血。喉下痕紫赤色或黑淤色,直至左、右耳后
发际,横长九寸以上至一尺以来。(一云丈夫合一尺一寸妇人合一尺)脚虚则喉下勒深,实则
浅。人肥则勒深,瘦则浅;用细紧麻绳、草索,在高处自缢悬头顿身致死,则痕迹深;若用
全幅勒帛及白练项帕等物,又在低处,则痕迹浅。低处自缢,身多卧于下,或侧或覆。侧卧
,其痕斜起,横喉下;覆卧,其痕正起,在喉下,起于耳边,多不至脑后发际下。
自缢处须高八尺以上,两脚悬虚,所踏物须倍高,如悬虚处。或在床、椅、火炉、船仓
内,但高二、三尺以来,亦可自缢而死。
若经泥雨,须看死人赤脚或着鞋,其踏上处有无印下脚迹。
自缢有活套头、死套头、单系十字、缠绕系。须看死人踏甚物入头在绳套内,须垂得绳
套宽入头方是。活套头、脚到地,并膝跪地,亦可死;死套头、脚到地,并膝跪地,亦可死
。
单系十字,悬空方可死,脚尖稍到地亦不死。
单系十字,是死人先自用绳带自系项上后,自以手系高处。须是先看上头系处尘土,及
死人踏甚处物,自以手攀系得上向绳头着,方是。上面系绳头处,或高、或大,手不能攀,
及不能上,则是别人吊起。更看所系处物伸缩,须是头坠下去上头系处一尺以上,方是。若
是头紧抵上头,定是别人吊起。
缠绕系,是死人先将绳带缠绕项上两遭,自踏高系在上面,垂身致死。或者先系绳带在
梁栋,或树枝上,双被HT 垂下,踏高入头在HT 内,更缠过一两遭。其痕成两路∶上一
路,缠过耳后,斜入发际;下一路,平绕项行。吏畏避驳杂,必告检官,乞只申一痕,切不
可信。若除了上一痕,不成自缢;若除下一痕,正是致命要害去处。或覆检官不肯相同书填
格目,血属有词,再差官覆检出,为之奈何?须是据实,不可只作一条痕检。其相叠与分开
处,作两截量尽取头了,〔画取样子〕更重将所系处绳带缠过,比并阔狭并同,任从覆检,可无后患。
凡因患在床,仰卧将绳带等物自缢者,则其尸两眼合、两唇皮开,露齿咬舌,出一分
至二分。肉色黄,形体瘦,两手拳握,臀后有粪出。左右手内多是把自缢物色至系紧,死后
只在手内。须量两手拳相去几寸以来。喉下痕迹紫赤,周遭长一尺余,结缔在喉下,前面分
数较深。曾被解救,则其尸肚胀,多口不咬舌,臀后无粪。
若真自缢,开掘所缢脚下穴三尺以来,究得火炭,方是。
或在屋下自缢,先看所缢处楣梁、枋桁之类尘土衮乱至多,方是。如只有一路无尘,不
是自缢。
先以杖子于所系绳索上轻轻敲,如紧直,乃是;或宽慢,即是移尸。大凡移尸别处吊挂
,旧痕挪动,便有两痕。
凡验自缢之尸,先要见得在甚地分?甚街巷,甚人家?何人见?本人自用甚物?于甚处搭过
?或作十字死HT 系定,或于项下作活HT 套。却验所着衣新旧。打量身四至∶东西南
北至甚物?面觑甚处?背向甚处?其死人用甚物踏上?上量头悬去所吊处,相去若干尺寸?下量
脚下至地,相去若干尺寸?或所缢处虽低,亦看头上悬挂索处,下至所离处,并量相去若干
尺寸?对众解下,扛尸于露明处,方解脱自缢套绳,通量长若干尺寸?量围喉下套头绳,围长
若干?项下交围,量到耳后发际起处,阔狭、横斜、长短,然后根据法检验。
凡验自缢人,先问原申人,其身死人是何色目人?见时早晚?曾与不曾解下救应?申官时
早晚?如有人识认,即问∶自缢人年若干?作何经纪?家内有甚人?却因何在此间自缢?若是奴
仆,先问雇主讨契书辨验,仍看契书上有无亲戚,年多少?更看原吊挂踪迹去处。如曾解下救
应,即问解下时有气脉无气脉?解下约多少时死?切须仔细。
大凡检验,未可便作自缢致命,未辨仔细。凡有此,只可作其人生前用绳索系咽喉下或
上,要害致命身死,以防死人别有枉横。且如有人睡着,被人将索勒死吊起所在,其检
官如何见得是自缢致死?宜仔细也。
多有人家女使、人力或外人,于家中自缢;其人不晓法,避见臭秽及避检验,遂移尸出
外吊挂。旧痕移动,致有两痕∶旧痕紫赤,有血 ;移动痕只白色无血 。
移尸事理甚分
明,要公行根究,开坐生前与死后痕。盖移尸不过杖罪,若漏落不具,覆检官不相照应,申
作两痕,官司必反见疑,益重干连人之祸。
尸首日久坏烂,头吊在上,尸侧在地,肉溃见骨。但验所吊头,其绳若入槽(谓两耳连
颔下深向骨本者)及验两手腕骨、头脑骨皆赤色者是。(一云齿赤色,及十指尖骨赤色者是)
For those who died by hanging (Zibi, self-hanging), the eyes are closed, lips and mouth corners are black, skin is torn revealing teeth. If the rope is tied above the throat, the mouth is closed, jaw is tight, tongue presses against upper teeth and cannot extend out (another view says teeth slightly bite the tongue); if the rope is tied below the throat, the mouth opens, tongue tip extends 2 to 3 fen outside the teeth. The face shows a purplish-red color, saliva foam appears at mouth corners, angles of mouth, and chest. Hands must clasp thumbs, toe tips hang straight down. Legs show spots like moxibustion burns, from lower abdomen to small abdomen and genitals appear cyan-black. Urine and feces discharge spontaneously, head of large intestine may have one or two drops of blood. The mark under the throat is purplish-red or dark purple, extending to hairline behind left and right ears, transverse length 9 cun or more up to 1 chi (one view says men 1 chi 1 cun, women 1 chi). Feet suspended means deep mark, feet grounded means shallow mark; fat body means deep mark, thin body means shallow mark; using fine tight hemp rope or grass rope for high-place hanging with body jerk causes death, mark is deep; if using full-width silk or white linen neck cloth etc., and low-place hanging, mark is shallow. Low-place hanging, body mostly lies prone below, or side-lying or supine. Side-lying, mark rises obliquely across throat; prone lying, mark rises straight, located under throat, starting from ear side, mostly not reaching below back-of-head hairline.
Hanging place must be higher than 8 chi, feet suspended, object stepped on must be double height, like suspended place. Or in bed, chair, stove, ship cabin, as long as height is 2 to 3 chi or more, can also die by hanging.
If after muddy rain, must check dead person's bare feet or shoes, whether footprints remain where stepped.
Hanging methods include live knot, dead knot, single cross tie, winding tie. Must check what object dead person stepped on to put head in rope loop, must allow rope loop wide enough for head entry to be correct. Live knot, feet touch ground, even knee-kneeling on ground, can also die; dead knot, feet touch ground, even knee-kneeling on ground, can also die.
Single cross tie, must be suspended in air to cause death, toe tips slightly touching ground will not cause death.
Single cross tie, refers to dead person first tying rope around own neck, then using hand to tie rope end to high place. Must first examine dust at high place where rope is tied, and what object dead person stepped on, confirming dead person could reach up with hand to tie rope end, thus it is self-hanging. Above rope end place, if too high or large, hand cannot climb, person cannot go up, then it is another person hanging them up. Also examine stretchability of tied object, must be that after head falls, upper tied place sinks more than 1 chi, thus it is self-hanging. If head tightly presses against upper object, definitely hung by another person.
Winding tie method, is dead person first winding rope around neck twice, stepping on high object to tie above, hanging body to cause death. Or first tying rope on beam or tree branch, double strands hanging down, stepping high putting head into double strand loop, winding one or two more times. Marks form two paths: upper path, winds behind ear, obliquely enters hairline; lower path, horizontally wraps around neck. Officials fear rejection of mixed evidence, must inform inspector, beg to report only one mark, absolutely do not believe blindly. If removing upper mark, does not resemble self-hanging; if removing lower mark, is exactly fatal vital area. If re-inspector refuses to agree filling grid, blood relatives complain, again dispatching official re-inspects, what to do? Must record truthfully, cannot treat as only one mark inspection. For overlapping and separated parts, measure fully taking head ends in two sections, [draw shape], re-wind rope at tied place, compare width same, allow re-inspection, no future trouble.
Generally due to illness in bed, supine using rope etc. self-hanging, then corpse eyes closed, lip skin torn, exposing teeth biting tongue, extending 1 to 2 fen. Flesh color yellow, body thin, hands clenched fists, anus has feces discharged. Left and right hands mostly holding self-hanging material until tight, after death still in hands. Must measure distance between two fist knuckles several cun. Throat mark purplish-red, surrounding length over 1 chi, knot ties under throat, front part deeper. Previously rescued, then corpse belly swollen, mostly no biting tongue, anus no feces.
If true self-hanging, dig hole under feet of hanging three chi or so, find charcoal, thus it is.
Or hanging under house, first examine dust on beams, rafters etc. at hanging place, if very messy and abundant, thus it is. If only one path has no dust, not self-hanging.
First use stick gently knock on tied rope, if tight straight, then yes; if loose slow, then moved corpse. Generally moving corpse to other place hanging, old mark moves, resulting in two marks.
Generally inspecting self-hanging corpse, first must see what location? What street lane? What family? Who saw? What object did person use themselves? Where tied over? Or made cross dead knot tied, or made live knot loop under neck. Then inspect wearing clothes new/old. Measure four directions of body: East West South North to what object? Face look at what place? Back face what place? What object dead person used to step on? Up measure head suspended away from hanging place, distance how many dimensions? Down measure feet to ground, distance how many dimensions? Or although hanging place low, also look at head hanging rope place, down to leaving place, and measure distance how many dimensions? In public untie, carry corpse to bright place, then untie self-hanging rope loop, total measure length how many dimensions? Measure circumference of throat loop rope, circumference length how many? Neck crossing circle, measure to ear back hairline start place, width narrowness, transverse slant, length shortness, then according to law inspect.
Generally inspecting self-hanging person, first ask original declarer, what category of person was dead body? When seen? Whether or not untied to rescue? Time submitting to official early/late? If someone recognizes, then ask: Self-hanging person age how many? What business? Family has whom people? Why here self-hanging? If servant, first ask employer for contract book to verify, still look contract book has or not relatives, age how many? Also look original hanging trace place. If once untied to rescue, then ask untied time had pulse or no pulse? Untied about how much time died? Must carefully.
Generally inspecting, not yet can make self-hanging fatal, not distinguished carefully. Generally having this, only can make person alive before using rope tie throat under or above, vital fatal body die, to prevent dead person otherwise injustice. And such as person sleeping, being person using rope strangle die hang place, how inspector see is self-hanging cause death? Should careful.
Many people household female servant, male laborer or outsider, in home self-hanging; person not know law, avoid seeing stench and avoid inspection, thus move corpse out hang. Old mark move, cause two marks: Old mark purple red, has blood; Moved mark only white no blood.
Move corpse matter principle very clear, want public root investigate, list living before and after death mark. Because move corpse only cane punishment crime, if leak drop not detailed, re-inspect official not correspond, submit as two marks, office must opposite see doubt, increase heavy connected person disaster.
Corpse first day long time rot, head hang up, corpse side on ground, flesh溃 see bone. But inspect hung head, its rope if enter groove (meaning two ears connect chin deep towards bone base) and inspect two wrist bones, head brain bone all red color ones are. (One view teeth red color, and ten finger tip bones red color ones are)