Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1852-01-12
From the Pittsburgh Post.
SATAN'S HOLIDAY:
A SCENE OF THE WAR IN HUNGARY
Translated from the Germanby W. Rose

y
It WIS a dark nigh. in the borough OF
St. Thomas. No star was visible, nor
could it be regretted that Heaven saw moi
what was passing upon Earth.
Men who had grown up together in kind
ness and frienpship, who lived in the same
street, ray. beneath the same roof, who
were bound to ons another by the ties OF
III soi, of relationship, gratitude. and duty,
aud had been accustomed, from their earli-
est ear, TO share each others Joy and
sorrow, ell at once, as if gone mad with
some he.lish inspiration, began TO devise
plans for mutual destruction, and 10 fill
hearts with The most blood. thirsty hstred
gainst those who had never harmed them.
Il was 81. Euslatius Day. The Raitzen#
assembled in the church, in oroer, as they
said, to worship God. But no gospel teach
ing, no solemn tones Of the organ were
heard resoanding the-e,- only wild voices
which announced approaching deeds OF
horruw; end the consecrated roof re-echoed
hoarse cries ef battle and fury.
The inhabitants Of The borough were
quiet Those4ef them who saw the win>
COWS illuminated, or noticed the grim faces
hurry ing pnsl to the church, said to them
selves. "The Raizan hold high festival to
dayN and felt no further concern, bu,
went TRANQUILITY to bed Towards II
o'ciock, however, the alarm-bells pealed oul
their summons, ,,he doors Of the house Of God
opened. and the midnight blood bath began.
With ferocious yells the infuritted rab-
Bile rushed into the houses Of their sleeps
ing neighoors, l, seemed as if they had
some bitter long remembered injury to
nvenge, so fierce, so deyilish was the rage
with which they murdered all those whose
windows were not lighted up; for this was
the signal which the Rai,zen had adopted,
least some of their own people might be at
,acted in their dwellings, by mistake.
In less than two hours, the who'd Mag
var population Of The borough were slaugh,.
cred, with the exception of few, who had
managed to escape the common massacre
in cars and other vehicles. But even these
too, were pursued, and when the uproar in
the .neigh5orhood, the noise of conflict, and
the clang ofihe tocsin, hnd long died away,
from time to time a cry Of mortal agony
and of despair would break from the still
ness The night, from the surrounding
fields, as some vehicle, fast imbedded in that
trencherous marshy soil, was overtakop,
and its fugitive occupant pit,ilessly butcher.
ed. AT length, even these heart rending
sounds were hushed. The voices of terror
and Of pain we're no longer heard, bu: in
their stead arose from more than one quar-.
ter Of the illuminated borough, the sounds
Of music and dancing and savage merri
ment. s......g
1t was long past midnight, when car
rolled through the now desolate streets Of
81. Thomas. Withia it sat mnn closely
wrapped in his mantle, and exhibiting ex-
treme aslonishment at the numerous lights
and the hubbub Of loud rejoicing. In
front Of his own house door, he checked his
horse. To his complete amazement, his
dwelling, to, was illuminated, and from
within gay music, the buzz of voices and
the rush OF dancing feet burst upon his cor
At once, surprised and alarmed, he stepped
on tiptoe 10 the window and gazed in,
throug gh ii, upon number Of we'll known
faces. - Sss z
The company, intoxicated with wine and
wild with enjoyment, sang and shouted, and
drank ont OF his glasses, a1d danced abon.
like maniacs. through his chamber. They
were old cronies, and inhabitants of the
borough.
Unacquain,ed, as he was, with the events
Of this night, the whole scene rose before
him like dream. 4s.=
But now, jauntily dressed woman at.
tracted bis gaze. She was skipping abou'
am"rg the guests with loud laughter and