The Fremont weekly journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1867-1877, 1868-07-03
How King TheOdOrus Mas
aRGrR6 His RriAOnark.


sacred His Prisoners.
The New York HeraJFs eorrespon-
dent in Abyssinia describes the late
King Theodorus' massacre of his
native prisoners:
He had them drawn up in two lines;
numbering two hundred and seventy
five men, five women and twenty-eight
boys. One of them, Ras Ingerta, a
Gall Chief, defed the King to single
combat, declaring himself able, chained
as he was, to cope with the King. The
latter savagely declined and cried Spear
the Gala dog! Ingerta, spear him 1
say and Ras Ourary Euric, ever ready
to obey Theodorus, leveled a spear and
flung it at his breast Thou hast done
well, said the King, as he saw the
weapon had gone deep into his bosom !;
but Ras Ingerta plucked it out of the
wound and flung it contemptuously at
Theodorus' feet Another one, shouts
ITheodorus, spear him again. and six
chiefs Immediately sank their weapons
into his body.
The wounded chief stood up brayely,
and drew them all out one after an
other, the blood squirting from his
wounds in crimson streams, when he
fell down and died.
Impatient at the slow progress Of the
execution, the King shot ten dead with
his own hand, and, throwing his revOl-
yer away, he drew his sword, and leap
ed toward the trembling prisoners.
Eyeing them a moment he seemed to
choose one for whom he entertained a
perfect hatred, for be said to one, tAh,
your hour has come. l am going to
drink your blood and, raising his
sword, he cut his head off at one blow,
and then drew it again across his abdo-
men.
Theodorus' face and clothes were
covered with blood and, like a tiger
who had tasted blood, this seemed to
increase his fury. He foamed at the
| lips and his eyes became bloodshct
After stabbiDg and cutting about fifty
with his own hand he rested, and or
dered that his chiefs should try their
bands Many of them had personal
hatreds against the captives, and they
proceeded with an astonishing alarcity
with the awful task of massacre. When
ever he witnessed dexterous blows he
appIsuded, but when he saw cuts given
that but Haimed the poor wretches, the
King would spring mp and demonstrate
what an easy matter it was to send the
head cleaE off the shoulders, by choos-
ing a strong sturdy prisoner and decapi-
tating him with his own hand.
A young and beautiful woman of
high rank, perceiving that her time was
coming rapidly, ran up to where Theo-
dorus leaned upon his dripping sword,
and, throwing herself at his feet, en-
treated in piteo tones that he would
spare he1 life. no. thundered Theo-
dorus, you came to my camp twice as
a spy. Once / spared you, because one
of my chiefs asked it, that you might
by his wife. Now, by the Saviour of
the world, you shall sleep below the
cliff of Msgdala tonight So saying,
while she yet bent with her face to the
ground, with his whole might he de-
Iivered a blow which almost severed
her in two. Horrible as it may seem,
child gushed out of the womb, and
several of the European women sicken-
ed and tainted at the sight
A boy prince, son of one of the re-
belli GUS Governors who was still at
large, was next killed by q sweeping
blow, which took bis head and left arm
of.
In about an hour and half from the
commencement of the wholesale ex-
ecutioD, the massacre was completed,
and as fast as each one had been slain
the body was taken to the edge of the
cliff, and thrown down a height of fifty
feet or more. At the bottom of the
cliff were several great rocks scattered
here and there, and these were covered
with brains and blood. A ghastly heap
of corrupting flesh was all that was left
of 3Os human souls, who shortly be-
fore had been the friends in captivity of
the Europeans. The human shambles
contained pools of blood and gore, in
several places. nearly foot deep.