The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1870-08-28
Saerning Star and Catholic Messenger.
NIW ORLEANS. SUNDAY. AUGUST 1S. issu
Tsntin NaisasrN.


At last we have some news of the hor-
rible massacre of Foreigners in China
md horrible almost beyond conception
It it. BY an arrival at San Francisco
from Hong Kong, the following details Of
the demoniac transaction are learned. It
appears the infuriate populace were in
cited by tho priests, who accused the mis-
nioraries of kidnapping children. All
kinds of atrocious accusations were made
against them, the better to arouse the
hellish passions of the savage popu-
lace The French Consul and thes Secre-
tary 'of Legation, M. Thomassin were muir
dered while endeavoring to arouse the au-
thorities to a proper exercise of authority
10 protect the helpless foreigners. The ac-
count proceeds:
Madame Thomassin met them bravely
at the doorway of the Consulate with pis-
tOl in hand. One, two, and some say three,
Chinamen fell before her pistol shots, when
numbers oyerpowered her, and she was
killed by the blow of sharp instrument on
the back of her head.
The Consulate buildings were then burnt
and destroyed. In the mean while the con-
vent of the Sisters of Charity and the
French Cathedral were being assaulted by
the mob. A priest standing in the door
day was killed, and ten women quickly
shared the same fate, but in a more hor-
Tible manner. Most of them were beaten,
their clothes torn off, and then they were
seized and placed on their heads against
the convent wall, and hacked to pieces in
the most savage manner-their eyes dug
ont, their breasts cut OF, and every cruelty
that savage brutes can effect, too sicken-
ing here to narrate, was perpetrated. One
.Of the SiRfar0 named I.nuiSA md vUa1l
known as faithful and constant attendant
at the hospital in Shanghai, was reported
to have escaped in a Chinese dress, and
was thus concealed by some Chinese fe-
male friends until night, when, attempting
to go back to the convent, her European
shoes discovered her to be a white woman,
and she was quickly taken and killed. Her
body was thrown into the river.
Holocaust Of Chinese Children.--The Chi
nese burnt the cathedral and coAvent
buildings, and it is supposed at least sixty
Chinese children persisted in the cellars of
the building where they had fed for safety.
The bodies of the Sisters were thrown
back into the buildings, after being kicked
and burnt. Their charred remains were
afterward collected by the order of Chun g,
and sent down to the foreign quarter Of
Tientsin.
The following sad details of the bodies
are given: Nj. II. Fontanier-Head and
face cloven to pieces by sword cuts; one
spear wound through the chest. NJ. Simon
Head and face covered with sword cuts !;
bowels protruding. M. Thomassin-Head
and face covered with sword cuts: a few
assin-A Sword cut through the back OF
the neck. NJ. de Chalmaison-Left side
OF the face cut away; eyes scooped out;
numerous wounds in the body and extrem-
tiles. Madame de Chalmaison-A deep
sword cut through the face, just below the
1Saft az hoo bod x,,sk Il
cuts. Father Cheverier-Skull ,cloven in
several places; chest and abdomen
laid open; bowels protruding. The collins
supposed to contain four Of the sisters
were filed with charred pieces of flesh and
bone. Mr.. Protopopof, Russian-Sword
q spear wound through the chest, and one
on the left hip. Mrs. Protopopof- Body
literally covered with sword cuts and
spear wounds. Mr.. Bassof, Russian
Head covered with sword cuts, chest
pierced with numerous spear wounds.
None of the poor Sisters bodies were
recovered; but some charred remains were
brought in, which were said to be all that
could be found.
There is now no longer any doubt of the
whole plot having been known to the Off
cials long before the outbreak. Placards
were posted stating that the Roman Catho-
Lie cathedral and schools would be burnt
down, eight days prior to the outbreak.
The Chefoo, or head magistrate, had him
self posted one of these documents. How
far the Pekin authorities were implicated
in the affair is not yet clear. Mons de
Rouchechourat has, we are glad to say,
not been killed, as was rumored, but he is
detained in Pekin, the officials declaring
ne would be massacred should he proceed
to Tientsin. Eight Protestant chapels,
from which the missionaries had reiterated,
were looted, and sixteen places of worship
IN all destroyed. Several days previous to
the attack the Chinese parents of children
at the Catholic schools sent to remove them,
and as many as $50 out of 450 were thus
taken away.
The action of the Chinese after the dis
turbance was over was such as is usually
Oh. case under like circumstances. They
y used every effort to excuse the outbreak;
protested they were powerless against the
mob; and actually begged Mr.. Lay, H. b
N. Consul, to act temporarily as French
Consul This request, it is needless to say,
was declined. They also begged the friends
of the Russians to name their compensa
tions, but were promptly met with the sig
nifcant reply that they would learn that
from the Russian authorities. A similar
request was also made to the French min
lister at Pekin. 1t is stated that Tsepg-
kwo-fan is on his way down with 5000
troops to investigate the affair, a eircum-
stance somewhat strange, inasmuch as
there seems very strong reasons to believe
that be Ia at the bottom of the affair; but it
La . still,Inore astonishing statement, made
by the Daily Ne,os correspondent, to the
effect that the foreign ministers at Pekin
have decided that the settlement of the