Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1874-08-12
MASSACRE OF FCHRISTIANSl In CHM

The French periodical, Mission Catnoi'ques,
OF the last of July gives the first authentic and
detailed narrative OF the recent massacre OF
Roman Catholic native converts in China. The
account, as translated for the London Tablet,
says:
The massacre broke out on the 18th OF FEB
ruary, when the 1iterates, as the prosecuting
party is called, opened the campaign by be-
heading two men in the service OF Pere Doare
and Christian, whom they then threw into
the river. The same day they burned the three
villages OF Trun Lam, Fie- Ninh and Bau- -Tach,
and lnassacred the Inhabitants that were 10
them. Those who succeeded in escaping to the
woods were hunted down with hounds, brought
back and killed On the following day. The
river was covered over with bodies Heating
down it from the side of Lareg. AT that time
the murderers were uIassacrcing the Christians
OF the parish of Holven, and were burning their
villages Those who took refuge 10 the cliffs
Of the neighborhood we're hunted down and
burned alive. The Grand Mandarin of Justice
was at the market of Sa- Nam with 500 soldiers
bu, remained an inactive spectator OF the mas-
sacre OF the Christians of NamDuong, only
few Of whom were able to escape. The llteratcs,
who were the heads of the militia appointed to
massacre the Christians, say that the work or
exterminatlon carried out under the eyes OF the
mandarius was concerted between the court and
the iiterateS, and was done 10 reprSal Tor recent
events. The mandarlus have just received Or
ders from the court not to employ any other
meaDs save those of persuasion to stop the MUIR
dercrs in their career. Ouc Of the chiefs, who
had lust caused two Christians to be murdered
on the high road, went GU the parade before the
governor of the citadel, by whom he was dlsmls-
sed with honor. 90 his return twenty women
and children tell under the sword of this man
and his followers. He had just come from OF
tering sacrifices to the goddess OF prostitution,
to whom famous temple that stands near the
road is dedicated.
I'm several localities they take an entire
tamily-father, mother and childreu--bind
them together with bamboos, aud then ding
the bundle of living humanity into the waves.
First, however, they take care to cut OF the
mans head The multitude OF dead bodies
thus fastened together 10 groups OF from eight
to ten block up the principal river: but to the
great surprise of everybody does not send forth
any bad smell There are then five parishes,
containing lO,O00 Christians, which have to be
blotted out OF the mission. namely, Lang Thauk
Huyen, Nam.Duoug, Hoy Yen, and Doreg-
Tank
"Alany Of the victims died in the midst Of
the flames A village of morethan 400 Chris
tlanS was attacked by the HterateS anu SOou pe-
Games prey to the flames. Among those 400
Christians there were l20, more or less, who
succeeded in saving themselves by taking re-
iuge 10 large village uear by. The remainder
about 300, were nearly all massacrcd. Two
small villages of Christians, situated two hours
walk from the place at which | then was, were
hemmed in by the pagaus. The mayor visited
each house, numbered the Christians and for
babe them, under threat of most severe pun
isImeut, to 20 out of doors. A few of the
Christian women attempted to go to market to
keep themselves from starving.
They never returned. Some pagan women
who went with them say that the Christian wo-
men were captured and beheadad. Two men
from one of these same villages hazarded a
flight during the uight. They passed the great
river by swimming, and came to me to tell the
mlsfortunes.
Alas writes Archbishop Gauthier, from
whose letter this information is chiefly derived,
i could do nothing but weep for them, being
unable to do anything to succor them Two
or three days afterwards learned that all the
men in the village had had their heads cut off,
but the women aud children we're spared And,
As their houses were iutcrmingIed with those ot
the pagans, it was forbidden to burn them
down.