Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1874-06-27
THE MASSACRE IN OHM.
The Recent Dreadful Slaughter q
thimese Christians,

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The French periodical, Missions Cath
oliques, gives us the first authentic and
detailed narrative of the recent massa-
ere of Roman Catholic native converts
in China. The account, as translated
for the London Tablet, relates that the
massacre broke ont Oh the 2jth of Feb
ruarv, when the "literates," as the
prosecuting party is called, opened the
campaign by beheading 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 Turn-Lam, Mo Vinh and
Bau- u-Tach, and massacred the inhabi'
tants that were in 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
floating down it from the side Of Lareg.
At that time the murderers were massa-
creing the Christians OF the parish viii
lapes. Those who took refuge in the
cliffs of the neighborhood were hunted
down and burned alive. The grand
mandarin of justice was at the market
of Sa- Nam with eight hundred soldiers,
but remained an inactive spectator OF
the massacre of the Christians Of Nam
Duonp, only few of whom were able
to escape. + The literates,
who were the heads of the militia ap-
pointed to massacre the Christians, say
that the work OF determination carried
out under the eyes of the mandarins
was concerted between the court and
the literates, and was done in reprisal
FOR recent events. The mandarins have
inst received orders from the court not
to employ any other means save those
of persuasion to stop the murderers II
their career. One of the chiefs who
had Just caused two Christians to be
murdered on the highroad went on the
parade before the gavernor of the cita
del by whom he was dismissed will
honor. On his return twenty women o.
children fell under the sword OF thli
man and his followers. He had jus
come from Offering sacrifice to the god
dess of prostitution, to whom famous
temple that stands near the road is ded
icated.
In several localities they take an en-
tire family father, mother, and chill
dren--bind them together with bam
boos, and then fling the bundle OF living
humanity into the waves. First, how
ever, they take care to cut off the man
head. The multitude of dead bodie
thus fastened together in groups Of from
eight to ten block up the principa
river, but to the great surprise OF every
body does not send forth any bad smell
There are then five parishes, containing
10000 Christians, which have to be blot
ted out of the mission-namely, Lang
= Thank -Huyen, Nam-Duorg, Hoy Yen
! and Doreg.Thank. Mauy of the victim
died in the midst of flames. A villag
of more than 400 Christians was at
! tackled by the literates, and soon becam
= a prev to the flames. Amongst thes
300 Christians there were l2O, more c
7, less. who succeeded in saving then
selves bv taking refuge in a large villag
near bv' The remainder-ahont 300
were nearly all massacred. =,
Two small villages of Christians, sitr
ated two hours walk from the place
- which { then was, were hemmed III b
a the pagans. The mayor visited eac
p house. numbered the Christians, an
;, forbade them, under threat of mos
;. severe punishment, to go out OF door
A few of the Christian women attempte
4 to 90 to the market to keep themselv'
q from starving. They never returne,
- Some pagan women that went wit
i them say that the Christian women wei
=, captured and beheaded. Two men fro
% one of these same villages hazarded
Il fight during the night; they passt
i the great river by swimming, and can
. to me to tell their misfortunes. Alas
u writes Archbishop Gauthier, from who
= letters this information is chiefly d
y rived. 81 could do nothing but we'
for them, being unable to do anythll
to succor them. Two rthree days afte
wards learned that all the men in t
village had had their heads cut of, b
is the women and children were spare
RS And. as their houses were intermlngl
is with those of the pagans, it was torbl
i den to burn them down"