The weekly herald. [volume] (Cleveland, Tenn.) 1876-1888, 1876-09-22
THE FOREIGN WAR.
Seven Thousand Bead Bodies
I'm One Town.
Christian and MOsIcm.


the "COnflict of Creeds and Races
in the East" which closes thus:
There have been horrors OF
Christian warfare innumerable-
sacks Of Magdeburg, and the like:
but Christian society cries shame
upon them, and their repetition
became impossible. But was
there ever such horror in Chris
tian society as this? | quote from
the letter of a reliable cOrrespon-
dent OF the Daily Nsws. He says:
81 have just seen the town OF
Batok, with Mr.. Schuyler. Mr..
Barring was there yesterday. Here
is what | saw: On approaching
the town on a hill there were
some dogs. They ran away, and
we found on this spot number
of skulls scattered about, and one
ghastly heap Of skeletons, with
clothing. | counted from the sad
die a hundred skulls, picked and
licked clean-all Of women and
children. We entered the town.
On every side were skulls and
skeletons charred among the ru-
ins, or lying entire where they fell
in their clothing. There were
skeletons of girls and women,
with long brown hair hanging to
the skulls. We approached the
church. There these remains were
more frequent, until the ground
was literally covered with skele-
tons, skulls and putrerying bodies
in clothing. Between the church
and the school there were heaps.
The stencil was fearful. We en-
entered the church-yard. The
sight was more dreadful. The
whole church-yard, for three feet
deep, was fostering with dead
bodies, partly cOvered-hands,
legs, arms, and heads projected
in CHASTITY confusion. | saw many
little hands, heads, and feet Of
children of three years Of age,
and girls, with heads covered
with beautiful hair. The church
was still worse. The loor was COW
cred with rotting bodies quite un-
covered. | never III agined any
thing so fearful. There were
three thousand bodies in the
church yard and church. We were
obliged to hold tobacco to our
noses. In the school "a fine build
ing) two hundred women and
childred had been burnt alive.
All over the town there were the
same scenes. In some places
heaps Of bodies buried in shallow
holes had been uncovered by the |
dogs. The banks Of the little |
stream were covered with bodies.
Many bodies had been carried to
Tatar Bazardjik, a distance Of
thirty miles. The town had 5000
inhabitants. There now remain
1,200. Many who escaped had re
turned recently, weeping and
moaning over their ruined homes.
Their sorrowful wailing could be |
heard half a mile off. Some were
digging out the skeletons ofloyed
ones. a woman was sitting moan
ing over three small skulls with
hairs clinging to them, which she
had in her lap. The man who did
all this, Achmed Aga, has been
promoted, and is still Governor Of
the district. The newspaper ac
count were not eXaggerated-theX
could not be. No crime invented
by Turkish ferocity was left un-
committed. Seven thousand bod
les have been lying here since
May II, rotting in the sun, preyed
upon by dogs; and Sir Henry El-
liot has never heard that the au-
thorities demand a war contribu-
tion from the remaining inhabi-
tants Of one hundred thousand pi-
asters. The town formerly paid
a million. The harvest is rotting
in the fields. The owners are in
the church-yard. The survivors
cattle have been taken by the
Turks, whorefuse to restore them.
1t is impossible to get in the har
vest. 1t is not true that the Turks
are sending help. The inhabitants
everywhere complain to Mr..
Schuyler that their cattle arc not
restored, and that help is not civ
en-. The statement that the Bul-
garians committed atrocities is ut
terly unfounded and shamelully
false. Mr.. Schuyler thinks that
less than two hundred Turks were
killed, nearly all in open combat,
There is no proof yet that Il single
Turkish woman or child was kill
cd or violated. The reports Of Mr..
Schuyler and Mr.. Barring will cor
roborate this telegram. There is
urgent need ofrelief for the starv-
ing and helpless families"
That is what we seem to Europe
to be supporting, and unless the
voice Of the country rings out
loud and clear, that is what we
shall be supporting, and the burn
shame of it will lie on our souls.
And tits the natural outcome of
Islam. The system knows but Of
two orders--one despot, aud all
others slaves. The Caliph is alb