The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1877-08-08
WAR HORRORS.
Playing the Bodies Of Young
GirIs-Cutting their Skins Into
Strips-A Mothers Treatment
Fearful RetaIia tiOn.

L
GirIs-Cuttfng their Skins Into
Strips-A Mothers Treatment
Fearful RetaIia tiOn.
Correspondence of the New York Mercury.
BUCHAREST, July 12.-The retreat
southwark OF the Turks through
Bulgaria has been accompanied by
scenes exceeding in atrocity all the
miseries of last year, when the Bull
garian massacres shocked the civil
lied world. This time, however, it
is not only the Turks who commit
the atrocities. but the Bulgarians
themselves are retaliating in fright
full manner upon those Turkish re-
sidents who cannot follow their
army. While preparations for re-
treat were going on, the irregular
troops from Asia committed the most
frightful horrors. Under the pre-
tense of forcing the Bulgarians to
follow the army and help to throw
up fortiffcations, these irregulars
also insisted that the women should
join them. Poor souls in many in
stances they submitted to this new
kind OF slavery. But not all of them
followed so willingly. A woman with
her three daughters, residing near
Matschin, rebelled against such COM
mands. With q hellish howl the
armed fends threw themselves upon
the poor women, bound them upon
the backs Of their horses. and gal
loped away with them to spot suffi-
ciently distant from the army, so that
they could not be interferred with in
their hellish designs by the military
authorities. OF course, when taken
from their horses, the women were
more dead than alive. NeVerthe-
less. the daughters were all first
violated. and then murdered. They
then went to work and skinned the
dead bodies of the girls, cut the
skin up in strips. and with these
strips tied the mother TO a tree,
where she had her head cut off and
the remainder of the body was left
to the vultures. Even for Bulgaria
this horrible atrocity is considered so
important that all foreign govern.
ments have instructed their Embas-
sadors to protest to the Sultan, in
the name of humanity. against the
employment or such men in the
Turkish army.
Consuls at Galatz. Brila and other
places were instr ucted to ascertain
the correctness OF this bloody episode
OF the war, and at once proceed to
Matschin to investigate the affair.
With the aid of Chaplain belong
ing to one of the Russian regiments
they soon discovered the place
where the mass acre took place. De-
cent burial had already been given
them by the Russians; but upon the
demand of the Consuls the bodies
were disintered and ample evidence
of the atroclous crime was obtained
FEARFUL RETALIATION.
The Bulgarians themselves. acting
as the allies of the Russians. have
retaliated frightfully upon the Turk.
ish families who did not leave with
their army. They have plundered
several houses, and i'm one instance
took whole family which had ex-
pressed sympathy for the Turkish
cause. out of their home. set the
house on fire. tied the adults. among
whom were four women. to trees and
fiogged them on their bare backs till
the blood streamed down their ho-
dies. Their sl.rieks, however, soon
attracted the attention of Russian
patrol. and quick as lightning six of
Bulgarians were arrested. and two
of the leaders have since been shot
by order of q court martial.
A correspondent has just returned
from the other side Of the Danube
and states that on re-crossing the
bridge the river was filed with dead
bodies Of Russians and numerous
dead horses, the result OF fearful
accident which nefell the bridge
forty-eight hours previous 1t ap-
pears that during heavy storm
twenty-six pontoons were lost. driven
down the stream aud sunk, One
OF the Turkish monitors happening
to be in the vicinity opened q hellish
FIRE on the swamped pontoons and
aided in their destruction, and my
friend hai to wait twelve hours be-
fore communication with this side
was re~established.
MY son" said a mother to a
little boy four years old. "whom
above all others will You wish to see