Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1880-04-21
A King Buried Seven Hundred Of
His People Alive.
Superstition, Fanaticism, the Cause
of the Horrid Sacrifice.
Where it Was Done-In India, In Bur
nah.

bring the news that the 700 human
beings sacrificed by King Theebau at
the Burmese capital to propitiate evil
spirits were not burned to death. but
were buried alive. The full depth of
this horror probably will not be faith
omed until Eeglish correspondents
reach Maudalay, but it is now known
that 700 men. boys, women, girls,
priests and foreigners have been en-
tombed under the towers of the city
walls. A Rsugoon correspondent of
the London Daily .Nsws gives the fol-
lowing explanation Of the massacres
"When city is built in Burmah human
sacrifices are offered up A new mon
arch usually has new capital. The
evil spirits are ,rritated that there has
been no change of capital, and the vir
tue of the old sacrifice being gone, to
appease them the astrologers declared
it was necessary to offer up seven hun
dred lives. The sacrifices we're made
by the order of King Theebau.' This
tremendous outburst OF fanaticism has
caused terrible panic, not only in
Msndalay, but throughout Burmah, aud
hundreds are seeking safety IN fight
The scene Of this extraordinary out
rage is a country Of Farther India.
Burmah lies just north of Siam, and is
bounded on the east by China and on
the west by British India, both the Brit
ish and the Chinese having materially
reduced the area which the Empire oc
cupied in the days of its greatest pros
perity. 1t is fertile country, and
especially rich in metals and in gems.
The inhabitants, whose number is esti-
mated at about four millions, are Mon
golians, with a monosyllable language,
a quiet, industrious and not uncultiva-
ted race, very skillful in ship building.
in carving and working in metals. Most
Of them profess the religion of Buddha,
TO which great number of temples and
pagodas are dedicated, and in connec
ton with which there exists an elabo-
rate mouastic system, with a multitude
of monks. The government of the
country, as may be inferred from the
recent performances, is an absolute
iespotism Of the worst Oriental type.
The late King, Mindcne Min, was a
villaiDous old scoundrel with half hun
dred wives and more than q hundred
children. who was supposed TO have
done good thing for his country
- L. L. Il
doing before when he died, some time
IN 1873. The exact date of his death
cannot be given, from the fact that a
cheerful edict mad been issued to the
effect that whoever said the King was
dead should have his tongue cut out.
and the courtiers were naturally lit
tie modest about making the announce
ment. He did die, however, and the
Ministry, or whatever corresponds to
Ministry IN Burmah, thought they saw
an opportunity to introduce coDstrtu-
tional monarchy With this end in
view they selected one of the Kings
younger sous, likely youth called
Theebau, and IN the Kings nams issued
proclamation declaring him Ain Shay
Min, or Dweller in the Eastern House,
title equivalent to heir apparent.
Tbeebau was a: this time about TWEEN
ty years old. He is described as tall,
well-built, comely young fellow, with
smooth olive complexion, good fore
head, clear, steady, bright black eyes,
firm but pleasant mouth, iull, sensual
chin and "a will all his own" OF this
last quality the young King soon gave
unmistakable proof. To begin with,
the reforming Ministers who had ad
Taneed him to the throne were shut ur
in prison and the King formed Minis
try of his own, composed maiuly of
youths of his own age, who had right
royal time in the palace, which became,
as 1t is described, the scene of orgies
conducted absolutsly without restraint.
Recognizing, however, that he had title
to the throne, Thcebau proceeded TO
get rid of possible rivals by the simple
plan of killing all his relatives. There
were great many of them, for his
father had left thirty seven Of his wives
and fifty nine Of his children living,
and their massacre, q year or two ago,
attracted the attention If the whole
world, and was the occasion of some
Intellectual diplomatic representation"
on the part of Great Britain. The de-
scriptions given of this bloodthirsty
performance are most revolving. At
first the victims were led from their
cells in twos and threes to shekho TO
the King then their heads we're tied
to their respective Pairs of ankles, and
blows with heavy club on the backs
of their necks ended their misery. But
tsSis soon proved too mild a spectacle |
for tie feDdish malignity Of Theebau
One of his eiider brothers professed ut |
ter scorn for what aould be done to him,
and was fogged to death. Another,
who had looked upon the foreigners as
the dirt beneath his feet and Us utterly |
unworthy to crawl between heay en- aDc .
earth, was tauted and driven to mad !
ness before receiving a half-fataI blow,
and bis writhiDg body was then thrown
into the gigantic trench dug to receive
the dead. A former Governor of Ran
goon had his nose and mouth filled with
gunpowder, a match was applied, and
he was also flung into the trench, to be
stifed by toe succeeding bodies. Que
young girl OF sixteen was pitched into
the same heaving grave after having
suffered every outrage which could be
devised by eight soldiers of the guard
One princess was cut In two, and her
husband was called to see his wife and
child before he died. The massacre
was carried on in this leisu.ely fashion
until Thebau and the executioners
wearied of the sport; then the women
we're simply battered over the head
and the children were swung against