The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1880-04-22

Subjects by Wholesale-A Propitintory
Offering to the Evil Spirits
Later dispatches by way of London
bring the news that the 700 human
beings sacrificed by King Tbeebau 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 fathom-
ed until English correspondents reach
Mandalay, but it is now known that 700
men, boys, women, girls, priests and
foreigners have been entombed under
the towers of the city walls. A Rangoon
correspondent of the London Daily Neaos
gives the following explanation of the
massacres "When city is built in
Burmah human sacrifices are offered mp.
A new monarch usually has new capi-
tai. The evil spirits are irritated that
there has been no change of capital, and
the virtue of the old sacrifice being gone,
to appease them the astrologers declared
it was necessary to offer up 700 lives.
The sacrifices were made by the order of
King Theebau." This tremendous out
burst of fanaticism has caused terrible
panic not only in Mandalay, but through
out Burmah, and, as previous dispatches
noted, hundreds are seeking safety in
flight.
The scene of this extraordinary out
rage is country of Farther India, whose
position on the map every schoolboy
remembers, but which is not at all ia
miliar to American newspaper readers.
Burmah lies just North of Siam, and is
bounded on the East by China and on
the West by British India, both the
British and the Chinese having mate
rally reduced the area which the empire
occupied in the days of its greatest pros
perity. 1t is a fertile country and espe-
cially rich in metals and in gems. The
inha bitants, whose number is estimated
at about 100000, are Mopgolians, with
a monosyllabic language, quiet, indus
trious and not uncultivated race, very
skillfuI in ship. building, in carving and
working in metals. Most of them pro-
fess the religion of Buddha, to which
a great number of the temples and pago-
das are dedicated, and in connection with
which there exists an elaborate monastic
system, with multitude of monks. The
government of the country, as may be
inferred from the recent performances,
is an absolute despotism of the worst
Oriental type. The late King, Mindone
Min, was villainous old scoundrel with
fifty wives and more than 100 children,
who was supposed to have done a good
thing for this country-which he had
never been accused of doing before
when he died, some time in 1878. The
exact date of his death cannot be given,
from the fact that a cheerful edict had
been issued to the effect that whoever
said the King was dead should have his
tongue cut out, and the courtiers, were
naturally little modest about making
the announcement. He did die, howev-
er, and the Ministry or whatever cor
responds to a Ministry in Burmah,
thought they saw an opportunity TO in.
troduce constitutional monarchy. With
this end in view they selected one of the
Kings younger sons, likely youth called
Theebau, and in the King name issued
q proclamation declaring him Ain Shay
Min or Dweller in the Eastern House, a
title equivalent to heir apparent. Hav-
ing got thus far, they presently mustered
courage to announce that Mindone Min
was dead and to proclaim Theeoau Tha-
thira- -maha.opamma-ra-za, otherwise His
Most Glorious Excellent Majesty Lord
of the Ishaddan, King of Elephants,
Master of Many White Elephants, Lord
of the Mines of Gold, Silver, Rubies,
Amber and the Noble Serpentine, Sover.
eign of the Empires Of Thunaparanta
and Tampadipa, and other Great En-
pires and Countries, and of all the Um-
brella. Wearing Chiefs, the Supporter of
Religion, the Sun.Descended Monarch,
Arbiter of Life, the Great Righteous
King, King of Kings, and Professor OF
Boundless Dominions and Supreme Wis
dom.
Theebau was at this time about twenty
years old. He is described as a tall,
well-built, comely young fellow with
smooth olive complexion, good fore
head, clear, steady, bright black eyes, q
firm but pleasant mouth, full, 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 bad advanced
him to the throne were shut up in prison
and the King formed Ministry of bis
own, composed mainly of youths of his
own age, who had right royal time in
the palace, which became, as it is de.
scribed, the scene of orgies conducted
absolutely without restraint. Recogniz.
ing, however, that he had no title to
the throne, Theebau proceeded to get
rid of possible rivals by the simple plan
of killing all his relatives. There were 9
great many of them, for his father had
left thirty-seven of his wives and fifty
nine of his children living, and their
massacre, year or two ago, attracted the
attention of the whole world. and was the
occasion of some Intellectual diplomatic
representation" on the part of Great
Britain. The descriptions given of this
bloodthirsty performance are most re.
voting. At first the victims were led
from their cells in twos and threes to
sheckho to the King; then their heads
were tied to their respective pairs Of
ankles, and blows with a heavy club on
the backs of their necks ended their
misery. But this soon proved too mild
spectacle for the fendish malignity Of
Theebau. One of his elder brothers
professed utter scorn for what could be
done to him, and was hogged to death.
Another, who had looked upon the
foreigners as the dirt beneath his feet,
and as utterly unworthy to crawl be:
tween heaven and earth, was taunted and
driven to madness before receiving q
half.fatal blow, and his writhing body
was then thrown into the gigantic trench
dug to receive the dead. A former Gov
ernor of Rangoon had his nose and
mouth filled with gunpowder, match
was applied, and he was also flung into
the trench, to be s:ihed by the succeeding
bodies. One young girl of sixteen was
pitched into the same heaving grave after
having suffered every outrage which