St. Landry democrat., 1884-09-13
The Alexandria Massacre,

IOu1cCl At CaStIG NdrueH. lHC auu1LS
include a woman. All are clad in
European attire, and compared with
the emigrants of other nationaliticS sur
rounding them. prevent very superior
appearance One of the men, Mohanna
Baraka, speaks English well, and acting
as interpreter for the party told a
Grnphic reporter story of rare interest
this morning in connection with the re-
cent stirring events in Egypt. His mod
esty of manner and the department OF
the whole of this little band Of refugees
were such as to impress one with the
honesty of the statement.
Mohanna Baraka said he was an Arab
Christian, having lived in AleNandria all
his life. AS far back as he knew his
ancestors were Christians. They were
all Presbyterians, having been converted
by English and American missionaries.
One of his earliest friends was the Rev.
David Strang, now OF Lincoln, Tenn,
but twenty-five years ago a missionary
in Alexandria. The speaker learned
English and became teacher in th6
missionary schools. He was teaching e
Bible class on Sunday, the 18th Of June,
the day upon which the first outbreak in
Alexandria occurred. All the members
of his family, including several aged
people, were in attendance that after
noon. The services were proceeding
with the usual decorum. when suddenly
the father of one of the pupils entered
the school, and, after announcing the
fact of the outbreak, took his child home
with him. The school was located in
the section of the city known as Bactaria,
or the Jewish quarter. The teachers
tried to quell all fears, but noises were
heard in the streets, and as they grew
louder something like panic ensGed.
The children were badly frightened, the
women fearful and the men nervous
School was hastily dismissed and all adj
vised to go home. The speaker with
the members of his family acted on this
advice. Before they had gone very far,
however, they were met by party of
Mohammedan soldiers who, shouting.
"Down with the Christian dogsn'
charged on them. They would undoubt-
eddy have been killed had not the
speakers brother-in-law, one of the
party in Castle Garden, interfered. He
was not known to be Christian and
he threw himself in front of the family,
commanding the soldiers to desist
They obeyed the command, and the
family escaped uniniured. The advent
ure filed them all with terror, and they
made their way home as quickly as pos
sible, reaching it in safety. To do so,
however, they were obliged to avoid
the sight of other Mohammedan soldiers
who were rushing through the streets
bent on murder and plumber.
The adventures of this family formed
part of the Inauguration of the terrible
massacre that took place in the fairest
part of the city before sunset the same
day. The soldiers encountered by them
upon leaving the. Sunday-school were
on their way to the carnage, but had as
yet probably killedsno one. The speak
or said that if ther3had spilled one drop
of blood before meeting his family the
latter would not have escaped torture
and death.
Towards dusk. the speaker said, the
city was quiet. The reign of terror
seemed TO be over. He. had not him
self witnessed the awful deeds of the
semi-savage soldiers, but the brother-in-
law who had acted so heroically near
the Sunday-schOol saw many of them. |
Other members of the family also saw
Europeans bayoneted before their eyes. |
They described the scenes as too terri
BILE to ever forget Men shrieked and |
cursed, and women walled and went |
mad with horror. The streets ran red |
with blood, and the soldiers whose faces
and hands were smeared with it looked |
like fiends.
When the days work was done Gov
eminent employees ran about the city to |
inform the pOpulace that all need of |
fear was over. The Europeans were
housed by that time, and could hardly |
be assured that their lives were not |
still in jeopardy. They had no faith in
the power of the Government to subdue |
so ferocious and sudden an outbreak
They began to venture out. however,
and it was then that the speaker saw
hundreds of cOrpses carted to the sea
and thrown in. He ut once determined |
to leave the country forever. It was
difficult, however, to get passage away.
The fifth day after the massacre found |
him and his family on steamer bound
for Malta. Thence they journeyed to
Marseilles and Bordeaux, embarking at
the latter place on the Both of last
month Tor this city.
Where he will 60 to settle he has not
yet decided. The children speak little |
but the other adults only Ara
bic. While conyersing with the report
er, Mohanna Baraka received letter
from Rev. MIR. Strang, written in; Ara
bic. The reverend gentleman had been
appraised of their arrival. While Bara-
ka read the letter to the family they
grGsped themselves about him, form
ing o very interesting picture. Their
soft manners and sgentee4 appearance
have made them faVDrites with the Gar
den officials. Ia tlpse proximity to
them sat crowd of 1farks, wearing the