Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-12-02
WHOLESALE BUTCHERY.
Thtrty-fO Peasants Slaughtered Like
Sheep ON q Lonely Road.
Frora AZ Cinninnnti Ennnirer.

From tho Cincinnati Enquirer.
The road between Bredelar and Mars
berg, two small towns in Prussia, on the
frontier of the little State of Waldeck,
was the scene of the most horrible crime
committed for long years in civilized
country. On the morning of Oct. 10 some
travellers were Mortified by a sight they
will never forget. The road, narrow
thoroughfare. bordered by meadows and
fields, bore the aspect OF a battlefield, but
one wild and feTOciOus nation might have
fought-people to whom a civilization was
utterly unknown. From a tile forest
two miles below Bredelar up to the town
limits OF this place the road was covered
with men, women and children horribly
bItchered and mutilated, some of them
dead, some living yet, groaning with in
tense pain. From ten to twenty PAGES
they were found lying on the road and
every one treated the same way. The alb
dOmen was cut open with a sharp in5tru-
ment and then the skull knocked in. The
sight was such frghtlul one that even
the Oldest police officers and physicians,
who were summoned as soon as the fact
was known. shuddered and declared em-
phatically that in all their lifetime they
had never witnessed a sight like that.
Imagine thirty-four persons lying
strewn along abroad, their abdomens cut
open, their intestines hanging out and
covering the ground, blood flowing in
streams. Interminged with the brains of
some of the victims. The faces of those
who were dead showed the terrible agony
they had to undergo before death came as
salvation. The sight was terrible. They
were dispersed on the road with a regu-
larity showing that the butchery was
done Systematically and as the injuries
were the same with all the victims it
was cl ar that the same people must
have butchered one by one as they passed
by.
There was a cattle fair the day before
the bodies were found In Marsberg. a lit
tie town about ten miles from Bredelar,
and the peasants of the surrounding viii
lagos had driven there cattle and sheen
there to sell them if possible. Returning
home, they were OVerpowered by two
scoundrels, who both had served terms in
the penitentlary, and one by one they
were butchered as described. The deed
was done with a plow-share and so quick
that the victims had no time to utter cry
which might have warned those who fol-
lowed them. One by one they were
knocked insensible by terrible blow on
the head and then the abdomen cut open
with the sharpened blade of the plow-
share.
They did not spare anybody. Old and
young men, women and children fell I'M
der their blows and met their horrible fate
without murmur. Some Of the bodies
were fearfuly mangled. The heads of
some of them were so crushed that identi-
tication was only possible by their cloth
ing. Some of them had their limbs
broken, probably in resisting the murder
ers, who were the most cruel wretches
the history of crime knows. The pbysi-
clans found fifteen of the injured yet liv-
ing, but in an almost hopeless condition,
and sent them to Bredelar to the hospital.
Seventeen were found dead.
But those thirty-twO were not all. At
ter the news of the horrible deed had been
spread around the country two shepherds
appeared, who were also attacked by the
scouudrels, but who fortunately escaped
badly injured, and leaving their flock of
sheep behind them. They say that other
people besides could be found in the viii
lagos who are suffering from their iniu-
ries yet, but were able to go home after
the scoundrels thought they were dead.
The two shepherds identified Two
tr2mps who afterward were arrest ed.
known as desperate fellows, who would
be able to commit any crime. The crime
seems to have been prompted only by a
love OF blood. They made no efforts to
rob, as the cattle of the victims were
found afterwards dispersed on the mea-
dows and fields, and their valuables were
not taken from them. but it was morbid
desire for blOodshed, and nothing else.
Most of the victims hailed from the
villages of Rhenegge, Sudeck, Herring
hansen, Stormbruch and Attlar-all Sit
uated in Waldeck.