West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1885-12-18
a sLoopTHlRsrY KING.
Thccbaw's RcVoltiugly Cruel Reign aud
His Quarrel with England.

hAs Oohrtei with England.
King Theebaw succeeded his father,
fiendono Meng, in 1873, Mt the age o
about twcnty-one, He was neither the
eldest nor the favorito child of family
Of forty-oight sons and siXty-two
daughters, but he had married the
daughter of the chief Queen. who
brought over 10 his interest the princi-
pal dignitarieS. At first Thccbaw gave
promise of n peaceful and useful rcign.
But his brothers, the Nyoung Jan and
the Nyoung Oke, who had claims to
the throne moro valid than his, had cS-
capped in safety to British protection.
The knowledge that they lived and
might plot against him unsettled his
feeble mind, and this, with drink,
opium and the pcrnicious counsels of
those about him, caused him to develop
into the sanguinary monster that he
has since been.
In February, 1879. encouraged by re-
ports of British reversos I'm Zululand.
Theebaw massacred his relatives and
their adherents, whom he had kept
confined for months in loathsome dun
| geons. Men, women and children
were Knocked ON the head and flung,
alive or dead, into yawning trenches.
The mouth of n high official was filled
with gunpowder, which was then eN-
ploded. Women were ripped up, after
being subjected To every conceivable
indignity, and infants brains were
dashed out against stone walls. The
exact number of unfortunates who per-
ished amid such fearful torturcs at this
time, and since i'm Burmah, will never be
| known. 1t Is certain, however that II
must be reckoned in hundreds. One
OF the two pits within the palace in
| closure, into which living and dead
were cast together during the three
initial nights of crime, soon bulgcd
and cracked at its mouth from the cX-
halations arising. An elephant had 10
| be fetched TO tramplc down the earth
Burmah was shom of it's sea-coasl
and some of its most profitable prov
inces, by the wars with the English
| which ended i'm 1924 and 1852, Dis
| putcs with the Indian Government led
| TO the withdrawal of the British Charge
| d.Aiiairs from Mandalay, i'm October
| 1879. Fronticr raids, rcbellions and
| attempts at assassination followed
Since 1880, however, the exterior rela.
| lions OF Burmah have been very quiet
although the British authorities al
Rangoon have had constant occasion
to watch against the intrigues which
King Theebaw has sought TO conduct
against England with other powers.
The last dispute arose from the ca.
| price and attempted cxtortion of King
Ihecbaw in interfering with British
trade on the IIrawaddy River, and IN
his suspected plotting with France "a
the disadvantage Of English interests
Responsibility for this plotting has
been disclaimed by President Grevy's
Government. The quarrel, therefore
rests upon Thebaw's arrogant and in
sulting refusal TO attend TO the com
munication of the Viceroy of India,
| proposing arbitration with reference &c
the preposterous fine of G23O, 900 r..
Gently imposed for alleged ollenscs up
on the Bombay and Bmmah Trading
| Corporation. This company has an
| immense body of servants and hun
dreds of elephants employed in timber
cutting in Burmese territory..--M Y
1 NJ