The Sully County watchman. (Clifton, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1894, 1888-11-17
The Martyrs of Mada sascar.

The last of the great prosecutions oc-
Cured in 1857; the occasion OF il was the
discovery of plot against the queen,
and the brunt of the punishment had to
be borne by the Christians, writes Prof.
Bialkie IN the Qulver. The Old forms of
capital punishment were judged too mild
and new agonies had 10 be devised. The
new device was that they should be
stoned, but not to death; after they had
been bruised and mutilated; their heads
We're to be- severed from their bodies and
held up to the gaze of the spectators.
But the new device was no more success
ful than the old. With unfaltering step
the martyrs proceeded TO the place of
execution; aud even when bruised by the
stones they sang hymns-as some ore
expressed it, they died singing,
1t is touching to read of incidents al
most identical with those which happen
ed amid the prosecutions of the Scotch
Covenanters, or the Hugenots of the
Gov ennos. There, in a lonely place
among .ae mountains, lie sentinel keep
ing watch lest soldiers should come aud
fall upon tho conventicle assembled seq
reilly among the hills. Yonder is one of
the caves where the prosecuted found
refuge, preferripg TO share with wild
animals the rude hiding place of ma
ture rather than expose themselves
70 the tender merries OF their fei.
lowe. That kindly mar, with
heavy bag of rice around his person, Is
Fastening a long distance of sixty or
seventy miles to carry food to a starving
company hiding in terror for Gheir lives.
And On behalf of the presecuted there
are often the same steries of Providential
4 ggls l..m kA.
which We find in our own annals of perse-
cution. lady, doomed to death, watts
ner fate on the morrow, bat during the
nighJ fire breaks out in the city, the
superstitious fears OF the queen ara ex-
cited aud her offended victim escapes. A
woman named Rafaravy once saw the
soldiers 30 close that escape seemed i'm
possible; she plunged into a bog and
concealed her head among the rushes,
like famous field preacher of the Co
venGnters who, in his desperation when
the soldiers came suddenly upon him.
hlug himself down behind little mound
IN moor and actually escaped the OBJ
servation of the dragons who were
securing the country for him. party
of six made their escape altogether from
Re island and were carried to England.
Hearing of their escape, the Queen was
only the -ore furious against the Christ
lans who remained, and devised new tor
ures to harass and overwhelm them. It
lis not easy to tell the number OF the
martyrs. In one day, in the persecution
of 1S49, nineteen we're put to death. In
he same persecution thirsy-even
preachers were sold in slavery. In
he spring Of that year alone, about 1000
we're punished for their rejis iJp. Some
of the puni-hments were gro esquely and
uoying. Some officers, ungcoustomed d to
manual labor, were condemned TO bull
| stone hoses, ard sent into the quarries to
excavate, shape and transport The stones,
or IL to the forests 70 fell trees, and drag
them up hill and down dale, withou. roads
or any suitable means OF transport, and
| were kept 10 their tasks without inter
mission my meroilsss ta-k masters.