The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-01-08
TORTURING SOLDIERS.
THE HORRORS OF WAR IN THE
WILDS OF TONGKING,

ure OF an Officer Avenged by the
Complete Annihilation OF Wealthy
Chinese Town-An Adventure with
Pirates.
From the North China Herald
was lucky enough to get as far as the
ectual frontier of Tongking and China. in
the very midst Of the pirates and Chinese
freebooters, where fighting is constant and
bloody outrages common. NJ. Bavier-
Chauffeur, the managing director of the
Tongking Coal Mining Company, gave me
the use Of his launch, and accompanied me-
with one Of his leutenants, Mr.. Watts, a
man of huge build and fierce beard, much
Travelled and charming companion. The
trip was Of the greatest interest, and it is
safe to say that hardly an Englishman,
except James Hart, who helped to delimit
the frontier, has been near the spot before.
From Haton, where the coal mines are,
we steamed due north along the coast, en-
tering almost at once the uniqu scenery Of
Along bay. On our way down we came
across fleet of sampans, carrying 900
wood-cutters to their work, conveyed by a
gun-boat. The commander hailed u.s. 81
engage you to be cautious" he said: there
is a well-armed band of pirates reported on
the coast. | would come little way with
you, but / have just received Geographic
orders to stand by these boats. However,
keep good lookout
BY the evening of the second day we
were close to our destination-the mouth of
the river separating Tongking and China.
tt was very foggy internationally, and the
pilot had got about to the end Of his knowl-
edge. He believed us, however, to be Just
off the mouth of the river. So we held a
council of war on the bridge, and decided
to anchor. The word was hardly out of our
hosts mouth when-scrunch, scrunch,
under the keel told US it was too
late. We were high and dry,
on a falling tide. Then the fog
lifted for a moment, and we saw where we
were-f ar beyond the mouth of the river,
within quarter of mile of the mainland
of China, and in probably the very worst
spot fer the very worst pirates in the whole
world. And in these seas there is only one
tide In the twenty-four hours. Then Watts
slowly rose to the hight of his six feet three
inches, took our wretched Anamite pilot
by the scruff of the neck, turned him round,
and solemnly administered sound kicking.
A NIGHT OF SUSPENSE.
The chastisement was deserved; it was
thorough, audit was picturesque, but it did
not help us in the least. For twenty hours
we should be on the sandbank, in two or
three hours we could walk round the
launch. Never in their lives would the
pirates have had such chance at such a
prize as the Fanny, and they could come in
any number from the mainland. We tried to
laugh at our bad luck, but the situation
was decidedly unpleasant. watts knew the
country very well and the natives, as he
speaks Anamese, but we all knew enough
to know 0 9 thing-namely, that it would
never do to be taken alive. To blow ones
brains out if necessary is one thing; to be
skinned alive is another So we made
preparations for our defense. No craft
travels in these waters without being
armed and we were particularly well off.
After dinner we laid our revolvers on the
table ard commenced an all-night game
the second time in my life that / have
assisted at the unholy union of poker and
pistols. Once only were we distur ed.
About O'Clock the Sikh in the bows
shouted "Sampanp In an instant we were
on deck, and there, sure enough, was big
black boat a preaching from the sea. We
waited until iJ was within couple of hun
dred yards-long enough to see that it was
full of men, and was being rowed in IN
usual silence; then watts shouted in Anam-
csc: IF you don't show a light in
stantly, we S all shoot" There was no
shouted again, and the rifles were at our
shoulders, when the boat showed lantern.
Then slowly it disappeared back into the
darkness.
So ended our desperate affair with the
pirates Their existence is no joke, how
ever. Numbers of native junks fall into
their hands, and within the last two months
several Europeans have been murdered by
them, and two or three, with sums of money
- ek,o hoU
peared. A fortnight ago two redoubtable
pirate chiefs were captured, with 200 men
with 120 breech-loaders, after an expedition
costing 81, 900 and 100 killed and wounded.
At a place called Caobang they are still
formidable in the field, kept by their leaders
under strict discipline and training, and
when hard pressed, says the Courier
d'Hdiphong, make their escape across the
frontier into China, where the mandarins
help them.
FRENCHMAN SKINNED ALIVE.
1t is long row up the river 60 the little
frontier town of Monkay. This is-or
rather was-a very peculiar place. 1t was
built half on each side of the little stream
that forms the actual frontier. l believe
the two halves had different names, the
Tongking one only being called Monkay,
but they were practically one town. CFhe
reason for using the past tense will be plain
presently The town had no poor quarter
its streets were mechanically laid out; its
houses were all of brick and stone, with
richly carved and ornamental lntels and
caves; their inhabitants were all rich. In
some way or other. thiswas the outcome Of
the alliance of piracy and smuggling.
When the French came they did not In
terfere with the town on their side OF the
stream but ON the top of sugar-loaf hill
three-duarters of mile back they began t
build a little fort, and under its guns they
laid out ''cltadel, " inside which to locate
the barracks, officers quarters, magazines,
etc.
Among the first to be sent there was 6
civilian offic al named Haitce. One day
while out with small party they were at
tackled by a band of Chinese soldiers. They
fled, some were shot, some escaped. Hattie
only was captured. He was taken back t.
a house in the principal street or the mode
little town of Monkay, tied down upon
table and skinned alive.
HOW MoNKAY WAS PUNISHED.
Now at this time the famous Col
Dugenne was in command OF the forelg
legion in Tongking. Everybody, know
what the foreign legion is-almost the onl.
force in the world here sound man Is en-
listed instantly without question beln
asked. No matter what your nationality
what your color, what you
past, you are welcome in tn
foreign legion. A man may even deseI
nkn