The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1894-08-20
DOWNRIGHT MURDER.


VrcToRIA, Is. c., Aug. 20.-A letter re-
ociyed In this city from M. G. Lcfan, one
Of the officers Of the French cruiser Lyon.
nerving for some time past on the China
station, contains an interesting account OF
the story and incidents of the japanese
war which had but fairly opened whenft
was dispatched The Lyon was the only
neutral witness of the sinking Of the Brit
ish steamer Kow Shing. The latter incl-
dent of the campaign, M. Lefan referred
TO ut some length in his letter. He says:
II do not think much Of the Japanese
or Chinese rs sea fighters. IL seems a
shame to give good ships and modern arms
to such a set of cowardly butchers. Take
the Kow Shing affair. Itwas nothing but
cold d-blooded murder, The Naniwa over
hauled the Kow Shing and two smaller
craft, the Naio and TOoman, just outside
of Shopa island early in the morning of
July 25. The Kow Shing was flying her
British colors and SO was the Tooman.
The Japanese gunboat dropped her
anchors when she reached signalling dis
tance, and we did the same
''Two boats were lowered from the
Naniwa, and her officers spent several
hours on the Kow Shing, sending the
boats back and forth in tho meantime.
We were anxiously awaiting develop
ments, but did not expect to sec powder
burned as much on account of the defence
less condition of tho Kow Shing as owing
TO her flying the English colors. OF course
we knew as well as the Naniwa that she
had Chinese troops on board.
Captive Was Helpless.
FINALLY the boats returned to the Nam
iva, and the Kow Shing went TO the lee
OF the island and anchored there by order
OF the Japanese, as we afterwards learned.
The next we know, two hours later, the
trading steamer was under steam and the
Naniwa was standing out of the open sea,
cleared for action. There was not even
half or quarter of mile between the
two; nevertheless, the big cruiser tried
some of her heaviest metal on the captive
Then she got her torpedoes working, and
In few minutes the floating wreckage
was all that was left OF the steamer.
1--WE lowered our boats, picking up 90
men who were swimming. The Japanese
were shooting the swimmers in the water
with rifles and gatling guns when we
came up, but suspended firing and lowered
boats, too, though we did not sec them pick
any one up They said that the transport
was trying to escape. The Englishmen we
picked up told us she was merely shifting
anchorage, so as TO be safe from wreck at
the turn of the tide, and that she was not
20 foolish as TO try TO get away.
The Loss of the Naio.
"The saddest part of the affair is that in
the excitement the Naio disappeared.
Whether sAey tee,- went under or ESCAPED,
we do not yet know. The Tooman stood
by to rescue tho drowning Chinese from
the Kow Shing, although she was herself
badly crippled. This drew on her the firing
from the Naniwa and "a torpedo quickly |
settled her.
'The skipper Of the Tooman, think, |
was an Englishman or an American, so |
have been told. Whatever country he be- |
loDged to IL should be proud of him. He
faced the music with not n chance in a
hundred, stood by the Chinese as long as
they 1oated and died game.
1T was nothing but wholesale murder, !
and II Japan does not suffer in the long
run 1t will not be because she does not do |
serve to.
ny Way of China.
LONDON, Aug. 2o--A special dispatch |
from Shanghai says that instead of a large |
Chinese army, only small force was |
routed at Yashan by the Japanese. The |
remainder of the army has, IL is said, gone
north 20 join the northern forces. Skir-
mishes are reported to have taken place at |
Ping Yang
The Chinese government has prohibited |
the expectation of horses. Horses are re-
garded as contraband of war. Urgent or
ders have been sent from the northern to |
the southern arsenals for powder and |
other munitions Recruiting for the army
Is progressing actively.
Tho Japanese have fortified the passes
leading from China into Corea, and have
established elaborate defenses at Seoul. the
capital.
One hundred and sixty thousand men
have been mobolized by Japan, and the
reserves have been called upon for service
in Corea
Sickness prevails in both the Chinese
and Japanese armies.
China has accepted the offer OF Lui-
YungFi, the celebrated ex-chief of the
Black Flags in Tonquin, who is now a ma
val commodore at Canton, to reorganize
the Black Flngs to fight against Japan.