The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1894-12-20

Serious Charges Against tho Vic
toriOus Japanese Armies,
NOW A SAVAGE WAR OF CONQUEST.

An American Newspaper Man who wit
mes ed the Port Arthur Atrocities De-
clares That Japan Has Tramplcd Civili-
ization Under Foot.
NEW YORK, Dec 2O-Todays World
rrints the following special adyices from
It's correspondent, James Creelman, who
was with the japanese army dated Port
Arthur Nov. q, via Vancouver Dec. 10:
The struggle for the emancipation Of
Corea has been suddenly turned into a
headlong. savage war of conquest. 1t is
no longer conflict between civilization
and barbarism. Japan for the last four
days has trampled civilization under the
feet of her conquering army.
The taking Of Port Arthur and the pos
session of one Of the most powerful strong
holds in the world was too great strain
upon the Japanese character, which re-
lapsed in few hours = ack into the brut-
ish state from which u was awakened a
generation ago. Almost the entire popu-
lation found in Port Arthur has been mas
sacrcd, and the work of butchering the
unarmed and unresisting inhabitants has
been continued day after day until the
streets are chOked up with mutilated
corpses. In spite Of the vastness of the
battlefield and the strength of the bat
teries massed in this mighty chain of land
and sea forts, the taking Of Port Arthur
is robbed of its dignity as battle by the
fact that large and well trained army
attacked a mere rabble.
The Japanese lost about fifty dead and
$50 wounded in carrying fortress that
would have cost them 10000 men had it
been occupied by European or American
! troops.
China is now at the mercy of the island
| empire. In few days the fierce Sennal
| troops will be ready to leave Japan to join
Field Marshal Oyama's army, and then
| th' thin H.' 0ual movement towards Pc
king will begin.
Up to Jny ,noment Port Arthur was en-
| tered l can bear witness that both of
| Japan's armies now in the field were chiv-
alrous and generous to the enemy. There
was not a stain on her flag. When we
left Kinchow on Nov. II and began the
march on Port Arthur the battery of
thirty siege guns were still laundering in
| the rear, but General Hassegawa had ar
rived with the famous Kumanoto troops,
and the entire army of invasion was as
sembled-something like $4,000 men. In
! the whole force advancing on Port Ar
thur there were seventy-eight guns, in
| Guiding the mountain and field batteries
| and the delayed seig' cannon.
| In the march on Port Arthur several
| skirmishes were had with Cinnamon who
were finally put to flight by a flank move
ment. l saw the Japanese dead on the
road with their heads gone and their bod
les mutilated. Several corpses were with.
out hands, two had been butchered like
sheep and their hearts and their livers
torn out. A japanese horse had been
killed and the Chinese had cut steaks from
the launches in the middle of the fight
These facts, however, did not warrant the
| monstrous Cruelties inflicted on the con
| quered Chinese.
AS the victorious troops moved on they
saw the heads Of their slain comrades hang
ing by cords, with their noses and ear
gone. There was a rude arch in the mair
street decorated by bloody japanese heads
| A great slaughter followed The infu
rated soldiers killed everyone they saw
No attempt to take prisoners was made
| Women and children we're hunted ant
shot as they fled to the hills with their pro
tectors. The town was sacked from enc
to end, and the inhabitants were butchereC
in their own houses. There were a dozeI
junks in the harbor filed with fugitives-
men, women and children. Not one es
capped.
l am satisfied that not more than hun
dred Chinese were killed in fair battle n
| Port Arthur, and that at least 1900 un
armed men We're put to death.