Morning journal and courier., 1894-01-03
BRUTAL WORK OF CossAcKs.

ordered to Close q Catholic Church
They Did so and FIendishly Killed
the Inmates-Youns Women Were
Subjected to the vflest IndiEnities-
The Catholics who Fled Were Pur.
sued to the River, Where Many
Were Drowned-Men and Women
Captives Were Brutally Whipped
with the Knout.
BERLIN, Jan. 2.-In November last the
vossische Zeitung of this city Published q
story from Kovno, Russia, stating that the
imperial authorities, who are members of
the Greek church, had ordered that the
Catholic church at Krosche be closed.
With the purpose, 1t was said, of prevent
ing the order from being carried out, Q
large number of Catholics took possession
of the church and held it day and night.
The government sent troop of Cossacks
to dislodge the defenders of the church,
and desperate conflict resulted. Twenty
Catholics were said to have been killed and
one hundred women wounded. Others, IL
was stated, were pursued by the Cossacks,
who drove them into a river, where many
were drowned.
The Russian pspers came out with an
official version. They said the czar order
ed the church to be closed, 80 that an agri
cultural college might be built on the site.
They asserted that in the encounter be-
tween the military and police on one side
and the Catholics on the other four police
men were slightly wounded, but they brand
ed the story of q massacre of the Catholics
as q pure invention.
The Cologne Gazette q few days ago
claimed to know that the story of the mas
sacre was true.
To-day the Volks-Zeitung publishes mail
advices from Krosche bearing out in every
particular the first story of the killing of
the Catholics. It adds that the Cossacks
displayed the greatest bsrbarities and took
flendish delight in killing defenseless wo-
younger women were subjected to the vii
est indignities by the Cossacks.
After the capture of the church by the
soldiers the building was desecrsted in
every conceivable way, some of the Cos
sacks throwing the host from the altar and
upon 1t. The religious symbols
and church decorations were completely
destroyed.
The people who had been killed by sword
thrusts were lying about the church In
every direction, while those who were
were lying among them grooming
and moaning, while the Cossacks, needless
them with their heavy boots and some
times struck at them with their spears
In the meantime the Catholics who had
ded In dismsy ran In the direction of the
river. A separate body of Cossacks start
ID after them, shouting "Kill the CATTLE" |
The correspondent says some of the |
deeing people fell to the ground In an
agony of fright, and were struck with |
ancss by the horsemen as they dashed by |
IN pursuit of the fugihves. Several are |
alleged to have been killed in this manner. |
When the river was reached many of the |
'ugitives plunged in and sought to swim |
% the other side. A number of them |
could not stem the current and were
drowned, the Cossacks standing on the /
bank laughing and jeering at them In re-
'ponse to their cries for help.
Those who did not jump into the river /
we're secured by the Cossacks and taken /
back to the town where those who had /
,een captured at the church were held as
prisoners. The authorities ordered that /
III of them be logged and the order was
'arried out In the market place. Women
10 we'll as men were stripped until they /
we're practically naked, and surrounded by /
he heartless Cossacks and orthodox Rus
lAns tney WeIe Wu1ppeo VIII Knouts.
The number of persons killed ia not /
stated, hut report places the
lumber at from seventy to one hundred,
With q very large number 80 severely in /
ured that they have since died of their
INJURIES or have been manned for life. |
The story has excited widespread indigna-
ion and persons conversant with the ma /
ure of the Cossscks place no faith In the /
'Hfcial denial of their action on this occa-
ion.