The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1894-08-19
JAPANESE AWFUL BUTCHERS.
Story of the Terrible Massacre at the
Sinking of the Kow Shung.


VICTORIA, b. c.. Aug. 1S-A letter just
received by a friend in this city from NJ.
Gustav Lefanu, one uf the officers OF the
French cruiser Lion, serving for some
Time past on the China stttion, contains
nn interesting account of the story aud
incidents of the Chinese-JApanese war
which had but fairly opened whea it was
uisps tChed.
The Lion, it Will be remembered, was
the gunboat instrumental in terminating
the operations of the Chinese pirates, and
she also was the only neutral witness Of
the sinking Of the British steamer KoW
Shuug. carrying Chinese troops, by the
japanese cruiser Naaiwa. The latter in-
cldent of the campaign. VI. Lefanu refers
Ia at some length IN his letter. He says:
Il do nos think much of either the
Japanese or the Chinese as sea fighters 1t
seems shame 10 give good ships and
modern arms 10 such set Of cowardly
butchers.
IT WAS COLD-BLOODFD.
''Take the Kow Shing affair-it was
nothing but cold blooded murder. We
fell in with the Nsuiwa on the 2Srd of
July. She WAS under full steam and max
ing great speed, we naturally inferred
that she had business on foot and followed
her TO see what il was. She oveThsuled
the HOW SIZING and two smaller crafts. the
Naoi and Too Man, just outside Of Snopa
island, early In the morning OF the 25fh
The kow Shing WAS flying her Bri ISn
Colors and so WAS the Too Man. The Nali
showed 10 colors at all and for some rea
son or other the Too Man hauled down a.
the NanIwa came along. The japanese
gGnboat dropped her anchors when she
reached signaling distance, and We did the
same. Two boats were lowered for the
Nanlwa and her officers spent several
hours on the how Sling sending boats
back and forth IN The meantime. We
We're anNioUSly awaiting developments,
but did not expect To see powder burned
Hs much on account Of the de.enseless con-
dition of the how Shins as owing TO her
flying the English colors."
NOTHING LEFT But wREC6AGE.
''Of course. we knew rs well as the
Naniwa that she had Chinese troops on
board. Finally tie bOafs returned Il the
Naniwa and the how Shing went TO the
lee OF the island and anchored here. by
order OF the japanese, Is we sf erward
learned. The next we knew, two hours
later. che trailing Gamer WAS under slow
steam ard the Naniwa was standing out
for the open, cleared for action. There
vss not then half or quarter Of 4 mile be
tween the two, but nevertheless. the biz
cruiser tried some of her heaviest metal
oB the captive. Then she got her torDedoes
working. and IN "A few minutes the flowing
wreckaEe was all that WAS left OF the Well
KNOWN mer. we canned IN ana
lowered oar oats, succeeding n picking
up twenty three men Who Were sw!mru.
f, two Germans. one Englishmen and twenty
Chinese.
JAPANESE NOT VERY BRAVE.
"The japanese were shooting the swim
mers ia the water VI. b rifles and GATH Is
when we came mp, bus suspended firing
and lowered Oats, TOO, though We did no.
see them PICK any one. Invy said th-
transport was trying to escape, she would
he sunk The English, we picked up, told
Us she was merely shifting anchorage 30 -
TO be safe from wreck AZ the turn OF the
ride and had slguHlled the Nsniwa that
she was going 10 do Sc, However,. thai
may be- the japanese did not distinguish
themselves by bravery u, The could very