The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1894-01-03
A Church MASSACRE.
Details of the Slaughter Of Cath
olios in Russia,
SEVENTY TO A HUNDRED KILLED,

Cossacl,s Rode Into the Church on Horse
back, Destroyed Sacred Ornaments and
Knouted and spcured the worshipcrs.
Dead Bodies Thrown Into CosspooI.
BERLIN. Jan. 3.-Several reports have
recently been circulated regarding a mas
saCre of Catholics which was said to have
take place at Krosche, Russia, and cos
sack soldiers belonging to the Russian
government are said to have been impli-
Gated in this massacre
Various versions of the affair have been
given and each version has been officially
denied by the Russian government. The
Cologne Gazette on the other hand, some
days ago repudiated these official denials,
and prOfessed to give details of the cruelty
of the cossacks.
The Nolks Ieitiung says that the Cath
olics at Krosche took turns to guard the
church for eight days previous to the mas
sacre, in order to prevent their co religion
lists from being surprised by the Russian
cossacks, but in spite of the precautions
they were surprised at 2 o'clock during
the morning of Nov. 10 by Prefect King
enberg and forty armed cossack police
men.
1t is said the prefect at the head of this
force of cossacks. entered the church in
which about seventy Catholics were gath
cred. The cossacks, cursing and yelling,
rushed upon the worshipers knouting
them and striking them with their swords
until the church echoed with the screams
of the wounded.
Some of the Catholics ran to the belfry,
where they rang the bells in alarm.
Thousands of people soon gathered around
the church and the Russian officials were
forced out of the building. Only the pre-
feet and his deputy succeeded in resisting
the efforts of the inhabitants, and these
two men retreated to the organ loft, from
which place they opened fire upon the
people in the church, until the former es-
capped and the latter was oyerpowered and
eventually confined in cell situated in a
/ neighboring convent.
! Late the same day detachment of some
! 300 cossacks were sent from Kovno to
Krosche They were armed with rifles
( lances and knouts. Upon arrival at
| Krosche the cossacks were divided into
| two detachments. One body surrounded
! the township ON all sides and the other
rode at a gallop towards the church and
/ dashed, with lancos drawn, into the crowd
, outside the building, spearing and shoot
/ ing and lashing with their knouts all who
came within their reach. Many were
| killed and wounded.
The cossacks then rode their horses into
| the church, and the massacre of peopl,
inside began. They shot and speared right
and left until the floor and walls of tn,
| church were drenched with blood.
The cossacks are said to have acted like
demons, smashing the crucifiXes candle
sticks and images of saints and then
( throwing the pieces into "A cesspOOl.
The cossacks then rode over the people
right and left and dragged the corpses by
| their feet to the cesspOOl and threw then
into this horrible hole until it was chokeC
with the bodies of the dead as well as by
a number OF those who were only wounded
The people, it appears, fled in all direc
tions while the massacre was going on ans
were pursued and captured or badly
wounded by the cossacks of the seconl
detachment, which was detailed to sur
round the town and to prevent the escap,
of any of the inhabitants. A number o
the latter are said to have been so pani,
stricken that they committed suicide
many of them jumping into the swolleI
river, were they We're drowned
The rest of the unfortunate inhabitant
were surrounded by the cossacks, who
lance in hand, drove them before them tt
the market place in front of the town hall
Here every man, woman and child of tn
town was ordered to be punished by being
flogged with the knout.
The number Of people killed is not def
nitely stated, but report places the mum
ber at all the way from seventy to hun
dred, with a very large number so severel.
injured that they have since died of thei
injuries or have been ma lined for life