The Bessemer indicator., 1894-03-31
surcnsRY IN CHURCH.
An Incidsnt Of the CrAs's war Against
Hs1lgISua Liberty.

hon01So AAOSFtys
The kolhisohe volksxeitune, a
Roman Catholic organ. publishes
from q Trustworthy source some sick
enipg details OF the massacre at
Krosche. In tho government OF Kovno
in Russian Poland. As is already
known. the Catholics of the place
took 1t in turn to guard their church
day and night. to prevent Its being
taken by surprise by the Russians
At 2 O'Clock on the morning Of the
10th OF February Project Klingen-
berg, OF Kovno. arrived at Krosche,
accompanied by forty strongly armed
policemen.
There were about seventy persons
in the church. Cursing and yelling.
the police rushed at the devotees,
beat them with the knout and struck
them with their swords, SO that tho
church echoed with the cries OF the
wounded Some succeeded in fleeing
to the belfrcy, where they rang the
bells, thus summoning the rest of
the inhabitants who crowded into
the building. A thousand persons
had soon collected, and the officials
had to retreat before superior
numbers. being forced. out of tho
church by the people. Only the
project remained, with his deputy.
lie He'd to the organ loft, and from
there fired several times at the peo-
pie. who were not intimidated, but
rushed at him and led him Off to
cell OF the convent close by, where
they ordered him to sign n paper
stating in it that he had attacked
and shot at defenseless and innocent
people This he refused to do.
When the day began to wane 800
Cossacks arrived at the place, armed
with rifles. lances and knouts. The
Cossacks' knouts have wire and iron
twisted in at the end so that every
stroke tears the flesh. They divided
themselves into two groups. One
surrounded the little town, while
the other rode to the church. Here
they at once dashed into the crowd,
fired at them, stabbed them with
their lances AMI struck them over
the heads with their knouts Two
Cossacks rode over the people who
had fallen into the church and were
followed by the others.
A great massacre now began. The
blood OF the defenseless inhabitants
who were trying to protect their
sanctuary stained the walls OF the
church and flowed on the floor.
Like demons some Of the Cossacks flew
at the altars. smashed the crucifixes,
candlesticks and images Of the saints.
and dashed them on the ground. A
priest was forced by them into tho
church and made to carry out tho
monstrance. The broken vessels and
images were thrown into a cesspooL
Some corpses found in the church
were tossed by tho Cossacks into the
limepit in tho churchyard Tho
people, who fed in all directions,
were pursued by the Cossacks and
taken prisoners. Many sprang into
the swollen river and were drowned.
The rest were surrounded by Cos
sacks and driven by them to tho
front Of the town hall on the mar
ket place.
Here piece Of barbarism took
place which defies all description.
Every inhabitant of Krosche was to
receive special punishment A
doctor was fetched, who was to say
how many strokes with the knout
each victim could bear. They were
brought up singly, and their clothes
torn off their bodies. Then they
were made to lie down naked between
two rows of Cossacks and fiogged
with the knout Nobody was spared.
not even delicate women. The in
human work lasted till sundown,
when the poor wretches were taken
Off to prison. Then the project al
lowed his Cossacks to "enjoy them
selves"