The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1895-01-18
JAPANESE MASSACRE AND H0R.
RID ATROCITIES.
Cruel Barbaritlcs Of Three Days Dura-
ton. over 1000 Deienseless Be.
ings Wantonly Put 10 Death.


Japanese. His account abounds in
horrors unknown to the civilized and
christianized world. Smarting under
their continued defeat the Chinese
have, no doubt, been most cruel IN
their treatment of what few Japanese
prisoners they have taken and the
brutal massacre at Port Arthur was in
retaliation. The correspondent says
there is no lorger Chinese army
proper, and the advance of the Japan
ese is therefore one Of wreckless aban'
don and continuous march OF con-
quest. Ashamed of their own barhari-
ties great efforts were made to induce
the war correspondents TO shut their
eyes to the wlful and brutal waste of
life. 1t was the law of war to kill the
soldiers of the enemy who resisted
and could not be taken prisoners, 1t
was argued. But the correspondents
would not be hoodwinked, and point
ed to the murder Of hundreds of un-
offending inhabitants, women and
children, and refused TO conceal from
the world the bloody work of the
armed assassins. Mr.. Creelman says {:
" Japan stands disgraced before the
world. She has violated the Geneva
convention, dishonored and profaned
the Red Cross and banished human.
ity and mercy from her councils.
Victory and, now, lust for dominion
have set her mad"
Ii is true that when the Japanese
troops poured into Port Arthur they
saw the heads of their slain comrades
hanging by cords, with the noses and
ears gone There was a rude arch in
the, main street decorated with bloody
Japanese heads. A great slaughter
followed. The inluriated soldiers
killed. every one they saw.
No attempt to take prisoners was
made. l saw man who was kneel-
ing to the troops aud begging for
mercy pinned to the ground with a
bayouet. while his head was hacked
off with sword. Another Chinaman
covered in a corner while squad of
soldiers shot him to pieces. An old
man on his knees in the street was
cut almost in two. Another poor
wretch was shot on roof top. Still
another fell in the street and was
bayonetted through the back dozen
times. Just below me was a hospital
flying the Red Cross flag, but the
Japanese fred upon the unarmed
man who came out of the doorway
A merchant in a fur cap knelt
down and raised his hands in entreaty.
AS the soldiers shot him he put his
hands over his face. | saw his corpse
the next day. 1t was slashed beyond
recognition. Women and children
were hunted and shot at as they f.d
to the hills with their protectors. The
town was sacked from end to end and
the inhabitants were butchered in
their own homes.
About s o'clock there was a sound
OF music on the parade ground, where
all the Generals we're assembled with
the Field Marshal-all save Noghi,
who had gone in pursuit of the retreat
ing enemy. What cheering and what
shaking What solemn strains
from the band And all the while
we could hear the rattle of rifle volleys
In the streets, and knew that helpless
people OF the town were being
slaughtered in cold blood and their
homes pillaged.
That was the coldest night OF the
year. The thermometer dropped to
twenty degrees above zero. While
the women and children were freezing
out in the mountains the work of ex-
terminating the men went on all
night.
In the morning l walked through
the'streets. Everywhere l saw bodies
torn and manged as if by wild beasts.
The slain shopkeepers lay piled in the
roadway, with tears frozen in their
eyes and bloody icicles hanging from
their wounds.
Dogs were whlmperlng over the
stark corpses Of their masters. Here
and there the famished animals were
tearing at the flesh of human bodies
still warm. While in company with
Mr.. Cowan / came across corpse
which had been beheaded. The head
lay two or three yards away and dog
was tearing the neck. A Japanese
sentry looked on and laughed.
Then | saw white haired, tooth
less merchant disemboweled on the
threshold of his own shop, which had
been looted. Another victim had his
breast ripped opened by Japanese
sword, and pet dog lay shlvenng
under his arms.
There was dead woman lying IN.
der heap of slain men in every con-
ceivable attitude of agony and suppl.
cation. AT one corner there were
twenty-five corpses in a pile. The
soldiers had been so close to their
victims that the clothes had caught