Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1895-01-18
JAPS' CRUEL ACTS.
Tales Of the Awful Atrocities Of
Port Arthur COrrObOrated.
HELPLESS PEOPLE KILLED,
Troops of MIkado Fired on Women
and Children. M utI' ated Bodies
and Slaughtered Many
Town RansaCked.


Town Ransacked.
A letter received In London from Mr.
Cowan dated Kobe, December 3, substanti-
ates in every detail the first account OF the
terrible atrocities by the Japanese at Port
Arthur. Mr.. Cowan says: "What happen
eI after Port Arthur fell into japanese hands
It woul have been impossible and even dan
gerous to report while on the spot. At the
earliest possible moment every foreign cor
respondent escaped from the scene to
place where freedom OF speech could be sale
Tn. last sounds we heard were those OF
shooting. OF wanton murder, continued on
the hfta day after the great battle. The
Chinese had resisted desperately to the last,
retreating slowly from cover to cover, until
they got right back among the buildings on
the outskirts of the town. Then, at last, all
re ,is.auce ceased; they were thorou ,hly de-
ea'el and made a stampede through the
streets, trying to hide or to escape across
the country east and west as best they
might.
II was on the brow Of steep bill COM
manding a close view Of the whole town at
my feet, with the west port at my back, the
Table Fort on my left, Gold Hill Fort and
the sea on my right and the Eastern Forts
away in front beyond the town. When /
saw the japanese march in, forcing up tho
street, AMI into the houses, chasing and
Killing every live thing that crossed their
path. 1 looked hard for the cause. l saw
practically every shot fired, and not ono
came from any but japanese. [ saw scores
of Chinese hunted out Of cover, shot down
and hacked to piece, and never n man made
an attempt to fight All were in plain
clothes, for the soldiers flying from death
got rid OF their uniforms as they ran. Many
went down on their knees, supplicating with
heads bent to the ground, aud in that atti-
ude were butchered merclessly by the con-
luering army Those who hel were pur-
sued and sooler or later were done to death.
"Gun shots behind US turned our attention
10 the North Creek, leading into Lig
lagoon Here swarms OF boats were moving
AWAY W luC nOol iOhQSA w ANA~O AAOAA hOA-
nal limit with panic-stricken fugitives, men,
women and children who had stayed too
late in the beIeaguered town troop Of
ia; anese cavalry, with an officer, was at the
head OF the creek, firing down seaward,
slaughtering all within range.
Another poor wretch rushed out at the
back OF the house as the invaders entered the
back door promiscuously. He got into n
back lane and moment later found himself
corneIed between two fires. We could hear
his cry for quarter as he bowed his head in
the dust three times. The third time be rose
no more but fell on his side, bent double In
posture Of petition for the greatly vaunted
mercy Of the Japanese who stood ten PAGES
O1 and exultantly emptied their guns into
him. More Of these piteous deaths we saw.
unable to stay the hands Of the murderers
until, sick and saddened beyond the power
OF words to tell, we slowly made our way in
the gathering DOM down the hill, picking
path throu yh the rife pit, thick with Chinese
cartridge cases and back to headquarters.
There, at the Chinese generals pavilion, fac
Ing the spacious parade ground. Field Mar
shall Oyama AMI all his officers assembled
and strains OF strange music from Il military
band, now weird, characteristic OF a Japa-
nese march, now lively French waltz and
ending with the impressive national anthem,
Kaminoga' and a hugh roar from 10000
throats OF Benzal Nippon All were over
1owing with enthusiastic patriotism and de-
light OF the days work DONE the splendid
triumph after the hard-fought fight
"None OF the japanese dreamed that their
guests from the West were filed with horror,
indignation and disgust. Robbed OF our
sleep on the eve Of the battle and utterly ex-
hausted, we lay long next morning until the
sound OF shooting aroused u.s. To our sur
prise and dismay we found that the massacre
Of Wednesday, which might have been ex-
planned, though certainly not excused, on
the ground of excitement in the heat OF the
battle and flush Of victory and the knowledge
of dead comrades mutiIated was being con
tinued In cold blood now. Thursday, Friday,
Saturday and Sunday was spent by the SOL
diery in murder and piIage. Bodies Of men
we're strewn In the streets In hundreds, per.
haps thousands, for we could not count
some with not limb unseyered, some Will
heads hacked and cross-cut and split length
wise, some ripped open, not by chance, but
with careful precision, down and across, dis
endowed and dismembered.
Meanwhile every building in the town was
throughly ran n'acked. What was worth tax
ing was taken and the rest destroyed"