The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-01-17
THE SEAT OF WAR
VLLIERS TELLS THE STORY OF
THE PORT ARTHUR MASSACRE.
The Japnncse Acted Like savages-,
The Butchery Lasted Several Days
Will DenOunce Correspondent
De GueryiIIe.

Vancouver. B. c.. Jan. 16-Among
the passengers by the Empress OF
Japan was Frederick Villiers. war
correspondent and artist, who arrived
straight from the seat of war; When
asked by the Associated Press CORE
spondent regarding the truth of the
| stories of the massacre at Port Arthur,
Villiers said that unfortunately it was
only too true.
| On the Dist when Port Arthur was
captured Oyama decided that the
Japanese should occupy the town and
the Yamagis Suma regiment was or
dered to perform this duty. They en-
tered the town, Villiers Oondon Stand
( ard), Creelnan (New York World), and
Cowan Iondon Times, being with
them. Just inside the gates We're three
mutilated heads of Japanese stuck on
poles, and no sooner had the troops
seen these than they lost all control
and indiscriminately butchered every
! body they found. Oyama had issued a
| proclamation that none of the inhabi-
tants should be molested so the natives
were standing i'm groups on the streets
watching the entry of the soldiers.
They were driven like sheep into
groups and shot down in cold blood.
! That was kept UP all of the first day.
On the second day the soldiers broke
open stores and houses and shot down
men, women and children who were
hiding. No one was spared, youth or
old age even not escaping. The third
and fourth days the butchery con-
| tinued, officers not even attempting to
check the men. Many of the bodies
iY-5
day Of the massacre the Japanese Of
ffcers recognized that they had made
mistake and attempted to conceal
the butchery by throwing the clothes
of Chinese soldiers over the bodies.
! Villiers, Creelman and Cowan wit
messed the killing of many, and Villiers
has taken several snap shots, which
bear undeniable evidence of the truth
of the butchery. When shown the
statements sent out by the Japanese
legation at Washington, justifying the
massacre, Vflliers said it was impossi-
BILE to justify it, as no resistance was Of
fered. The first day might have been
excusable, as the soldiers lost all con-
troll on seeing the mudlated bodies,
but after they had time to reflect there
was no excuse.
Villiers says the town had a. popu-
latiOn of 1000 to 1000 and EOUt thirty
five to forty-fiYe We're left alive, and
these had tickets signed by Japanese
officers signifying that they We're not
to be killed. 1t was a terrible sight
and made them very depressed, as
the correspondents had formed a high
opinion of the Japanese for their pre-
Vious conduct.
AT Kin Chow the inhabitants well
coined them and called them angels
from heaven" and everywhere else
they had acted in a, civilized manner.
Their conduct ait Port Arthur, how
ever, showed that they were stin saw
ages.
| De Guerville, the Herald correspond
ent, was strongly denounced by Viii
liers, who claims he is in tine pay of
tine Japanese government to defend
them for their conduct at Port Arthur.
De Guerville, he says. was not at the
front at ALL but stayed with Field
Marshal Oyama in the rear. living in
/ comfort and obtaining hearsay reports.
I He also denounces him for informing
! the Japanese government that Creel-
man was a Chinese spy, as thereby
J their lives were endangered. He prom
liseS to expose him on his arrival in
I New York. All De Guerville did, says
/ Villiers, was to collect trophies and
drink wine.
Wei Hal Wei, vilHers says. will be
captured this winter, but Pekin will
/ not be reached. Creelman returns
home on the next Empress.