The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-07-11
neous discharge of a number of small

neous discharge Of a number of small
/ arms.
Then followed the men with the "chain
scourges." They, too, were shouting the
! names of Hassein and Hussein, and with
! each shut they would swing the scOurge
| each shout they wOulr swing the scourge
/ bare skin with a vicious swish, leaving
/ cruel white Welts. There was no make
believe about the force of the blows, for
already the skin on the backs of some was
broken and bleeding freely.
And then l Witnessed a most horrible
sight. The men who 1 tod you were dress
ed in white robes and carried swords next
came into view. They were blood-stained
from head to foot. They still walked side
ways. and with every cry Of 'Hassein!
| Husseni" the swords came down on their
| unprotected heads. At first l could hard
" believe my eyes, and tried to persuade
myself that they had merely desmeared
their faces and dresses with the blood Of
some animal, but as they drew near l saw
that it was with their own blood, from
seif-infiicted wounds, that these poor IA
natics were dishgured AS the two lines
passed the place where / was standing, and
l could have touched those nearest, and
stretching out my arm, I saw the swords
raised, their fall and the squirt of blood
which followed the contact of the blade
with the bare scalp. The white shirt
waists Of the women of our party were
sprlnkled with the crimson fluid. 1t was
horrible, incredible. disgusting. I shrank
back as far as l could and would have
fed the place had such thing been pos
sible. The women of our party were ter
ribly affected, and after one Mortified look
at the CHASTITY scene turned away and bur-
led their faces In their trembling hands.
To get away at that moment was next
to an impossibility and we were forced to
remain to the bitter end.
Of the principal actors increasing every
minute. They were by this time beyond
control and were infiictlng terrible wounds
on themselves. Friends of the partici-
pants walked back of them, sticks in
hand, with which they would ward off the
blows. Several of the men fell to the
ground in a fainting condition and were
quickly borne from the scene by eager
hands of their compatriots. At the third
and last turn of the procession around the
square those who could still walk stag
gered along as though they were badly
intoxicated and were horrifying sights
Their heads and faces were one mass of
clotted blood and their once white robes
were fairly dripping with blood, We left
the scene of this barbaroR ceremony with
the least possible delay. My hands trem-
bled, my steps were unsteady, there was
taste of blood in my mouth, taste which
follows the extraction of a troublesome
tooth, and crimson mist rendered dim
my eyesight. Never will l again volun-
tarily witness such a scene. A battle field
after desperate engagement between OPP
posing forces could not possibly be more
sanguinary in appearance.
To-day l am told that three of the men
who participated in Thursday nights GER
emory have since died of their wounds. I
was not surprised to hear that his excel
lency, the Persian ambassador, refused to
attend the ceremony, saying he disap
proved of it and thought it should be
prohibited A Greek friend tells me that
the ceremony at Teheran and Tavriz in
Persia Is much more horrible than the
one here. The one L witnessed was surely
CORY enough to satisfy the most exact
ing. Compared to it a Spanish bull fight
is as tame as a church sociable.