The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1898-09-17
AND THIS IN 1898
Massacre Worse Than Those Known
in Armenia.
KILLING OF 800 IN SIAM
A Frightful Butchery-m Ountaineers Who Re-
fused 10 Pay Taxes-An Exter-
minariOn.

| The Siam Free Press prints the follow
| ing account of a recent (this summer
massacre of women and children by Siam
csc troops:
| The unspeakable Turk must look to his
| laurels, for the events which have taken
| place in Battambong prove that the
| Siamese are running him close. Our
| readers need not be reminded that on ac-
| count of the CambOdian mOuntaineerS re-
| fusing to submit any longer to the OPP
| preston of Siamese officials and to pay
| the CardamOn tribute, the Governor OF
BattambOng organized expedition
against them. 1t is clear that he did not
! do so on his own responsibility, for the
| taxes which he meant to collect from
them were to go into the K1rg of Siam s
Golfers. The latest dispatch of our cor
espondent reads follows:
After the failure of the first eXpedi-
ton, the Governor, acting under instruc-
lions from the SiameSe Government, pre-
pared second expedition. He collected
together the most reckless and abandoned
characters of the district, and putting
himself at their head, marched rapidly
and with much secrecy as possible on
the CambOdian encampment. The insur-
gents occupied a strong position, but with
the usual careleSSneSS of their race, they
were preparing their food when the Siam
csc arrived and there was no one on
guard. Many of the able bodied men were
absent, trying to BRING down some game
which might supply their scanty commits
ariat for the day, and the greater num-
Der of those in camp were women, chill
were only six or seven who had guns; the
rest were unarmed. When the Governor
of Battambong and his 500 cutthroats sur
prised the camp there was hardly any at
tempt at resistance. gallant CambO-
dian had killed two SiameSe who had at
tackled girl, but he was Immediately cut
down, and no one else made any resist
ance. Then began one of the most fright
ful butCherieS of modern times. The Gov
ernOr and his valiant 500 threw themselves
on the women and children and cut them
down with savage ferOCity.
THE SiameSe rammed the muzZleS Of
their guns down the womens threats and
then discharged them; they tore the chill
dren from their mothers arms and tossed
them on their bayOnets; they pursued the
little ones into the hutS and pierced them
through the straw beneath which they
attempted to hide.
Two of the Cambodian leaders were
captured alive. and after being treated
with fiendship cruelty they were decapi-
tated and their heads stuck on pixies
which were planted in the ground among
mutilated trunks which had a few mo-
ments before been human beings. After
accomplishing this good days work the
Governor and his accomplices held big
carouse.
The war is now at an end; war
like and independent people have been
practically eXterminated: the remnant
have filed over the frontier into French
territory: but the main object of the eN-
petition has not been gained. The Car
damon tribute has not been collected, and
it never shall be- for the country is now a
desert If the King wants money for his
harem or for his advisers he must look
elsewhere, his faithful subjects on the
hills of Cambodia have gone to a better
world
A correspondent who has Travelled
through the country which has been the
theater of these Siamese butcheries de
ClareS that what was once a rich district
is now practically desert. All the vii
lagos in the hills are abandoned; some of
them have been sacked and the inhabi-
tantS murdered: and no living thing has
been left in a wide area save the dogs and
some of the domestic animals of the in
habitants. The SiameSe have showed no
mercy to man. woman child all
throughout this bloody business: they de-
termined on Strengthening every CambO-
dian they met and they have succeeded
a meTveiIIe.