The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1900-08-10
HORRORS OF
TIEN-YSIN.
Massacre of the French Consul
and Nuns in 1870.
A TALE OF HORROR TOLD.
Appalling Barbarities In the Outbreak of
Thirty Years Ago and Some
OF the Shocking
Details.

Thirty Years Ago and Some
Of the Shocking
Details.
"some idea of the awful tortures in
fiicted by the Chinese upon foreigners
may be gathered from what happened
at Tien Tsin IN 1870" said a retired
naval officer who has spent many years
in the Orient, to Washington Post
reporter.
ever since the foreign ministers
were cooped up in Peking have feared
that the Tien Tsin horrors would be
duplicated when the story Of the Pek-
ing massacre came to be known to the
world. notice that the horror story Of
the torturing Of M. De Giers, the Rus
sian envoy, has been denied officially,
but 1t seems to me that the story Is
more likely to be SO awful that the
officials dare not make the full details
public Just yet.
"The Tien Tsin massacre was aimed
at the Frencl missionaries AID the
French consul, though II missionaries
of other nationalities had been on the
ground, I believe they would have
shared the common fate. The cause
was Christianity, then, as now, the re-
volt Of the Chinese against a religion
foreign to their traditions. For days
preceding the outbreak-which, cur
iously enough, came in June, just as did
the present one-the foreign consul at
Tien Tsin knew that trouble was i'm
pending. On June 20, 1870, Mr.. Lay,
the British consul at Tien Tsin, wrote
to the British minister, Mr.. Wade. at
Peking, as follows: We must have a
man-of-war, for when there is mona
disorders increase. There Is no doubt
the Chinese are most hostile to all
foreigners; the fire is smoldering and
may at any moment break forth
"This remarkable communication, as
applicable to recent events as to those
of 30 years ago, reached the British
minister at Peking the following day
and he Immediately cabled to Shanghai
asking for a war ship. Before one
could arrive. however, the Tien Tsia
horror had happened
ION the morning of June 81, the con-
Migration broke out in all it's fury
Early in the morning the gong was
heard summing the loyal Chinese, and
the foreigners at Tiea Tsin heard II
with dread. They massed together al
the British consulate, where they re-
mained all during the exciting events
OF the next few hours. until British
warship arrived to que'l the distur.
bance.
"a vast hord, of China's lowest scum
( surrounded the Frence consulate an
hurled sto lcs at its gates, windows, and
doors. The Frence consul was M. Fon.
tanier, who had all along protested
that rumors Of trouble and an uprising
were exaggerated. Too late came hi.
awakening, to find the enemy surround
ing his house and threatening his life
Bel his negligence what 1t may, he fac
ed his death as Frenchmen in the face
of danger always do. Standing t
speak to the mob he was cut down he
fore he had chance to finish his frs
sentence. Half dozen swords wer,
thrust at him, and he fell mortal,
wounded. Instantly, with that fero
sscious barbarism which, In my opinion
places the Chinese almost on the leve
of cannibals, the head Of the French
minister was severed from his bod.
and placed on pole, while the rest O.
the body was horribly mut'lated.
''The mob then forced It's way int
the gardens of the consulate, where tn,
most awful atrocities took place, so re
voting that 1t is sickening to even de
scribe them in detail. In the gardeI
were walking NJ. Simon and NJ. ant
Nine. Tomassin, friends of the consul
who heard the uproar, but did not ap
preciate what 1t meant. Instantly tn,
mob dispatched them and placed thai
heads on long poles, mutilating tn
bodies.
Separated from the French consu
late by stone wall where the Frencl
Catholic church, presbytery, conven
and orphanage. Father Chevrier ant
Gu, the latter native priest, hastenet
to meet the rioters, in the hope of beinl
in time to administer the last rites o
their church to the French consul ant
his friends. They were at once sur
rounded and murdered, their bodies Gu
in thousand different places and af
terwards thrown into the river. Tn
maddened mob then made its way I,
the convent gate, where Sister Mon
guet, one Of the nuns, awaited them. 4
cut from two-handed saber severe,
her skull and her body was shameful.
mutilated. Sister Andreoni was tn
next to fall from the blow Of a hatchet
Her body was carried high over tn
heads Of the rioters.
"Sister Clavelin met her murderer
at the southeast angle Of the convent
She was dragged to the pharmacy ant
i while still alive she was tortured II
the most indescribable manner unit
she died. Her shrieks rose high abov
the yells and execrations of her as
sailants. Sister Violet, a delicate nun
was next siezed, but fortunately TO
her, tainted, and was not torured. be