Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1900-10-11

oVU projects, or Judges, and others be-
longing to the profession-wise men,
as they were termed. Within two
years all these were disposed of, with
the exception of twenty, all murdered
on slight pretext
There were a number of eunichs Of
the Tai-mung-Sean family who wouldn't
call Chang king, but persisted in ad-
dressing him by his surname. OF these
500 were ordered out one day and
killed for this little breach of ETH
Quette.
Next Chang turned his attention to
Chinese priests. He had about 10000
of them brought together on the pre-
text that he desired to promote their
interests. Then he ordered them be-
headed. To his mind they had been
guilty Of some little departure from
the strictest proprieties and they had
to go.
The Catholic worker next relates the
particulars Of Changs capture of the
city of Nau-Chung. just north of his
province. 1t appears that in 1915 he
raised an army of 100000 Sze-Chuens,
in addition to his own followers, who
had entered this province with him and
sHbjugated it. During the siege of Maui
Chung 10000 SZe-Chuens, tired of the
bloody domination of this king, desert
ed and Joined the army in Nau-Chung.
Upon learning Of this act Chang or
dered the massacre of every one of the
remaining 100000 Sze-Chuen soldiers.
wiling to sacrifice that number of his
army to avenge himself upon the de-
serters. The bodies of many of these
victims we're skinned. These were
stuffed with straw, and, with the heads
sewed on, these figures were publicly
carried into the towns where they were
borne as a warning to their friends
and families.
Not long after this the king ordered
that all students in his province should
come together for examination. This
brought to one point $4,000 candidates
for scholastic honors, who believd they
had been commanded to appear before
the wise men for promotion. Details
are lacking as to what grievance Chang
had upon his mind at this time but,
instead of carrying out the examina-
ton, he commanded the execution of
every one of the candidates. 1t was
done.
Six Hundred Thousand Massacred.
In 1916, when the Tartars entered
the province of Xensi, adjoining SEE
Chuen, to give battle to Chang, he per-
petrated the most enormous criminal
and blOodthirsty act of his career. lie
raised a big army and moved to meet
his enemy. He was determined that as
he advanced the country left behind
should be made secure against any aid
or advantage to the enemy. To COM
pass this end his plan was to leave
neither habitation nor person in any
village or city His army should live
off those before it and the rear should
be devastated His first act was to OBJ
literate the city of Ch1ng-Tu. This was
done by binding hand and foot more
than 600, 1000 people. When they were
secured Chang, riding about the city,
Knocked their misfOrtunes. The unfor-
Inmates begged Chang to spare their
liv6s-cries, Martini says, which pen
etrated the very vault of heaven and
might have moved a heart composed of
arch stood awhile, like an astonished
creature, apparently contemplating the
situation; then his cruel nature as
serted itself and he called out to the
soldiers, kill! kill and cut off all
these rebes" Surprising as the state
ment may seem. Martini says nearly all
these Wretches were killed in one day,
outside the city walls. The soldiers
fairly waded in blood. A few persons
were saved by Christian priests, who
were allowed to claim those they had
converted to their faith-a strangely
different procedure than is now the
outcome of the antagonism Of the Con-
fucian followers against the native con
verts. Martini, the priest, says that in
this massacre $50 much blood was split
the river Kiang, flowing past the city
increased and swelled visibly."
Next, Inhabitants Of other cities were
served in like manner, but there are no
accounts Of these slaughters. The priest
upon whom Martini depends for his
data regarding these atrocities well
adds, then this tyrant did bring that
populous province Of Sze-Chuen into a
vast wilderness"
| Changes ambition was to become en-
peror Of the world as soon as the Tar
| tars were expelled. He told this to his
army, and at the same time he sig
nificantly informed his followers that
| they must manifest more humble
spirit than they had been showing.
| They must also show livelier DISPOSE
ton to march. He had, he told them,
sunk three vessels, loaded with silver,
in the Kiang, and he proposed to re-
cover this money at any time to reward
them if they deserved it. This little
subterfuge never materialized, it is
quite needless to say.
Then Chang came to the conclusion
that the wives Of the soldiers hampered
operations as camp followers, and his
solution Of the problem was in keeping
with his other atrocities. There would