The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-09-03
Wanton Slaughter of Noncombatant
Natives and Useless PiIlage
of Their Homes.
TUNG-CHow ALMOST STRIPPED
SHOCKING RECITAL OF THE WORK
OF ALLEGED CIVILIZED TROOPS.
Buildings Used by Americans at Tien-
Tsin Demanded for Use of the
German EmperOr's Avengers.

copyright. lsOO by the Associated Press-l
TAKU, Aug. 80, via Shanghai, Sept. g.
The Chinese in the Pei-Ho valley are pay
ing dearly for the folly of their govern
ment. The retribution they are suffering
exceeds the ordinary penalties of war.
Along the river and roads travelled by the
foreign troops between Tien-Tsin and Pek-
ing an orgie of looting and destruction con-
tinues. with much useless slaughter of un-
offending inhabitants. While the interna-
tional forces were advancing the comman-
ders. notably the Japanese, American and
British. enforced a certain degree of pro-
lection for property not needed for military
purposes. AT that time most of the popula-
tion, except the fighting men, had fled. But
now the people are returning TO their
| homes only to find no shelter or rice or
occupation. In the overcrowded famine
| threatened districts away from the river
their families and small possessions are at
the mercy of bands of soldiers travelling
about without officers.
| The conditions prevailing leave little
ground for the favorable comparison of
civilized warfare with Chinese methods.
Robbery. ravishing and murder are so COM
| mon that every responsible person one
meets contributes stories from personal
| observation. The walled city of Tung-Chow
| was the only town in the pathway of the
| international forces whose people remained
and attempted TO continue business. Dur
| Ing its occupation the japanese patroled
| the place efficiently, protected the people
| and prevented looting beyond the amount
| inevitable with any army. General Chat
| fee stationed a guard around the historic
| temple outside the wall. forbidding his
| troops to enter. The commanders encour-
| aged the inhabitants to resume business
promising protection to all peaceful per-
sons. When the armies advanced, however,
| the guards were removed only small
| British and American garrison being left
| outside the wall.
TUNG-CHOw STRIPPED.
| correspondent of the Associated Press.
returning from Peking. found Tung-Chow
| stripped like cornfeld after plague of
] smallest value, had been taken-goods from
| shops. clothing. food and furniture Par
| ties of soldiers of every nationality were
roaming about unrestricted, and presum-
| ably were doing much wanton destruction
| in the spirit of deviltry, smashing furniture
and glassware and tramplng books and
| pictures under foot. Most of the Chinese
were submitting to all this in abject fear.
| The few who dared to protest were kicked
| about. Several bodies lay in the streets.
| apparently those of noncombatants. The
| inhabitants. without food or clothing, were
/ budding in back yards in a pitiable con-
| dition.
| The villages to the southwark were even
| worse despoiled. One week after Picking
| was taken the traveller to Tien-Tsin was
seldom out of sight of burning houses
| Fires are started daily, although the shell
| ter will be much needed If the troops are
| to hold the country during the winter
| The soldiers are having fine sport in
| using natives who creep back to their
| houses attempt to work i'm the fields as
| targets. The sight of farmer lying where
| he was shot. with basket of grain or
armful of other produce near by, is quite
| common. The Russians are the chief ac-
| tors in this style of conquest, but the
| French are remarkably conspicuous con-
| sidering their small number The Indian
| troops and the Japanese are participants
| only when beyond the ken OF their Of
/ ficers-
| CRUELTY OF COSSACKS.
| From the beginning the conduct of the
Russians has been blot on the campaign
The recital of notorious facts speaks more
forcibly than could any adjectives When
| entering Peking the correspondent of the
| Associated Press saw Cossacks smash
| down Chinese women with the butts of
! their guns and pound their heads until they
were dead. The Cossacks would pick up
! children barely old enough TO walk. hold
| them by the ankles and beat out their
brains on the pavement. The Russian Of
ficers looked on without protest
| While General chaffee was watering his
| horse at stream under the wall of Tuns-
| Chow the Russians found a feeble old man
| hiddsr in the mud, except his nose, and
dragged him about by the queue. shouting
| gIeefully. They impaled him on their bayo-
nets. General Chaffee remarked: THAT is
not war. IL is brutal murder
American officers at Taku, days after the
| fighting was finished, saw Russians bayo-
/ net children and throw old men into the
river. clubbing them TO death when they
tried 10 swim. The Russians killed women
who knelt before them and begged for
| mercy.
! Everybody was disposed TO be friendly
towards the Russians in the early days Of
| the lighting at Tien-Tsin because of their
bravery. but such Incidents as the fore
| going have been 80 prominent feature of
| the campaign that no one who Is supposed
! to report important facts can ignore them