The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-07-16

The worst fears regarding the fate OF the
foreigners in Picking are confirmed by news
which comes through a channel that leaves
no room to doubt 1t. Although meager, it
shows tina the most shocking tragedy of
modern times has been enacted in the
Chinese capital under circumstances of I'M
paralleled barbarity and cruelty. The mas
sacre of all the foreigners in Peking, in
Guiding subjects of every European govern
ment and Americans. ministers and MEM
bers of legations, merchants, traders and
travellers, missionaries and teachers, to the
number, perhaps, of 1000 or 100. consti-
tutes a horror which has scarcely been
equaled within the historic period. The
killing of noncombatants and of women
and children at any time is the most de-
plorable feature of war. though in the
case of a besieged OF bombarded city 1T
is sometimes unavoidable But in this case
they were treacherously entrapped and
foully and deliberately murdered. with such
details of cruelty as make one shudder to
think Of. The only event in modern times
at all approaching this in cold-blooded
atrocity was the Cawnpur massacre in 1851,
and the victims in that case were not
nearly as numerous. During the Indian
mutiny of 1857, sometimes called the Sepoy
war, the Europeans at Cawnpur, who num-
bered more women and children than fight
ing men, shut themselves up in improvised
intrenchments. where they sustained a
~;o-o g. t-o,t, o,o Jox-e .,ndar the ct,n
of a tropical June. AT last, trusting to a
safe conduct from the local chief as far as
Allahabad, they surrendered their position.
and to the number Of six hundred persons
embarked in boats on the Ganges. Forth
with a murderous fire was opened upon
them from the river bank. Only a single
boat escaped, and but four men, who swan
across to the protection of a friendly chief,
ultimately survived to tell the tale. The
rest of the men were massacred on the
spot; the women and children, numbering
2O6. were reserved for the same fate a few
days later, when the avenging army Of
Havelock was at hand. The women and
children were hacked to pieces by Mussul-
man butchers in their prison. and their
bodies were thrown into What is now
known as "Cawnpur WELL" In that case
about four hundred men and two hundred
women and children were massacred. An
English historian writes:
The well of Cawnpur, in which their
hacked and mutilated bodies were flung
presented a spectacle from which soldiers
who had regarded unmoved the carnage
of numerous battlefields shrunk with hor-
ror. OF all the atrocities perpetrated dur
ing this war, so fruitful In horrors, TINS
was the most awfui; and IL was 1oiloweo
by a terrible retribution. 1t steeled the
hearts and lent a furious and fearless en-
ergy to the arms of the British soidiery.
Wherever they came they gave no quarter
to the mutineers; a few men often attacked
hundreds, frantically but vainly defending
themselves, and never ceased till all had
been bayOneted, or shot, or hewn in pieces.
All those who could be shown TO have been
accomplices in the massacre were hanged
or blown from the c%annon's mouth.
The total number of victims in the Picking
massacre can never be accurately known,
but probably there were more than twice
as many as at Cawnour. Nor is it likely
the details of the tragedy will ever be
known, but from what is known of the
ferocity and cruelty of the Chinese when
| aroused one may be sure the actual killing
was not the worst part. The foregoing
statement regarding the effect produced by
the C%awnpur massacre on the British sol
diers doubtless foreshadows the effect the
| Picking massacre will have. 1t will infuriate
the allied soldiers and cause throughout
the civilized world a demand for the merci.
less punishment of the perpetrators of the
awful crime. War is hell. but the cold.
blooded murder of noncombatants, women
and children is not war. In the Cawnpur
case England alone took vengeance in her
| hands and inflicted terrible punishment on
the perpetrators. In this case the crime
is against civilization, and every European
/ power and the United States are in honor
| bound to cooperate for it's punishment
lust how they can proceed most effectively
or just what the punishment should be can.
not be decided offhand. Al present they
have not force enough in China to suppress
| the instruction, nor do they understand
| the politics of the situation well enough tc
| possible that the small allied army in and
near Tien-Tsin may be overwhelmed by
numbers and that another massacre may
occur in that city. But, no matter wha
happens. when the present revolution ends
and some established government in China
asks for recognition from other govern.
ments, the first demand should be the con
dign punishment of the perpetrators of the
Peking massacre and something like ade,
quate reparation for one of the most shock.
ing crimes in the history of the world.
THE WORK IN CUTQA