Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1900-11-22
The Russians Left Behind Them q Trail
Of Death and DeSolation-Tho
BlasOYestchenSk Massacre.
THOUSANDS WERE SLAUGHTERED.
The Police, Aided by the COSSacks, Took
Took the Helpless Chinese and, After
RObbing Them, Threw Them Into
The River - Many Villages
Raced to the Ground.
Special Correspondent Philadelphia Press.

k2Eed 10 the UrOunu'
special Correspondent Philadelphia Press.
Nagasaki, Sept. 19-I have just crossed
Russia and Siberia from Moscow to Vladi'
yostok from the 4th of August to the Sth
of September (modern style), and am now
bound for Tientsin and Peking. followed
the Russo. Chinese frontier of the Amur
from Pokrovsk, a continent of the Amur'
TO Khabarovsk, where travellers for Viadl'
vostok leave the boat and take the rail-
way. This district, less than four weeks
before my passage through it, was the
scene of the war, about which 30 much
has been said in the European press, but
whose real character has been entirely
overlooked. This was able to confirm by
the information learned here in Japan. 1t
ia not an armed struggle between two
organized belligerents that has been waged
ON the banks of the Amur, but cold
blooded massacre of an entire population
Of non-combatants and the systematic des'
truction Of their homes.
The bombardment of Blagovestchensk,
which marked the opening OF hostihtiee'
was the only combat properly called war
fare that took place on the Russo'Chinese
fiontier. It's importance has been mucn
exaggerated by the Russian press. nave
searched all through the town and md
scarcely any noticeable trace Of the bonn
bardment, which, according to the testl'
mony of the inhabitants, did bat insignin'
cant damage, injuring a few walls and
breaking few windows. The musketry
of the Chinese was graver, though the VIC
Tins we're not more than three or four
killed and dozen wounded.
DROWNED BY THOUSANDS.
At Blagovestchensk there were about
5000 Chinese small merchants, clerks,
shop employees, coolies, etc. About loOO
had left the town before the beginning OF
hostilities. General Gribski feared an in
surrection, on account of the report that
emmissaries of the Boxers had been seen
distributing circulars. According to what
the inhabitants say, the Chinese showed
no agitation. Nevertheless, no sooner had
the attack taken place than the CHEF OF
police, M. Batarevitch, caused every Chl-
nese man. woman and child to be arrested,
appal emily to protect them. Those inhao'
itants who had Chinese employees gave
them up to the police in all confidence
These 5000 Chinese were then imprisoned
in different buildings.
On the 9th of July the volunteers were
stupe6ed at seeing the surface OF the Amul
covered with corpses, which foated down
and piled up on the Chinese bank OF the
river. At first they thought them to bt
corpses of Russians, but soon the truth be-
came known. The police, aided by the
Cossacks. had led all the Chinese Of Blago
vestchensk to spot situated about sever
versts ND the river and had thrown then
into the stream.
Owing to their great numbers they were
thrown in groups, after being stripped ant
robbed of all they had on their persons
The awful execution lasted up to the lOti
of July. and the bloodthirsty executioner
would not listen to prayers from man
woman or child. Of the 5000 Chinese tha
lived in Blagoyestchensk only sixty ar
left. and these are the fortunate ones VIII
succeeded in hiding themselves during To
reign of terror.
It was General Gribski who gave to
order to M. Batarevitch to execute tn
massacre. / was unable to verify th
rumor that he had been absent from towr
end that he ordered the wholesale drown
ing by telegram drawn up in very an
b;0uos manner. What is a fact, however
ia that from Dlagoveshchensk to Bladivo'
took. there is but one voice, and that is
condemnation of Gribski and Batarevitc
for the responsibility
1t is probable that an enoeaVof VIII
made to explain the massacre by the a
sertion that it was most urgent to sen
the Chinese back to their country, an
that as there were no boats to carry thel
across the Amur, they we're told to swim
as a fact the police and Cossacks did sho'
ironically to the unfortunate wretches
swim across the river, which at the sceI
of the execution is mile wide, with
very strong current. 1t must not be fc
votteu. however, that those who we
thrown into the river were pursued
strokes from heavy sticks and chopped
with hatchets, and that there foated |
fore Blagoveshehensk innumerable grou
ot human forms tied together by their p
tails.
THE TOWN looted.
After the massacre the police pillag
the homes and shops of the Chine
Then a fresh series of atrocities oegs
The village of Sakhalina was razed to
ground; happily the population was a
To flee. The same was not the case W
Aipun, with its population of 10000,
greater part of which fed with the
diers, but those who remained behl
were all killed. l cannot give the nu
Der, as this is secret with the othcers
the expedition.
saw the ruins of Aigun, of which no
ing remains today but an immense d
of debris, patrolled by Cossack pickets
covered with bowling flock Of master
dogs. Along the entire frontier from Z
roysk to Khabarovsk ] have not seer
single Chinese village that is not entil
burned down.
lam actuated by no feeling of amino