Weekly News. — 1890-12-18 (Blandford, Dorset, England)

MASSACRE OF CLIRISTLANS IN CHINA.  A BLOOD-LOVING ORACLE.  Just now, says a Standard Shanghai correspondent. there is a recrudescence of the old fanatical haired of Christians in China, more particularly in Szechuen, where a massacre of Christians occurred a few weeks ago, of which we have only just got particulars, though the scene is only a short distance from Chungking, which is now a Treat:, port. The converts of the Franciscans and Lazarists are very numerous in Szectmen, and we frequently hear of trouble between them and the followers of the popular religions, Confucianism, Buddhism, and Tanism—but it is seldom nowadays that the fanaticism of the persecutors proceeds as far as killing its unfortunate objects, as was the case 'with the small Christian community of Loongti-tsin, in the Ta Chu prefecture. The Christians in this district are not recent converts, but have inherited their faith for several generations. The spread of 'he Western religion has long been opposed by a )rotherhood or league amongst the followers of the 'lime sects above named, who are covertly en....unwed by the Mandarins, and openly befriended ,y the littrati, although the Ko Lai ha., as the qeciety is termed, has been interdicted as an illegal organisation. This society held a great least recently in honour of its tutelary deity, with whom is associated a famous oracle. After the religious ceremony the elders of the society inquired of oracle whether it would be safe to make a raid upon the unfortunate Christians, and there was great when the oracle. which may be taken to represent the views of the literati, gave a favourable reply, fur the Christians of Loongti-tain, unlike ..eist of their fellows in other parts of the Empire, .sre a well-to-do class, and their property affordett it tempting object for plunder. In the middle of the night an attack was made by several thousano of the worst dregs of the populace, infuriated by fanaticism, and egged on Ly the hopes of a rich booty. They raided the houses of 50 or 60 Christian families. set the buildings on fire, and carried off everything portable. The wretched owners were powerless to save their homes from the marauder'. who openly feasted in the villages for four ,n• five days, at the expiration of which the oracle was :wain consulted; and the result of its advice was that a noire bloodthirsty and fanatical spirit was infused into the mob. No lives had been taken up to this; but now the fiercer passions of the persecutors were roused, and the mission premises wee' surrounded and burnt, amidst the howls of in. foriated villains, who threw a number of Claudia, into the burning buildings, where they peresbeg in the most horrible agony, which proceedings wen, watched with devilish pleasure by their erstwhil, neighbours. The murderers seized upwards of 2' more victims in the neighbourhood and butt-her.hem in cold blood, and with all the revolting ie. finements of cruelty which the placid-lookilw Chinese understand so well. Most of the bob the murdeied people were hacked or cut to vi• • and throun into the river. During all this to., the officials were invisible, and the impression IT: well-informed quarters is that they kept mit of ii way on purpose. Another elliott, not far off. :foe which contained many Christians, was also raided. and the property of the converts either buroe-• before their eyes or carried off by the thieves. ft, China pillage of this kind is a capital offence under ordinary circumstances, but in eases where the victims are Christians the legal tribunals make very light of the matter. So far none of the ringleaders of this murderous attack have been arrested, and the Prefect of the district has taken no active steps to discover their identity.