Rensselaer Republican, Volume 25, Number 30, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 March 1893 — CHINESE PIRATES. [ARTICLE]

CHINESE PIRATES.

Extermination of a Band Near Shcppu— Savage Orgies. ; The it tea m£h ip. City of Rio D > Janeiro, arrived at San Francisco,March 15, bringing Yokohama papers which priura horrible story of extermination of t hand of Chinese pirates last-JanuaYy. atx. Chinese village near the city of Shehpn. Tlie pirates were surprised in their junks at night by the inhabitants of the village, i and slauglitered without resistance, lie ; tween the decks whore they were huddled 1 together for warmth while asleep. Al> were killed but two by the exasperated villagers who had suffered so often from their depredations. The two pirates who escaped death were led to tlie grave of one of their victims in a former raid at daylight, escorted by tho whole community, and tied to stakes. Then two of the nearest relatives of tho. dead man plunged their knives into the breasts of the unluiky pirates, and, ripping open their bodies, extricated their hearts, which they put smoking hot on the table, upon w liich were already lighted candles and an incense burner. While this was going on tho female relatives of tho deceased were gathered at the grave and with great lamentations calling upon the spirit of the pirates’ victim to receive. tlie sacrifice. Tlie plunder from the junks waseqnalij’ divided among tho: vtltagors who had previously been robbed by the pirates, and as a finale the junks were towed into the stream and set on fire and burned to the water's edge. The bodies of the two victims of tho sacrifice were also thrown into tho sea w hile their hearts were afterward cooked and eaten by tlie dead man’s, relatives.