Rensselaer Republican, Volume 27, Number 18, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 27 December 1894 — INNOCENT BLOOD. [ARTICLE]

INNOCENT BLOOD.

Horrifying Details of the Massacre at Port Arthur. Won-ComHatant* MercHewly Slaughtered by "Civilized” Japanese Soldier* la Ke> venge for Comrades Treacherously Killed. y The New York World’s correspondent writes from Port Arthur, under date ol Nov. 24. .via Vancouver, Dec. 19, givim details of the capture of that place by tht Japanese and of the massacre that followed. He says: The struggle for tht emancipation of Corea has been suddenly turned into, a headlong, savage war ot conquest. It is no longer a conflict between civilization and barbarism. Japan, for the last four days, has trampled civilization under the feet of her conquering army. The taking of Port Arthur and th< possession of one of tho most powerful strongholds in the world was too great a strain upon the Japanese character, which relapsed in a few hours back Into the brutish state from whlchJf; was awakened a generation ago. Almost the entire population found in Port Arthui has been massacred and the work oi butchering the unarmed and unresisting inhabitants has been continued. Ths streets are choked up with mutilated corpses. The Japanese lost about fifty dead and 250 wounded in carrying a fortress that would cost them 10,000 men had it been occupied by European or Ameri can citizens. China is now at the mercy of the Island empire. In a few days ths fierce Sennal troops will be ready to leavs Japan to join Field Marshal Oyama’i army, and then tho third and final movement toward Pekin will begin. After describing the battie and capture of Port Arthur the correspondent says: Torpedo boats were going through the waves and sinking junks loaded with men, women and children endeavoring to escape. The water was filled with drowning inhabitants. The massacre had begun. The Chinese soldiers in Port Arthur had made their escape and the frightened inhabitants covered the Street. As the Japanese land forces moved on they saw the heads of their comrades, killed by the Chinese soldiery, hanging by cords, with the noses and ehrs gone; There was a rude arch in the main street decorated with bloody Japanese heads. A great slaughter followed. The infuriated soldiers killed every one they saw. No attempt to take prisoners was made. Women and children were hunted and shot as they fled to tho. hills with their protectors. The town was sacked from end to end and the inhabitants were butchered in their own homes. The van of the sceond regiment reached Fort Ogunsan and found it de lerted. Then they discovered a junk in the harbor crowded with fugitives. A platoon was stretched across the end of the wharf and fired into the boat until every woman, man and child was killed. The torpedo boats outside had already lunk ten junks filled with terror-stricken people. lam satisfied that not more than 100 Chinamen were killed in fair battle at Port Arthur, and that at least 2,030 unarmed meti were put to death.