A BARBAROUS DEED.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIII, Issue 16, 20 January 1902, Page 2

A BARBAROUS DEED.

HOW COSSACKS DROWNED 4500 CHINESE.

A special correspondent of the "Daily News" has an interesting article on Blagov&stchensk, the "New York" of Siberia. He says: In the spring of last year there was in Blagovestchensk a Chinese population Of from eig-lit to nine thousand people. Seven of the largest stores in the town belonged to Chinese merchants; there were smaller dealers, and a great crowd of labourers. When the siege of the Pekin Legations began Blagovestchensk, like the rest of the world, imagined all the Europeans in Pekin had been massacred. They themselves were far from help, and on the other side of the river drums began to beat and banners wereswaved, and then bullets came dropping into the BlagovestcheJask streets. 'line only Itussian troops in the town were some sixty Cossack soldiers-+not a large force if the place were attacked. The Chinese in Blagovestchensk remained in their houses, absolutely quiet. Fear, however, was in the heart of the "Governor." He issued an order that all Chinese

MUST PASS1 OVER TO MANCHURIAN TERRITORY within 42 'hours. "Yes," replied the Chinese, "we will go;, but liow are we to get across the river if we have no boats?" The 24. hours passed. "Why have you not gone across the river?" demanded the Governor. "We have no boats. Give us boats and we will go," urged the Chinese. The only answer was that the Cossacks with fixed bayonets surrounded a hundred Chinamen. "Now, march!" said they, and they marched, weeping, pleading, round the back of'the town, along- the dusty road, till they came to the very spot where 1 sat solitary smoking- my pipe on this Sunday morning. "Get across the river" was the order. The Cossacks made a half circle round the Chinese, who were like a, flock of distraught sheep. "Across the river you get!" and the bayonet points pressed the Chinese into the water, up to their waists, further still up to their necks, and then further still! When they were all drowned, back marched the Cos-sa-cks to the town for another batch of Chinamen. These, too, were driven to the same place, where the same fate awaited them. Backwards and forwards came and went the Oos-sa-cks. At the end of two days there wras not a single Chinaman in Blago•vestchensk. The authorities «admit that 4500 were drowned. Probably there were more.' For days there floated down the Amur, past the full stretch of the town, a sorry, silent procession ol the dead. Now and then, like a tangle of weeds, bodies massed against the wharfs and between moored vessels and the shore. Men were employed with long- poles TO PUSH THE CORPSES into the stream again. The! the Chinese on the Manchurlan side began to pester Bla-govestchensk with rifles. A few windows were broken, but not a single person was injured, though I believe official accounts state 40 were killed. Presently troops began to arrive from Russia and Western Siberia. There was instantly an expedition into Manchuria, whereupon the Chinese scattered like the wind. But their towns and'villages and farmsteads and crops for 50 miles round were laid waste by fire. The drowning of these poor defenceless Chinamen has fixed a brand on Blagovestchensk never to be forgotten. The people don't like to talk about it. They know it was a barbarous act, and they are ashamed. Those, hoAVever, Who have spoken to me freely and openly are stirred with indignation. The man who gave the fiendish order is still Governor of the town, .and. no one can understand why the Czar, one of the most humane of men, has not banished the offender to show reprobation of an act which, has placed an indelible stain vm a young1 and flourishing city.