MASSACRE IN A RUSSIAN CHUBCH.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXI, Issue 43, 23 February 1894, Page 19

MASSACRE IN A RUSSIAN CHUBCH.

(Liverpool Catholic Times, January 6.) At Ihe enl of last month a report reached Berlin that a terrible massacre h*d occurred in a Catholic Church at Krosche, in the Russian province of Kovina, near the German frontier. It was stated that the Catholic community, hearing that their church was to be close 1, assembled and remained there day and night, and that finally the troop* forced their way into the building, killing 20 members of the congregation, and wounding upwards of 100. This account of the affair was subsequently officially deaied from St Petersburg, and it was declared that four police officials were slightly injured, while none of tbe Catholics were harmed. The KoeUiselie Zeitung now publishes a detailed narrative of all the circumstances bearing out the original story. At two o'clock on the morning of the 10th November, Prefect Klingenberg, of Kovno, arrived at Krosche, accompanied by forty strongly-armed policemen. There were about seventy persons in the church. Cursing and yelling, the police rushed at the worshippers, be it them with the knout, and struck them with their swords, so that the church echoed with the cries of the wounded. Some succeeded in fleeing to the belfry, where they rang tbe bells, thus summoning the rest of the inhabitantP, who crowded into the building. When the day began Io wane 300 Lossaeks arrived at the place, armed with rifles, lances and knouts. Tbe Cossackb' knouts have wire and iron twisted in at the end, so that every stroke tears the flesh. They divided themselves into two groups, and a great massacre began. The blood of the defenceless inhabitants who were trying to protect their ianctuary stained the walls of the church and flowed on the floor. Some of the Cossacks flew at the altars, smashed tbe crucifixes, candlesticks, and images of the saints, and dashed them on the ground. The broken vessels and images were thrown into a ce«DO>l. Some corpses foond in the church were tossed by tne Cossacks into the limepit in the churchyard. The people, who flad in all directions, were pursued by the Cossacks and taken prisoners. Many sprang into the swollen river and were drowned. The rest were surrounded by Cossacks and driven by them to tbe front of tbe Town Hall on the Market place. Every inhabitant of Krosche was to receive a special punishment. A doctor was fetched, and was to say how many strokes with the kaout each victim could bear. They were brought up singly, and their clothes torn off their bodies. Then they were made to he down naked between two rows of Cussacke, and flogged wiih the knout. Nobody was spared, not even delicate women. This inbumin work lasted till sundown, when the poor wretches were taken off to prison. Then the Prefect al'owed his Cossacks to •' enjoy themselves."

Mr George W. Cable tells two excellent s'orieq of Southern generals in the December Century. This is his view of the gentler side of Lee :-Ooe morning Presideut Davis, Secretary Cooper, General Lee and others of only les" rank came down the «tepa of— if I remember the story aright— the War Office, to the sidewa k. Their horses siood saddled and bridled at the curb-stone. Except General Lee the company were about to visit th» fortificitiona. He in we «ther-beaten uniform, and General Cooper wearing the particularly bai silk hat to which he was accustomed, were already on the sidewalk • and President Davi», ia an elegant new gray and drawing on a pair of snowy yellow gauntlets that reached to bis elbows, was coming down the steps, whan through the group of acci lental passers thai stopped to look at this bunch of distinguished personages, a messenger pushed forward and dehverei to Secretary Cooper a telegram. It seemed to be of a serious import, for when the secretary had read it he handed it to General Lee. General Lee read it, and moving somewhat aside lifted a beckoning glance to the President. Mr Davis joined him' and elbow to elbow, in what they evidently intended shouhi be complete privacy, the general was holding the despatch for the President to read, when the former suddenly became awaie that an urchin of the strongest gamin type hai slipped up behind and wi'h uplifted lace was reading between their elbows the tidings whic i they deemed necessary to hold Hecret. General Lee— the same General Lee who on another day of ihat momentous epoch frowned the President and his siaflE off the battle-field with a single curt question as to what might be their business tliere— tnrned to the little rogue, and in a gentle voice and with a kind gesture of dismissal s^id : —'' My little son, this is not for you ; run away."