COSSACKS ATROCITIES

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 250, 15 October 1908, Page 4

COSSACKS ATROCITIES

SiiOOT DOW* JJTTLE ONJiS AT PRAYEIi. St. Petersburg, August 15. The Teheran correspondent of the Rannee L T tro has sent to that journal a story of barbarous atrocities on the •part of Persian Cossacks, which seems almost incredible. After speaking of •the 'brutality and callousness of the Cossacks, the correspondent proceeds 10 relate how a number of inhabitants of Teheran assembled nearly GOO children, gave each of them a copy or the Koran, and marched them into a square in the city to present a petition to Hie coin mander of the Cossacks in possession there. One of the children went, forward ■from their ranks., and, addressing the •commander, spoke the following sentences, which had been carefully taught •him by his father:— "We are unhappy children of the •Persian people. Our parents are perishing innocently, and many of us are now orphans. We have prayed and shall always pray ("Jod for the Shah. J1 avp pity on us and such of our parents :>s •are still alive." The ollicers conferred together while the children dropped on Iheir knees and prayed aloud for the Shah. The correspondent proceeds: "Suddenly an oilier shouted 'Fire!' and a volley rang out 'from the Cossacks. The whole square was filled with the dead bodies of the ■unfortunate children, few of whom "s----■caped alive. Sheets of the Koran, pierced by bullet-., were strewn about' the bodies of the slain innocents."