I apologize for the unexpected hiatus. I was away on a photography excursion and thought I’d have a reliable connection to send the MFDJ but I did not, and then life and depression conspired to rob me of all energy over the course of the following weak [sic]. I’m still very much a somnambulistic corpse but now that I’m back home at the Castle DeSpair, I’ll attempt to get the newsletter going again.
Today’s Trigger-Pulling Yet Truly Morbid Fact!
The Japanese army atrocities during the invasion of Nanking, China in December, 1937 shocked many of the Japanese correspondents who had followed the troops. This account is from the Japanese military correspondent Omata Yukio, who saw Chinese prisoners brought to Hsiakwan and lined up along the river:
“Those in the first row were beheaded, those in the second row were forced to dump the severed bodies into the river before they themselves were beheaded. The killing went on non-stop from morning until night, but they were only able to kill 2,000 persons in this way. The next day, tired of killing in this fashion, they set up machine guns. Two of them raked a cross-fire at the lined-up prisoners. Rat-tat-tat-tat. Triggers were pulled. The prisoners fled into the water, but no one was able to make it to the other shore.”
Culled from: The Rape Of Nanking
Lost Morbidity!
Atlas Obscura has a great series entitled “Places You Can No Longer Go”. Howard sent me the link to a distinctly morbid one: The Tyburn Tree. (I should do a Chicago series like this!)
I’ve been here (quietly) for years. This may be my favorite link ever. Thank you.