Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1882-01-09
The WORK OF A MOB.
A REcd Temple Destroyed by a
Mob OF MOngOIians.

a EECdhiSt emple Destroyer Dy
Mob OF MOngoIians.
Hong Kong and Shanghai papers of
Nov. 20 give much space to the report
of the destruction Of the Temple OF
Longevity, in Santon, on Nov. is, by q
mob ofnatives. The temple was one OF
the largest of the Buddhist places OF
worship, and was richly decorated. 1t
comprised q monastery and temple,
occupied fifteen acres Of ground, and
sheltered one hundred monks. The in
mates had grown fat, lazy, and corrupt,
instead of being devOut. The monks
were EcentiOus and it had for some time
been q matter Of notOruty among the
natives that they We're anything but
spiritual guides for their wives or daugh-
tCrs. The monks had in consequence
been in bad OdOr, and several disputes
have occurred b,tween them and the
people during the past four years. Only
recently proclamation had been lsSu-
ed prohibiting women from going TO
worship mt the mOnasterieS. On Nov.
Is a mob gathered about the building,
and after waiting several hours for two
women to come out of the confessional,
they demanded that the priests produce
the women, which was refused. They
then began to lombard the building
with stones and to stone the priests.
The latter, who had armed themselves
with knives and bambOOs, attempted TO
drive back the crowd, and i'll the strug-
ole wounded several persons. by THIS
time the mob had become very large
and very angry, breaking presently into
unrestrained fury, peiting the monks,
breaking everything they could lay
hands en-, and threatening to destroy
the entire buildings. y body OF soldiers
arrived on the scene, but they were
powerless to suppress the riot, which
continued until 3 O'Clock on the follow
ing morning. At daybreak the crowd
again resumed the attack and began to
tear down the temple. Two side ranges
ofthe building were torn down, all the
rioters maintaining q terrific hubbup and
uttering loud threats of vengeance
against the priests. At 5 II. NJ, beiGSS
impatient of the slow methods OF
destruction, they set fire to the remain
ing buildings, and when the fire engines
arrived they were not allowed by the
mob to approach within reach OF the
flames, nor were gOngS permitted to be
sounded. All the valuable ornaments
from the temple, fittings, furniture, and
even the vestments Of the priests were
carried out by the rioters and burned.
During the search in one of the apart
ments women's clothes, shoes, and
ornaments were found, and the diScoye-
~ ELECTED rOars of Indignation from the
excited crowd. The priests about twen-
ty Ofwhom were injured in the strug-
Gle with the people, took Sght when
the temple was broken open, and scatter
ell in different directions. About q score
of rioters were wounded i'll the fracas,
and one was shot dead by the soldiers
when attempting to quell the multitude.
1t is reported that two old priests, over
so years of age, unable to escape and
abandoned by their comrades, persisted
in the flames. This outbreak of hatred
against Buddhism is regarded by the
Chinese papers as q sign of more trouble
to come, since in many of the temples
and monasteries RIGHTEOUSNESS hasbeen
growing.