The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-10-11
TERRIBLE RIOT In
ICHANG, CHINA.
Chinese Raid and Loot an Amer.
lean Mission.
The Inmates Narrowly Escape With Their
Lives to q Friendly Steamer Lying
in Port.

The particulars of the terrible riot in
Ichang, China, September I'd. are infinitely
related by an eyewitness in the North
China Herald of the 18th, from which the
following is taken:
1t came like thunderbodt from clear
sky, taking the most wary by surprise, and
the programme was carried out with thor
oughness and dispatch altogether unpre-
cedented. There was no indication of danger
until the signal was given, and in twenty
minutes all was over. The pret,xt for col
leeting crowd was cunningly devised On
Tuesday, September 1st, child was brought
to the Roman Catholic Convent, and the or
binary papers were duly signed making 1t
over to the sisters. The child was repre-
scented to be girl (only girls were received
at the convent, and when it was discovered
to be boy, the circumstance CEASED some
uneasinesS On Wednesday morning parties
appeared at the convent declaring their
child had been stolen, and saying II was within.
In que course The child was produced and de.
lVered 10 the claimants. Meanwhile crowd
had collected, but nothing serious was suspected,
although as was proper under tie clfcum-
stances, information was sent to the magistrate.
But the ringleaders had also gone clamorlHg TO
The yamen, collecting the dregs OF the city as
they went along. Instead OF shutting the yamen
doors ana keeping all parties concerned under
restraint until TIE case was luNtstlkdtcuf luo
magistrate, with his runners and BODY guard
proceeded TO the convent, taking the crowd from
the city along with him. The military COM
maudant was also on the scene With large num-
Der of soldiers, and some show was made OF
protecting the convent. All a. once rush was
made for the house III the adjoining eOmpound
belonging 10 the American Episcopal Mission.
The gate was smashed in. two trumpets were
blown. and man beating his breast shouted
out: Come on, brothers; Stay the foreigners.
l am willing TO die for YOU"
MURDERoUs BLOW.
In came the rioters with a rush; one of the
foremost m II snaIchins spade from cody
and aiming murderOus blow at MI. SOWerDy,
" no managed TO disarm this assailant and eYdde
another. The coolies shouted at him 10 run Tor
his lie, and none too soon, for the mob was OF
the most desperate character, and bent on muir
der from the very first. Mr.. SOwerby managed
to get on board the Paohua alive, but hardly
more.
To set fire TO the American Misson-house was
the work OF an instant, and as soon as the signal
Of destruction was given, yamen runners and
soldiers fell back, nor did either military or
civil mandarins give a single order 10 protect
lite or property. The torch was applied to the
convent the sisters escaping as best they could
down a lane 10 The river. escorted by Father
Braun. Reaching tie river the sisters were
thrown headlOug into IL by he soldiers who had
aided in their prOtec ion. Captain Lewis
launched 4 boat nom tile PaOhua aud rescued
them from both water and d shower OF missiles.
The Paohua had steamed up 10 run down any
rioters " no might attempt TO board, and was de-
Tended by the repeating rifles of Captain Lewis
and others.
Right down to the river bank the orphans IN
tie convent had chung to the sisters, but they
were violently seized by tile soldiers and Kept
back. II IS suggested that number OF children
must have been burned In The convent. On
reaching the Paohua the sisters presented pitt
able sight, their long robes being covered with
blood, aud one 50 badly wounded that she Is still
From The convent the rioters made a rush to
the river front ami went tearing down lie Bund,
the ringleaders armed with pIckaXes apd knives,
and the rest with such weapons as they could
lay their hands on.
along the street In front Cf 1t they swept with the
violence of tropical storm, but not a hnser was
lifted against the Consulate. Tue house, owned
by a natiYe-a maudlIiu's SecretaTy-ln which
The Rev. Mr. Deans and DR.. Prize OF The Church
of Scotland Mission lived; Captain Gains house
empty. the matshed in front Of Messrs. Jar
dine MathesOn & Co.'s gOd0wD, Mr.. CreagRs
house, Inhabited by Dr.. Aldfldge Of the customs,
and the Franciscan Mission were fired simulta-
ueOusly. The pickaXes maze short work OF the
doors, and no time was wasted by the slightest
attempt 10 loot.
IN A BLAZE.
The door Of the house was STAYED in and the
boy ordered TO show where he foreigner kept
his silver. " lie keeps none, but changes HaukOw
checks at the native cash shops" Then, where
Is your kerosene tin 2" and The house was blazing
AS for ihe Consulate, native building belong
Ing TO Mr.. Little, IL was never attacked, and the
Consul remained inside in perfect security. No
pretense Of protecting 1t by soldiers was made
until all over.
A freak Of the riot which would tax even the
perferyid Imagination of the author OF Defensio
POpun " to explain is that the extensive mission
premises Of the Church OF Scotland within the
city, remain intact. Up to tie very moment of
the riot, male ana female schools, dlspensary,
hospital, not to speak OF that terrible red rag,
preaching III the church, both forenoon and after
noon, were carried on.
The American Episcopal Mission in a native
house within the city, the r. Z. Mission within
the city also in native house, aud the Church
of Scotland Mission Station outside the north
gate are all Of them sale.
On Wednesday afternoon two of the Customs
stan walked down 10 Mr.. COckburn's house, aud
amidst the general wreck particularly noticed
that the carpet was stil the sitting-rOom
floor, whilst The compound was already occu.
pied by Lieutenant and company OF soldiers,
who TO make dOu0ly sure that no slragglers
should enter had barTlcaded the door and
pitched tent across II. Mr.. Cockb burn and DR..
Pirie went 10 the house on Thursday and found
the carpet gone, the floor bearing evidence OF the
tacks having been carefully extracted. By Fri
day everything worth taking was gone, aud then
the official wrath burst forth against the poor
people who caIne 10 get little hrewo0d cheaply.
AN OPEN ATTEMPT.
There was AL open attempt 10 commence the
riot ten days before 1t actually occurred. At
that date three Chinese entered the Scotch Mis-
| sion by the back door. loudly demanding TO be
| shown the place where the foreigners picked on /
chlldr ms eyes. Making their way 10 the church,
| IN which a native helper was preaching, they
| commenced tossing tue seats about and shouting
| abuse which need not be repeated. Then seeing
| the various prOclanaIious which have been
river posted up In front OF the church, one Of
| them went up TO them and shouted out: These,
| too, are fabrcatl0ns OF The foreigners, Not one
| OF them is genuine nor bears The proper SEALS
| / am an official myself and know the seals to be
| f0rgerles. See, here is Il proper SEAL" pulling
something from his pocket. BY This time
crowd had collected, but contrary TO eXpecta-
| ton, the people of the Deighborho0d, among
| them military graduate, stOutly lnteriered,
saying they all knew what was done In the mis-
sion, and they would permit no distuI bance 10
be raised by such slanderous statements. Then
| taking him by the shoulders they foreiby elected
| him and saw him In safety 10 his home.
he bearing Ichang has on the rest of China
cannot be appreciated without knowing that the
energy, who has hitherto been regarded with
| good reason as very friendly TO Europeans. For
China his soldiers are In an excellent state OF
discipline. But he Is Human man, and his
| soldiers are from Human. Human people In the
| employment OF officials are at The bottom OF
everything.
There Is but one recommendation to make as
| TO settlement. Let the punishment fall on the
Ofncials, the only culpable II not criminal parties
| that can be found. Let there De no demand for
| the cutting of OF heads. The creatures taken
| into custody on Friday are deserving only of our
| ply.
II only remains to be stated that those in the
riot simply escaped in the clothes they stood in.
| They saved absolutely nothing, and the houses
| hred were burned 10 the gTouud.
fortunately there has Deen no loss OF life, but
infuriated men brandishing Knives mean murder,
| and had the Paohua not been in port there would
| have been sadder tale 10 tell.
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