New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-09-14
THE HWA-SANG MASSACRE.
APPALLING DETAILS OF THE MURDERS
OF AUGUST l.
THE REV GEORGE B. sMYrH OF FoocHow.
DESCRIBES THE ATTACK ON THE

THE REV GEORGE B. sMYTH. OF FoocHow.
DESCRIBES THE ATTACK ON THE
MISSIONARIES.
To the Editor of Tie Tribune
Sir: The story of this appalling massacre can
be briefly told Hwa-Sang r. mountain about
twelve miles from the city OF Kucheng. which Is
ninety miles distant from Foochow The Eng
lsh church mission had built two small houses
there as sanitara for its missionaries In the Ku-
cheng district There were there at the time OF
the massacre the Rev. r. W. and Mrs. Stewart
the,r Ave children and nurse Miss Nellie and Miss
Topsy Saunders in one house. and Miss Gordah
Miss Newcombe. Miss Marshall. MISS stewa'l anu
Miss Codrington In another. Mt fh'hps' OF the
samo mission, staying at NAIVE mouse
about five minutes away, and MISS Maoe' =. mart
ford. of the woman's Foreign Missionary society
was In q native house AT the ioo' VI " "'''' '~'''
about two minutes away.
The evening before tho massacre al were piah-
ming little picnic for the next nay III ho"o' vi '"e
sixth birthday of little Herbert Stewart NO one
dreamed of the possibility OF the terrible occur
rences of the morrow About $50 o'clock next
morning Thursday. August /, Mildred aud Kath-
Iesn Stewart aged twelve and eleven years re-
spectively were out picking flowers FOR their little
brother Suddenly they saw number OF men APP
proaching whom they took TO be laDorers' III
moment these men rushed upon them; one OF tnem
caught Kathleen by the hair. dragged her along
on the thigh. Mildred had run into the mouse anu
in some way Kathleen broke from the wretch VINO
held her rushed into the house, into ner parents
ROOM and cried out Tho Negetarians are coming
Her mother rushed TO the door saw the mufoe
closed the door and Kathleen never saw her again.
The two girls ran to their own room, where MIL
dred threw herself on her bed and Kathleen lay
under hers Some of the Vegetarans followed
ard struck Mildred on the knee. cutting the JOINT
and INJECTING wound which may prove lata'
Another band OF rufIians attacked the mouse III
which most of the young ladies were living sei|eu
FIVE OF them dragged them out and said they were
going TO carry them away The ladies' begged Tor
their umbrsIlas to shade themselves from the sun.
I'M, their captors refused. While they were stand
ing there an old Hwa-sang man came ana stood
between the ruians and their captVes' ana p'eaueu
for the ladies' lives Some OF the murderers seemed
dleposed to spare them but AT thal moment the
leader approached, carrying red flag. and called
out You know your orders->a!ll outright! Where-
unon they surrounded the ladies and killed them In
stantIy The heads OF two were nearly severed
from their bodies They were oil frightfully gashed
and hacked.
MISS CODRINGTONs PRESENCE OF MIND.
Miss Codrington was terribly cut about the face
but with rare presence of mind when she ieil she
feigned death, and this saved her Her wouid-pe
murderer struck her the head after she feil ana
lef, her for dead That last blow. however. broke
Miss Hartford was attacked Hearing the noise
she ran out OF the house and was seen by one
Vegetarian. who cried out in Chinese. All here's
a foreign woman" and Immediately rushed al her
with great three-pronged spear pointed al her
chest She seized It and turned II aside, the spear
grazing her cheek, and inilict.ng a slight wound
behind her right ear. The ruffian then knocked
her down and struck her with the wooden handle
OF the spear.
Fortunately al that moment her servant, who had
come up only the night before. ran TO her rescue,
seized the brute and told her to run. She rose,
ran down an embankment and tried to enter a
native house but the owners would not let her In
She went and in moment met another servant
who assisted her up the opposite hill and found IN
the brushwood a place Of safety. There she lay
for over an hour. not knowing when the murder
ers would look for and find her. After hiding there
about an hour she sent the servant TO see how
matters were and in half an hour he returned
saying that the Vegetarans had gone, and that nve
ladies were killed She went back as speedily as
possible and found his report only too true.
What had become OF Mr. Philips? When he heard
the shouting he ran GU, OF his house, but was
stopped by villagers, who told him the Vegetarians
had come and would kill him. He broke from them
and ran toward the two English houses. But seeing
q murderous crowd about them he crept up hill
and hid behind TWO trees about twenty yards back
OF the houses. from which he could see without
being seen Not seeing any foreigners, he thought
would be certain death, he remained where ne was
In about fifteen minutes the murderers set fire 10
the houses and went off, saying loud enough for
him to hear. Now have killed all the for
egners." Then he knew what had happened. and
ran down TO find nearly all the happy company OF
the previous evening dead.
Four ladies were lying dead IN one place. Miss
Newcombe he found dead at the foot of an en-
bankment. Her head was nearly severed from her
body After killing her the murderers threw her
down the slope Mr. and Mrs. Stewards ashes he
found in what had been their bedroom. They were
burned beyond recognition. In the nursery he
found the bodies of Miss Nellie Saunders and the
nurse. burned almost beyond recognition.
LITTLE GIRLS HERoIsM.
The story OF the chdren's escape shows the ex-
traordinary heroism Of girl only eleven years old.
Kathleen Stewart as have already said. hid under
her bed After she had lain for some time she
heard a sound as she described IT, 'as Of rushing
water" and crying out. This house is on fire."
from her hiding place and found her sister
Mildred lying her bed terribly wounded She
helped her out Of the house. and then looked for
the other children. In the nursery she found her
baby sister lying under tho dead body OF the
nurse and her brother Herbert with deep
wound on the right side OF his neck four Inches
long. the crown OF the head which clipped
off the external table OF the skull one on the back
part Of the head four inches long, which Glove the
skull exposing the brain, ana another circular
scalp wound on the left side" still younger
brother. Evan. she found with stab wound on the
left thigh and several bruises. The boy had been
stabbed in the right eye and had small punct-
ured wound about the eye which penetrated TO the
brain. All these this brave girl carried out OF the
burning building and with the help OF vllager
whom she pressed into service succeeded In carry
ing them 10 the house at which Miss Hartford had
been staying So far as she knew then there was
other foreigner in Hwa-Sang alive except Miss
Codrngton. who In spite of her terrible wound sue
ceeded by creeping and walking In reaching Miss
Hartfords house. When Miss Hartford returned
from her hiding place she found all these there.
Mr.. Philips sent setter to Or. J. j. Gregory, OF
the Methodist Episcopal Mission at Kucheng as
lie could find to take 1t. Not a
Hwa-Sang man would go. on receiving the news
the doctor immedia tely hastened 10 the Yaman