Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1895-09-02

New York, September 1.--Reports of
the ouuages upon missionaries in Chi
ma have, come from members Of the
American Baptist Missionary Union to
the Baptist Missionary Magazine, which
show that the uprisings were more gen
eral than had been told before. In the
last week of May and The first week Of
june, all the missionary stations in
Western China were looted by mobs
and 146 missionaries, men, women and
children. were driven away, escaping
only with their lives In the province
of Sze Chuan, the largest in the En-
pire, there We're many small stations
scattered over the valley of the Upper
Yangtse river. Most of the missionar-
les had gone to the field in the past five
years While the authorities seem to
have tried. i'm some instances, to pro-
tect the missions. the only service they
were able to render was to help them
to escape.
The missionaries fed hundreds of
miles down the river. travelling on RATS
and in house boats, hardly carrying so
much as a change Of clothing, and
reaching places OF safety only after two
weeks of hardship.
I'm Chentu. the capital of the province
of SZe Chuan. a placard was posted on
the 2oth OF Nay asserting that the for
eign barbarans" were hiring evil char
acters to steal small children for them.
The next day q mob OF several tnou-
sand tore down the Canadian Methodist
mission and the property o. the two
other Protestant and Catholic build
ings. The missionaries appealed 10 the
magistrate of the city. but he told them
he was powerless to help them. With
the aid OF some friendly natives they
effected their escape Then the cry
went up: The time has come to turn
all the missionaries out OF Sze Chuan. q"
A part of the mob divided into
smaller parties and took the various
roads out OF town, en- route for other
missionary centers. Tn all cities the
most iuh4umatJry placards were post
ed on the walls. Riots Immediately
followed
The Baptist missionaries believe the
riots were melted by members OF the
official class. They kept in the back
ground. however, and, to all appear
ances. the students We're at the bottom
of the mischief. They published pla-
card. fixing the date for the destruction
of the missionary property at Suichau
Fu. and for killing the magistrate, who
was suspected OF desiring to protect
| foreigners.
Tn most cases. the missionaries,
while their property was being destroy
/ ed. left the cities and hid i'm the neigh
I bOrhOOd awaiting an opportunity to
escape. They had native friends who
| helped them TO procure boats, and to
put the ladies' and children aboard. AT
Suichau Flu Messrs Warner and Well
wood and -. T'inch got their valuable
D7Ders and silver ont of the town ana
secreted them. Here, as everywhere,
! the trouble came like a thunder clap
ont of a clear sky.
Sundays services were well attend
ed. and quietly and very imDressiyely
three candidates were baptized by i'm
mersiOn. On Monday, June 8. the city
was flooded with placards. The
] largest party. which numbered sixty
/ five was crowded for eleven days in lit
tla house boats. suffering terribly and
but for the fact that they had money
enough to nay the eXorbitant prices
asked them for everything, would have
uarished. Many stories of individual
ascqDas have been told. but they are