The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1895-09-10
THE CHINESE ATROCITIES.
The United States Will Make its
Own Investigation ter from a
Methodist missionary

own investigation ter from
Methodist Missionary.
The United States government, it Il
authOritatively annonced at tho Stat,
department, has decided to entel
forthwith upon an Independent in
yestigation of the Cheng Tu riots, will
the cooperation of Il Chinese repre-
sentative. AS at first arranged, the
Inquiry was to have been made in CO,
operation with England, but there has
Deen change of plan within the last
lew days occasioned partly by the fac,
that the British consul at Chung King,
VINO Is to conduct the investigation on
oehalt OF his government and by whom
Win the concurrence of an American
missionary member, it was at first pro-
posed to have primary investigation
OF the facts, has been det lined ut his
post, and it is said will nL be able to
oegin the inquiry for month or more.
Ihefc are also understood to be other
reasons why the State department of
this government has decided upon an
independent investigation such as
france has already made, and such as
England will make later. 1t is said
at the State department that it is not
true, however, as has been represented,
mat the policy of thisogovernment has
oeen changed by any feeling of dis
satliactlon or resentment caused by
whatever apparent delay has superven-
ed on England's part in proceeding
with the inquiry. The department
mas other reasons which it is not vet
prepared to make public.
Chlna Is expected to leud her sup
port to the American inquiry to the
extent OF supplying escort to the
persons who will conduct it, but who
nave not yet been designated, and will
PROBABLY furnish an official who will
cooperate with the American investi-
CATION as in the Ku Cheng investiga-
tlon. Ihe investigation is expected to
De made by some official now on the
Chinese coast. 1T will probably take O.
month to reach Cheng Tu, which is
the capital OF the interior province of
Szechuen and lies some 1900 miles
from the nearest ocean port.
"A dispatch from Hong Kong says the
leader OF the Ku Cheng riots, in which
number of English aud American
missionaries were xii led, has been
arrested. An attempt was Sseade by
Chinese soldiers to kidnap this person
in the hope of securing the reward
which had been offered for his delivery
TO the authorities. The total number
OF arrests thus far of those concerned
IN the hu Cheng massacre is 100.
Iwenty-three of the number have been
convicted, but up to this time sentence
has not been passed upon any of them,
the viceroy of Flu kien demanding the
right to review the evidence adduced
at the trials.
President e. H. Pcarce, of Kentucky
Wesleyan College. at Winchester, Ky.,
mas received tue following stirring
letter from DR.. G. f. Reid, OF Shang-
hnj China ,it .>f
States and presiding elder of the
Shanghai district of the Methodist
Church, South;
Sanghai, August l.-Only two
weeks ago to-day | sent you an account
OF the ozechuen outrages, and to-day |
am sending you accounts of the mas
sarce at Ku Ching. Had our minister
acted promptly and adequately in the
first case, the second would probably
not have occurred, and we should have
been spared tho spectacle of eight
young and consecrated women dragged
from their beds and brutality mas
sacred, helpless infants hacked to
death and a faithful servant Of God
burned in his bed
am sending you these accounts in
the hope that you will use them where
they will do the most good. wish /
could put copy in the nands OF every
editor, every congressman and every
other man who has any interest in the
welfare of the church or the honor of
his country.
We don't ask for revenge, but we
do ask for justice and the protection
which every American has right TO
demand, and which no civilized nation
has right to withhold from its hum
blest citizens.
Foreigners in China are unan mous
in the belief that Il little prompt and
vigorous action would at once put an
end to these things. We have lost all
hope of help from the legation at
Pekin, and we are now appealing
directly to Washington. Will YOU not
help us? Unless something is speedily
done we shall have to abandon all our
interior work (which represents 80
many years Of toll and sacrifice.
In our opinion the action required
at this time is the appointment of IL
strong commission With such rank and
authority as will enable them to try
and fix the guilt of the highest Of
iicials. The arrest OF a few coolies
Will be worse than useless. We must
go to the source Of these troubles,
which Is found in some of the highest
cfiicials in the empire"