The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-09-02

NEW YORK, Sept. 1-Reports of the
Atchison missionaries in China have
come from members of Methodist
Baptist Missionary union to the Bap-
list Missionary Gazette, which show
that uprisings were more general than
has been told before. In the last week
of May and the first of June, all the
missionary stations in western China
were looted by mobs, and 146 mission
Rries-men, women and children-were
driven away, escaping with only their
lives. In the province Of Sechuan, the
largest in, the empire. there were many
small stations scattered over the vail
ley of the Upper Yang Use
Kiang river Most of the mis-
sionaries had gone to the field
in the past five years. While the
authorities seem to have tried in some
instances to protect the missions. the
only service they were able to render,
was TO help them TO escape. The mis-
sionaries fed hundreds of miles down
the river, travelling on RATS and in
house boats, carrying as much as a
change of clothing, and reaching
places of safety only after two weeks
OF hardshIps.
The Charges Made.
In Cheng Tu, the capitol Of the prov
ince of Szechuan, a placard was
posted on the 2Sth of May. asserting
that the foreign barbarians' were
hiring evil characters to steal small
children from them. The next day a
mob OF several thousand tore down the
Canadian Methodist mission and the
Of "a JOrntaCfoJa+
cupants and the Catholic building.
The missionaries appealed to the mag
istrate 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: 1.-The time has come to turn
all the missionaries out of Szechuan. IS
A part of the mob divided into smaller
parties and took the various roads out
Of town, en- route for the other mis-
sion centers. In all cities the most in
flammatory plaeards were posted on
the walls
Riots Immediately Followed.
The Baptist missionaries believe the
riots were melted by members Of the
official force They kept in the back
ground however, and to appearances
the students were at the bottom of
the mischief.
They published a placard king a
date for the destruction of the mis-
sionary property at Sui Chaua Fwu
and for killing the magistrate who
was suspected of desiring to protect
foreigners.
In most cases, the missionaries,
while their property was being de-
stroyed, left the cities and hid in the
neighborhood. awaiting an opportunity
to escape. They had native friends
who helped them to procure boats and
to put the ladies and children aboard.
At Sui Chau Flu, Messers. Warner and
Wildwood and Dr. Finch got their val
liable papers and silver out of the
town and secTeted them. Here, as
everywhere, the trouble came like a
thunder clap out of clear sky. Sum-
days services were well attended,
quiet ard very impressive and three
candidates were baptised by INNER.
sion. On Monday, June 8, the city was
flooded with piacards.
Terrible Sufferings.
The largest party. which numbered
siXty-five, were crowded for eleven
days in the house boats, suffering ter
ribly. and but for the fact that they
had money enough TO pay the exhor-
bitant prices asked for every thing,
would have persisted. Many stories of
individual escapes are told but they
are much alike in their main feature.