The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-09-10

here announce Inc GOIll1AllSoAOh
pointed by the British and American
governments to investigate the Ku
Cheng massacre on Aug. 1, reached
Foo Chow on Aug. 49, Suikow two days
Later, and Ku Cheng on Aug. II, with
out a shadow of moiestation from the
barbarous hordes alleged by Chinese
officials to have established a reign
of terror throughout the province.
The commission, consisting of the
British, consul, R. w. Mansfield; the
American consul, Colonel j. Courtney
Hixson; the British vice-consul, L. B.
Allen. from Pagoda Anchorage; Lieu
tenant Evans, of the United States
steamship Detroit; the Rev. w. Bannfs-
ter representing the English Church
Missionary society, and DR.. McGregory,
OF the American Methodist Episcopal
mission, had an escort of but one hun
bred of the viceroy's alarmed and
poorly-disciplined soldiery, which sup
ports but feebly the Chinese contention
that the massacre was entirely beyond
Official prevention, owing to the coun-
try being in revolt.
Quite Farcical.
This defense is regarded by all Brit
ish and American residents in Chinese
territory as quite fsrcical by the COM
mission, unsupported as it is by any
display of British or American force,
and Indignation runs high as to the
apathy displayed by these governments
in regard 10 the massacre.
It is argued that the, official defense
is totally untenable, as under the Chi
nese law system of mutual response
biIity prevails, all public officials being
held personally responsible for the COM
Il.
diction, whether they are legitimately
hlamable or not, and are visited with
the penalties attached in the event of
their failing to apprehend and punish
the criminals,
The commission had at last advices
received the statement of three wit
nesses, On Gregory, OF the American
mission at F'oa Chow; the Rev, H. +.
Phillips and Miss Harmon, of Ku
Cheng, the latter two having been eye
witnesses Of the fearful scenes of Au-
gust l.
Phillips Story.
The Rev. Mr.. Phillips tells how he
was awakened at in the morning
by the shouting IN the direction Of the
Stewards home. He at first thought it
was children playing, but soon reeog-
nized the voices of excited men, he
dressed hastily and went over.
Il was met a few yards from my
dwelling" he says. "by native friend,
VINO, while throwing his arms around
me to detain me, told me the vegetar-
ians had come. I shook him off and
went on and soon came in sight Of
the house from which forty or fifty
bandits were carrying loads of plum
der, their leader holding aloft a small
red flag. 1 could see nothing of our
Europeans, anG, as I was IL full view
of the rioters, crept up a hill in the
brushWood and concealed myself be-
hind two trees, from twenty to thirty
yards from the house. There I could
see everything and not be seen. AS
could see no foreigners concluded
they had escaped, and as to go down
was certain death, I thought it better
to wait where I was.
AFTER a minute or two the retreat
horn sounded and the vegetarians be-
gan to leave-first, however, setting
fire to the houses. Ten minutes after
this every vegetarian had gone.
came down and looked about the front
of the house but could see no one 1
feared something dreadful had hap
pened, as I heard the vegetarians as
they left say: Now all the foreign
ers are killed
II just then met one of the servants
who told me the Chinese We're in the
house in which Miss Hartford. of the
American mission, was staying. [
found Mr.. Hartford's daughter Mildred
with a serious wound on one knee and
another severe cut. When I had
washed these I turned to Herbert
Stewards son, who was fearfully
hacked and cut everywhere. Then
Miss Codrington sent me a message
that she too was in the house I
found her in fearful condition. but
with cold water and rags we managed
TO staunch the bleeding. She begged
me not to wait, as she thought Topsy
Saunders was still alive. 1 then
rushed to the back of the house and
found the bodies of Miss Sanders, Miss
Stewart, Miss Gordon and Miss Mar
shall. The latter was aWfully cut, her
head being almost severed, but beyond
the wounds given in the struggle the
bodies were not mutilated, Later I
found Miss H. Newcomb's body at the
foot of the hill in front of the house.
where it had evidently been thrown.
LAS then I could see no signs of Mr..
and Mrs. Stewart, Miss Sanders and
Lena, the nurse, we hoped they had
escaped, and 1 returned to the house
where the Stewart children and Miss
Codrington were Presently Miss Hart
ford arrived.
Saved By a Native.
.sShe had received a cut under one
ear, but had been saved from death
by a native Christian. I learned later
that the five ladies of Zenana Mission
society. who lived in the two houses
which form the Ku Cheng sanitarium,
after q futile effort to escape, got out
of The back and were inclined to spare
them. but were ordered by their leader
10 carry out their orders: Kill, and
spare not
Had they been able to escape into
the brushwood there seems little doubt
they might have been saved.
"a great misfortune was that snly
Two were dressed Mr.. and Mrs. Stew
art were slain as they sprans from bed.
Lena, the nurse, died while protecting
the baby, whom Kathleen managed TO
carry out of the house, though not be-
fore the baby's eyes had been cut out.
Miss Nellie Sanders was also knocked
Gown at the nursery door when going
10 help the children, and as we after
wards found the remains of a burnt
body there, we had little doubt 1t was
hers. For a, long time we thought
that al least Mr.. and Mrs. Stewart had
escaped, but later found their bodies,
or rather ashes, In what had been their
bed room.
saThe ala Sang people seemed to
have had, as a whole, no hand in the
affair, though doubtless four or five
Vegetarian families were concerned
The natives say the Vegetarian band
came on the east road CT Ku Cheng
A