The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-09-18
FOUGHT WITH COURAGE.
Christians Procured Some
Old MusketS and Made a
Good Defense.
BESIEGED BY THE BANDITS.
An Edict by the Emperor That For
eigners Think VIII Not Do
Much Good.

TOXIC, JAPAN, Aug. 27-Particulars OF
the attack on the Catholic mission at Wa
nai, village near the East River, some
seven days journey from Canton, have
been received. The affair took place on
July 2 at 6 P. NJ, when gang of $50 ban
dts attacked the orphanage. The place
was burned and one child was cut TO
pieces by the marauders. Then the mis-
sionaries hastily prepared some old mus
kets and showed fight. Three of the en-
envy were killed and many wounded before
they drew off.
For two days the bandits besieged the tiny
garrison of twenty-nine combatants, but on
the 5th of July heavy rain fell and dis
persed them. A few days afterward the
bandits reassembled and attacked the SOL
diers of Mandarin sent to arrest them.
Fighting again broke out between these
men and the little band of Christians, but
at length peace was purchased by a pay
ment OF SEQ It's. Then another band of
robbers came up, and these had to be
bought off, also, though not before some
more lives had been lost. The price paid
was 200 It's. This was on July IL.
During this long siege, what had hap
pened in the district? All the Christians
were robbed, women were carried away,
houses were dunedin word, nothing es-
capped the rage of the Chinese miscreants.
A village of 100 Christians was attacked,
but soldiers came to its assistance and it
was saved. AT present some hundreds of
soldiers occupy the country, and the pre-
feet of Wei-chow and the sub-prefecI OF Ho
Yum are on the spot.
The courage of the Christians certainly
preserved the neigh boring districts, for the
robbers, after having ravaged Ho Yum,
would have been ready to invade other
places. The losses of the Christians are
considerable; more than 12O buffaloes
were stolen and all the movables of fifty
families pillaged. In this general raiding
it is astonishing that the loss of life among
the Christians was not greater. Only one
child was cut in pieces and an adult Chris
tan was burned in his house, whereas the
bandits on their side had several killed and
wounded.
The Emperor of China hao issued the
following edict with reference to the re-
cent snti-Christian outbreaks in that en-
pire:
CitlCc Inc opening OF INTERNATIONAL com nerce
with Western countries foreigners have always
resided i'll the inland districts at peace ana
harmony with their native neighbors and we in
our mperial love for both native and foreigner
alike have time and again commanded our
high provincial authorities to pay extra heed
constantly TO protect the latter from harm
Judge OF our extreme indignation, then, upon
hearing recently, first of the riots i'll the capt.
tai OF Szechuen, where chapels have been de-
stroyed and burned down by the rioters, there
by tanning the flames of destruction far and
wide, insomuch that a number of sub-prefect-
ures and districts simultaneously followed in
the footsteps Of Chengtu. and now TO receive
news from Fukien, reporting that evil charac-
tiers have murdered and wounded very large
number of foreigners at Kutien, going so far
in their ruthless ferocity as to murder even
women and infants.
With reference to the SZechuen riots number
OF the rioiers have already been arrested and
will undergo trial, but the chiefs and heads OF
the Fukien murderers are still at large, and
we command Pien Pao-ch'uan and Ching Yu
Tartar general OF Foochow) to set to work with
out delay at the head of the military and dis
trict officials and speedily arrest these wicked
characters, nor shall any be allowed to escape
the meshes of the law. Indeed, it is the mani
fest duty of the local mandarins throughout
the empire to be always on the alert and pre-
vent such worthless characters from manu-
featuring seurrilous tales and exciting the
populace; they should crush all incipient ris-
ings at the slightest sign. What sort of frivol-
ity and Indifference to duty is this then that
has brought about all these recent serious out
RACES?
We would also, therefore, command the
various Tartar generals, Viceroys and Gov
errors of the empire to impress upon all their
,hryd % 49,
ough protection to all the chapels, etc., in
their districts. The are also to issue procla-
nations exhorting the people to abstain from
listening to scurrilous tales which excite IN
founded suspicious in the breasts OF ALL II
there be any who shall dare to raise disturb
ances in the future they shall be at once pun
ished with the utmost severity of the law, and
as to such OF the local officials as may use sub
terfuge and craft to avoid their duties, they
are to be most severely punished, and no leni-
encY shall be exercised in their cases Let
these commands be made known to all within
this empire.
Little value is attached by foreigners to
this edict. 1t is now well understood that
the orders of the Emperor OF China have
virtually no force outside the walls OF
Picking. On several previous occasions
edicts even more forcibly worded than the
above have emanated from the Dragon
throne. but foreign property and foreign
lives remain as insecure as ever in the in
terror of China. The Fukien assassina-
tons have stirred throughout the whole
of the foreign population of the Orient a
feeling of the deepest indignation.
1t is generally believed that the action OF
the British Government has fallen fa1
short of the requirements of the occasion.
Instead of dispatching consul to investi-
gate the circumstances connected with the
Kucheng atrocities the task should have
been entrusted to a secretary of legation,
and instead of a Chinese escort the COM
missioner should have been accompanied
by 500 redcoats and bluejackets.
If the brutal massacre of English women,
girls and children may be condoned by the