San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1896-08-04
CHINESE OUTRAGES.
MISSIONS LOOTED AND MURDER
COMMITTED.
The Rebels Are Too Strong For the Local
Authorities and the Very Worst, it
is Feared, Will Happen


morning publishes the following cor
respondence from Shanghai under
date of July 4:
Brief particulars have just reached
me of a widespread and very threat
ening rebellion in the northern part
of this province, adjoining the bor-
ders of Shantung, the district that
is generally known as Kiangpeh,
which is always noted for the turbu-
lence and lawlessness of its inhabit-
ants.
For some time past the members of
two secret societies, Kin Lun Tso,
Golden Dragon Rebels and Ia Tao
Hwei (Bretheren of the Great Sworn,
have been very uneasy and a fort
night ago they broke out into open re-
volt, surprising the slender and in
adequate forces of the local manda-
rims, captured several villages and
then directed al their energies to ex-
terminating the few scattered commu-
mites in their neighborhood. Three
communities surrounding the Jesuit
missions at Sin Tcheo Tang, Shaw
Tien and Su Tsien, were attacked
with savage ruthlessness, the houses
Of the wretched people burned down,
then directed all their energies to ex-
all their belongings being destroyed or
carried off by the rebels, the miserable
people beaten and treated with the
usual brutality of a Chinese mob I'M
restrained by fear of the authorities
and two at least of the native Chris
tians were foully murdered in cold
blood
The mission houses were attacked
and destroyed and the two French
priests in the district barely escaped
with their lives. These two gentle
men, Rev. Fathers Tomas, from Ton
gohan, and LIE BibOel, from Su Tsien,
arrived here yesterday to report fully
the alarming and dangerous state of
affairs at the mission, as there was
nothing left for them to do at the
scene of their labors in Kangpeh, all
their flock having been scattered and
driven away by the rebels. Before
they left they had heard that Ger
man missionary had been killed in Shan
Tung and from what they could learn
ON their journey down only went to
confirm the grave news.
kilograms have since been received
by Bishop GARNER from the disturbed
region via Shan Tung. 1t is impos-
sible owing to the disturbed state of
the northern part of Kiangste to tele-
graph direct, showing that affairs
have assumed more alarming dimen-
sions since the two fathers left
The Kin Lun Tso and Ia Tao Hwei
are exceedingly incensed by Bishop
Anzer's mission by reason Of having
lately complained to Pekin of their
treatment of his converts, and it is
believed that they killed the member
of his mission out of revenge. When
the two priests left their premises,
which are strongly built and defended
with four watch towers, one at each
corner, to resist the approach of ban
dts, who habitually roam over the
country, they were in the hands of
mandarin soldiers, who were well
armed and apparently prepared to de-
fend the buildings against the rebels.
But a telegram, dated the 22nd ult.,
and sent to China Fo San Lung, by
courier, whence 1t was dispatched to
Shanghai, has just been received
stating that the troops had been
obliged to abandon the mission. From
this it is inferred that the rebels were
too strong for the local authorities
and drove them away from the mis-
sion as they had previously succeeded
in doing in many other places. The
authorities were, in fact, taken every
where by surprise by the suddenness
of the outbreak, and as usual were in
state of unpreparedness and terror
when the rebels rose against them.
The rebels numbered several thou.
sands when my informants left the
scene, but were badly armed, some
unknown circumstances having appa-
rently forced matters to a head and
obliged them to commence opera
tons before they were quite ready.
But, judging by their successes, they