The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-07-03
BEATEN TO DEATH.
Fate of Secret Society Leader In
China.
North China Herald.

North China Herald.
me further development of the Kolao Hui
(secret society movement has received at
least a temporary check in the arrest of the
chief agitator. He was caught near Feng-
Rumor of his insecurity had reached him
and he thought it best to escape while the
way seemed open. His resolve, however,
came too late, for he had not got a mile
from the town ere he was bounced upon by
a score of lusty farmers, who had been
promised handsome reward-$500-for his
capture A few of the leading gentry who
had before been ''winking loudly at the
movement now came forward and assisted
in his delivery to the city magistrate A
certain neither In nor out of office and de-
cidedly out-at-elbowS weiyuan, resident in
the village, sought to claim the captive, but
this Weiyuan's conduct had been sufficiently
lacking in loyalty to his imperial majesty
the Emperor, that the whole neighborhood
had classed him as the real leader of the
secret society Such is the common report
on the spot and generally accepted there
as true Anyhow, his request for possession
of the prisoner was so promptly refused that
he is said to have bowed to each of the
gentry in turn and begged them not to inn
plicate him in the matter.
AS to the unfortunate captive, he was
hurried without loss of time to the city and
there almost Immediately brought up for
trial before the city magistrate His atti-
tude was bold and defiant. He neither de-
MED the accusations laid against him
tried to exculpate himself When threat
ened he said mis- death would be avenged on
the man who caused 1t. When asked what
who were its members he told the magis-
trate that he (the magistrate) knew all
about it. he being almost a member of the
kolao Hui. Upon this the ma gistrate seems
to have lost his temper and ordered the
prisoner to be beaten to death. Much beat
ing did not kill him and once more the mag
istrate is said to have roared out orders TO
finish him off. Beating seemed to be INSULT
cient and, seeing the magistrate In such
grim earnest, other measures were taken
and the unfortunate man soon breathed his
last.
This breach of Chinese law will, it is be-
neved, get the magistrate into serious trou-
ble and the Taotai at one time was on the
point of suspending him awaiting orders
having killed off the man without torturing
a full confession out of him as on the ground
OF cruelty! 1t is a pity that the magistrate,
Yeh. lost his temper, for during the last
eighteen months he has proved himself a
capable and fair-dealing officer. In the
meantime the new hsien has arrived, and,
being the permanent officer will take over
office. What will be Mr.. Yeh's fate and
what the new hsien will do to quash the
Koloa Hui we shall soon learn. One Of the
principal men OF Fengling has collected and
delivered up quite a number of certificates
OF membership, but those delivered are but
Another man In the same place bids his
following retain their certificates. as he de-
clareS the officials are favorable to the
movement. The new hsien has had consid-
cradle experience in Tonkin and speaks a
little French and some English, SO we are
Possibly his southern experiences may help
him even more than the two languages.
Anyhow, Ii is a pleasure TO welcome mag
istrate OF such attachments to Wenchow.