Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1898-06-23
A Missionary's Thrilling Escape.

Others, made his escape a little more
than a month ago from murderous
savages in Sierra Leone, among whom
he had labored for many years. DR..
Burtner is a son of Mr.. Ezra Burtner,
of Keedysyille, Washington county,
Nd. Seven of DR.. Burtners white co.
laborers-two men and FIVE women
and many native converts and teach
ers were butchered.
DR.. Burtner, his wife, the Rev. F. S.
Minshell and wife, Miss Mary B. Null
len and the Rev. W. F. Ward arrived
in New York on the Ehuria from Liv-
erpool. They left Freetown, Sierra
Leone, on May / last. The butchery
of the missionaries began on April 80
and was still in progress when the lit
tie party left Africa.
I've are missionaries, DR.. Burtner
said, "of the United Brethren of the
Church of Christ, founded by Philip
w. Otterburn. Our first mission in
Africa was established in 1865, with
headquarters at Shengeh, some seven
ty-fve miles south OF Freetown, the
capital OF Sierra Leone.
AT Shengeh we heard on April IS
that the natives had risen at Rotafunk,
which is seventy miles east Of Free
town, and the headquarters of one of
our branches, and murdered the Rev.
|. n. Cain and his wife. DR.. Mary
Archer, DR.. Mary f. Hatfield and
Miss Ella Schench. They had been
warned to make their escape 10y friend
ly natives, but could not do so in time.
They fed into the bush, only to be
discovered and made prisoners by
thousands OF savages. All were
stripped and dragged naked through
Rotafunk. They were made to stand
in line in front of the mission house
and were slashed with the cutlasses of
the natives a, they passed in long lines
Their arms and legs were cut off and
then their heads. The heads were
kicked about like footballs.
"At Tiama station, l25 miles east
of Rotafunk, the Rev. l.. A, McGrew
and his wife, also of our mission, were
killed.
"The Rev. ]. II. Hughes and wife,
at Avery station, forty miles from
Sherbro Island, are also among the
dead. At Danville Mr.. and Mrs.
Wilberforce and their four children,
Professor Clements, Mrs. Martin and
Mr. and Mrs. Cole, all colored mission
aries, were killed on April 30. Mr..
Wilberforce was educated in America.
AT first we paid no great attention
to the rising Of the natives, as we had
had so many alarms. But before long
we realized the danger that threatened
us. ! fortified our mission house.
two and a-hslf story stone structure,
as well as | could, but all the weapons
we had were one shotgun and one re-
and very little ammunition.
On the evening Of Saturday, April 30,
between FIVE hundred and six hundred
native women and children came to
US for succor. All the men had left
Shengeh to Join the revolters. We
housed them as well as We could.
81 got seven boats on Sunday, May
/, and transferred all hands 10 Plain
tain Island, six miles off shore. in
the evening of Sunday the natives
rushed the town and fred it. They
pulled the mission church down after
undermining the walls. That night !
heard that the natives were coming
after us, so all my little party Of white
people got together and started Tor
Freetown. 1t took us two days and
two nights in our little open boat to
reach there. We suffered greatly on
the voyage.
"The Rev. J. A. Evans came with
US in our boat to Freetown. he went
on to Bonthe, one Of our stations on
Island, aud is, ! believe, safe.
The Rev. r. n. Taylor, T. A. Davies
and A. r. Sumner, Of our mission, are
at Sherbro Island, which il l20 miles
south of Freetown. When We left
Freetown on May 4 they were all still
there, and were presumably safe. The
Rev. w. r. Ward, stationed at Rota-
Junk, returned with Us.
1--WE left Freetown on May a, by
he regular coast steamer, to Ham
burg. and landing at Dover, came on
here. Our mission loss is at least
100000. lido not know II the Sierra
Leone missions will be continued.
Miss Mary B. Mullen was alone at
he Momalega mission station when
he natives seized it. They brsndished
,r.1aoaaa over her head and made