The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1900-11-22

north Tor the capital. we SOt
20 Ii of it without adventure when we
met a native Christian whom we knew
fleeing south He imp'ored US to tur
hack as the Inland Mission had been
already burned, the Roman Cathohc
establishment pulled down, and all the
Foreigners were in the Baptist Mission
compound surrounded by great mob
who were inside. On this we turned
back towards Pingyao, and our escort
ar once left us. We had not much
money, and the people demanded exor-
bitant prices for everything, even for !
the simple permission to pass along the |
road. We sold our clothes and pawn
ed whatever we could pawn, including /
our wedding rings, and in this way we
reached our station at Lucheng, safe, |
but stripped.
Lucheng had not yet been rioted, but |
only two days peace was allowed us |
when. with the friends there. we had to
flee for our lives at midnight with |
nothing but one donkey-load of bedding |
and clothing, and supply OF silver
which we divided up among the party. |
Which direction to take we did not
know To go north again was out of
the question, and eastward to Shan
tung was equally impossible, so we
made for the SOUTH hoping to get
through Honan and Hupeh to Han
kow But we had only got 80 Ii from
Lucheng when we We're stopped at
I
people who demanded money. We
could not satisfy them, so they seized
our donkey and in sheer wanton mis-
chief tore all our bedding and clothing
| to pieces. Then they stripped us next,
taking each persons clothes, hat, shoes
and stockings, and little store of silver,
leaving us nothing, ladies and children
alike, but a single pair of native draw
ers each. In this affair we lost the ma
Itives who were accompanying us, some
of whom We fear were killed. while we
were driven along the road by men
with clubs. 1t was a terrible situation.
The blazing sun burned us to the bone,
and some of us had not so much as
little piece of rag to wet and put on
the top of our heads. AT every village
we were attacked and driven from one
to the other with blows and curses.
The villages there are very Trick, and
before we got clear of the mob from
one, the mob from the next had already
arrived to take us in hand. Neither
food nor water could be obtained How
we contrived to exist we hardly know:
for days our only support was found
in the filthy puddles by the roadside
: When we reached a city it was little
better. Apparently each magistrate
was anxious that We should come to
our end in the next country, so when
we went to the yamen they would give
us a little food and send an escort to
. see us safely over the borders of that
2 particular yamen's jurisdiction. Ar
, rived at that point, the escort always
1 left us. and We had to struggle on as
r before
Miss Rice was killed on the road so Ii
2 north of Tsehchaufu in Shansi. That
j day both she and Miss Houston sat
: down on the roadside saying they
: would willingly die. but walk another
Y step they could not. In the previous
\ city the magistrate had given us a
, small piece of silver which we had &c
[ carry in our hand having no where
: else to put 1t. We thought we might
q be able to hire a cart for these ladies
t with this piece of silver, so two of us
) went to a village to negotiate. The
e Villagers refused the cart, but at the
il same lime they pounded our knuckle:
h with a stick until wes dropped the sill
: liver. and they then drove US down the
road away from our party. Just theI
h lit began to rain and the party, with
e the exception OF the two ladies' retired
" for shelter to an empty guardhoust
: near. There a mob fell upon them AND
# drove them on, and in this way the
h two helpless ladies got left and were
/ beaten to death. Nothing could bt
= done till TSehchau was reached, wheI
e the magistrate sent back to inquire
d Miss Rice was found to be alread.
8 dead, but Miss Houston, although
d ldreadfully injured, was still alive. Sh,
died afterwards at Yunmung in Hu
r peh and the body was brought In t,
. Hankow for burial
. The crossing OF the Yellow river wa.
% one Of our most trying experiences
- The yamen had placed US in carts, anC
;, promised to send us over. But as soor
= as we were in the boat the carts drov,
= away, the boatmen ordered us to lant
= again. as they declined point blank t,
;. have anything to do with US. For tive
= days We sat on the bank of the yellow
- river not knowing what to do. W.
q were like the Israelites at the Red Sea
a Pharaoh was behind; neither right no
q left was there any retreat, and n,
. day the boatmen unexpectedly changed
y their minds and took us over.
The first city we came to south of tn,
!; river was Changchou. The magistrate
- here was bitterly anti-foreign and saiC
Z had we only arrived twenty four hour
- sooner he would have had the pleasure
y of killing lis all. His orders were t,
. allow. no foreign devil to escape, blu
y the Empress Dowager had taken pit,
=, on them. and he had just been in
q structed to have them all sent as pris
IL oners into Eupeh. Accordingly, from
this point We were sent on across Ho
- nan, from city to city, as prisoners
=. by the yamen, some in carts and some
- times mounted on the hard woodel
~ pack saddles Of donkeys. For food the
- gave US Dredd ana water, and nOwher
!" showed us any kindness until we reach
= ed Sinyangchou, the last city in Ho
:. nan. Here we were no longer treate
as prisoners, and here we met wit
~ the Glovers from Lu-an, who had ar
. rived there after a similar journey. TIL
=. Hupeh magistrates were exceedingly
y kind. AT the first city, Yingshan, w
- were supplied with food and clothin
" y, and kept in the yamen five days as tn
~ road south was blocked by soldiers pro
ceeding, whom it would not be safe t
< meet. The Yingshan native Christian
also sought us out and showed
lie great kindness, as they also did at til
Id cities of Tehngan, Yunmung and Hsao
m kan. Mrs. e. j. Cooper died at Wing
err Shan OF the injuries and hardSh1pS uT
lg dergone, and her body was brought
s. Hankow for burial Thus ended a
r Hankow on the 14th of August. a jour
f ney of fifty days duration