The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-11-09
ESCAPED FROM
BOXERS Clutch
STORY OF MISS HALVES, OF THE
CHINESE MISSION.

STORY OF MISS HALVES, OF THE
CHINESE MISSION.
She Yesterday Afternoon Addressed
the Members Of the Women's For
eign Missionary Society of the
First Presbyterian Church, and
Gave Narrowing and Interesting
Description Of the Attack on the
Mission at weyking-Chinese Are
Willing and Faithful Converts.
Miss Charlotte Halves, of Pittsburg,
| one OF the missionaries who had u
narrow escape from the hands of the
i,iurtrrous Boxers in China, yester-
day afternoon addressed an audience
Of about one hundred persons. at the
| meeting of the Women's Foreign Mis-
sionary society, of the First Presby-
! tcrian church. Her talk was given
in the church lecture room. ana proved
exceedingly interesting. Miss Halves
described the narrowing scenes she
, IL
cf language and power which caused
, little thrills TO run through the audi
cnCc.
Tie speaker returned from Weyking,
q few months ago, landing in Sacra.
! mento, August 20. She is at present
at the home of Rev. Dir. James Nc
Leod. Prior to her address the regu.
lar meeting of the society was held
/ ,,,I lt,ftD rN,s t,,,
, death of Mrs. j. A. Scranton were
adopted. A committee consisting &C
Mrs. McLaod. Mrs. Hunt, and Mrs.
Plumley, which was appointed at the
last meeting of the society, drew UP
the resolutions.
Miss Halves was then introduced to
| her audience by Mrs. c. s. Weston,
the president of the society, and be-
gan her address by saying that she
had escaped from the Boxers. and
could bear witness, but still desired
to state that all good was not yet
dead in China.
TRIP TO WEYIING.
She told OF her trip to the country,
six days trip to Wcyking. She de.
city, and then told of the mission
itself located about seven miles from
| the city. Five dwellings for the mis-
sionaries, the chapel and hospital made
! up this settlement of the gospel bring
| ers.
| She then mentioned Il young Chinese
convert, who she said was sort Of
yellow Moody, and had brought hun
i nf a .lS
converted when a boy of thirteen ana
was at that time the only person in Il
| whole village to leave the worship Of
his idols.
IF you only knew" said she, ''of
the hordes OF people in China who
are hungering for the gospel you
would not hesitate to go out there
and fill the gaps in the number Of our
workers. The people on the whole are
very friendly and ask you questions
by the score, particularly regarding
your family. They have a wonderful
! regard for the sanctity of home life
and the reverence for parents gives
| old people Il very pleasant time in
China
I'VE work principally out there by
forming the converts into classes. and
spending all our time in teaching them
the gospel of the true God" She
then told of the first tidings brought
of the approach Of the Boxers, ana
the withdrawal of most of the mis-
sionaries 10 the coast. She described
the scene at the last lesson Of class
of fifty, when the entire class of poor
Chinese women with one voice de-
clared their Willingness to cast their
lot with the missionaries and to die
for Christ. 1T was an affecting ana
most beautiful scene" the speaker at
tirmed
WORK OF THE MOB.
In vivid language she told of ttc
day when the mob burst open the dopr
of the mission in Weykins and looted
it. The fOrelunnerS of the crowd were
a number OF hale grown boys and then
came over Il thousand wild. yelliGS
Cinnamon armed with sticks, stones
and knives, and roaring the most hor-
ribe of imprecations. Mr.. Chalfont,
the superintendent of that mission
! district, then stood forth with brace
of pistols and for two hours alone
and unaided managed to keep the
crowd at bay, by threatening them
with his firearms He sent for the
city troops, who We're near enough to
come to the our assistance, but the
military officials did not choose to send
their mer and the beleaguered seiV-
ants OF God looked to Him alone for
aid.
At the end of the two hours, the
crowd closed about the brave solitary
figure with cries of 1.-THE Big Knife
Society isn't afraid Of guns" and then
he retreatcd into the house, amid
shower of stones and missiles.
Together with the other missionaries
and a number of converts Mr.. Cha!n
font escaped from the building. ly
use OF ladder, while the crowd of
yellow fenis, who We're engaged in
firing the mission, kept up Il chorus
of 1.-THE Foreign Devils are escaping.
Kill them, kill them" The little conf
pany scaled wall by the ladder.
and thus eluded for the time their
pursuers, who continued their work
of destruction. Several of the Goa"
verts accompanied them in their dam
gerous walk from the city, and al
though they knew they were almost
sounding their death krell, by their
devotion, continued to remain stead
fast and true to their new faith.
THEY BECAME HOSTILE.
Large crowds We're met on the jour
ney, and while at first they seemed
friendly, the aspect of the persons
encountered was soon noticed to be-
come hostile, and large amount IF
time was spent in hiding In corn-
field. At last the little band arrived