Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1900-08-22
aetiseellaneo,1s &eaaing.
FLEEING FOR HIS LIFE.
Rev. Mark B. Grier Tells OF
the Situation i'm China.
CATHOLICS PROVOKED UPRISING

Something About the Boxers and Their OBJ
ject-Danger of the Native Christians
Dangerous Overland Trip to Safety.
The last issue of the Associate Re-
formed Presbyterian contains the fol-
lowing letter from Rev. Mark B. Grier,
Presbyterian missionary in China:
As We pen these lines for The Pres.
bvterian, we are somewhat in the stu
alton of Lot as he made his way-to.
ward Zoar-escaping for our lives-at
least it is under the conviction that
our lives were seriously imperiled that
we have left our home in the interior
and started south 10 place of safety.
You will, of course, have seen long be-
fore this reaches you, telegraphic re-
ports of the very critical condition of
things in China at this time. The
Boxers are secret organization that
began ostensibly as patriotic associa-
,ion to aid in the suppression OF law
lessness. As it increased in numbers,
however, its real animus became ap-
parent, viz: the complete eradication
of Christianity from China. They be-
gan their attacks first on the adherents
of the Roman Catholic church. No
doubt the high.handed conduct OF
some of these adherents, using the po-
litical influence of the foreign priests
to Cypress others, accounts in part for
the bitter antagonism to the Roman
Catholic church that is almost univer-
sal.
The Boxers began their destruction
in the province of Shaniung, just north
of us, and as was to be expected the
mob did not long observe any distinc-
ton between Catholics and Protestants.
All alike were followers of the foreign
devil. Their homes were burned,
their property stolen: and themselves
beaten or killed. The native authori-
ties took no effective measures to sup
press the movement, and it rapidly in
creused in extent and violence. The
first foreigner to fall victim was Mr..
Brooks, an English missionary, who
after being wounded and stripped OF
nearly all his clothing and exposed all
day when the weather was freezing,
was finally beheaded. Since this events
have followed upon each other so rap
idly that it is difficult for US in the in
terror to keep track of them. A vast
amount of mission and other property
has been destroyed. A number of for.
eigners, both missionaries and others,
have been killed, the railway from
Tien Tsin to Peking torn up and the
station burned.
The last news that reached us was
that a state of war existed. A large
number of marines had been landed
from the foreign gunboats and an ad'
vance on Peking begun. The govern
ment, hitherto secretly, is now openly
taking sides with the Boxers, and
some battles have already occurred
The foreign powers are at present work
ing together; but of course are at q
great disadvantage and all together
can only put small force in the field
until reinforcements can he sent from
home. 1t had been our purpose to
remain at our station all summer. II
is only about six weeks since we got
back to our station, and it was very
hard for us to make up our minds'to
start out again overland in a spring
less cart. But one telegram after an
other came from our friends in the