The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1900-07-01
CHINESE BOXERS
AND THEIR ORIGIN
Continued from first page.)

and regarded the future as full OF
hope, but on May 10, 1891, two nuns
who were going home from a VISIT
to some sick people, were maltreated
by a mob, who charged them with
bewitching children. The mission
houses were plundered, and this was
the signal for the renewal of disturb
ances all through China. These be-
came worse and worse, exciting mere
and more resentment in Europe, UNI
til, at last, some German priests were
murdered and the missions looted in
Shang-Tung This was followed by
the seizure by the Germans of the
port of Tsin-Tau.
The Shang-Tung Chinese connected
those two events and swore vengeance
on the Germans, and incidentally upon
all foreigners and Christians. 1t was
at this time that the Long Sword
Society began to make itself obnoX-
ious.
They had previously been prescribed
by the government for local revenues,
and temporarily suppressed, but now
they became bolder than ever and in
augurated a reign of terror through
Shan Tung. Native Christians were
robbed, beaten, murdered, and their
homes destroyed. Many of them were
forced to recant, and some OF the
chapels were looted, but no mission
aries were killed. So bold was the
action of the society, and so fragrant
their outrages that Tu Hsien, the go
ernor OF Shan-Tung was ordered to pro-
coed against them. This man had
only held office for a short time. lie
was inexperienced, and was promoted
through the favoritism of the en-
peror.
In October last, under compulsion,
he sent a large force against the Great
Swords, who mad taken the field with
the avowed intention Of wiping out
the Christians. On October IS, the
two armies came together. One hun
dred rebels were killed and many
wounded and the rest, including the
leader, fed.
The victors returned, jublant, to
the governor, who, however, far from
being pleased at their report, was
thrown into a fury. He degraded
three of them and sent report to
Pekin that the socalled rebels were
merely congregation of honest coun-
try people, whom the soldiers had at
tackled and massacred without right
or warrant.
Thus at a single stroke the COVER
nor paralyzed the action of every of
fetal, making il impossible for them
to act as they clearly saw was best.
The leaders. who had skunk away af-
ter the fight, quickly discovered that
the governor was on their side, and
within two weeks every man was in
his place again.
Henry ID. Porter, a missionary, says
that in the district of Kao-Tang and
Pang- Yang there began campaign
of pillage, arson and murder which is
awful to recall. The whole county
west of Chinanful, in this province,
and as far south as Shen-Chou, in the
province of Chilli, famed up into an
anarchy at once, and the attack of
ruin was widespread. In many coun-
ties of Shan-Tung every Roman Cath
Ollie house was swept clean, and hun
dreds of Protestant Christians suffer
ed. In response to appeals from the
missionaries, the miscreant Yu was
suddenly removed, and the famous
Yuan-Shih- K'al, friend of Ii Hung
Chang, was sent to be the governor.
Before the authorities in Chilli could
be made to realize the real import
of the struggle 100 Protestant fami-
lies had been looted on the borders
of the Yellow river, west of the pro-
vincial capital. AN equal number of
Christians of the London mission in
Chilli had suffered, and fifty or more
congregational families had been at
tackled, despoiled or mulcted of money
under threats of loot and pillage. The
more serious of these was at Chang
Ssu-Ma, in Chilli, and Hoo hiaTun, in
Shang-Tung. In the former the native
pastor was driven from his home,
while the chapel and school were
Quilted and despoiled. Four families
We're driven from home, and the neigh
borS dug up the concealed treasures
of books and medicines and scattered
them to the winds. At the Congre-
gational mission, in Ho-Chai-T'u a
band of 200 rushed into the village,
Quilted the station residence, and
looted the chapel and the homes of the
helper and his brothers. besides rob
bing the adjoining homes of wealthy
neighbors. The terror was continuous
for months.
AS climax to these outrages came
the murder of a young church of Eng
land missionary named Brooks, a
smooth-faced, cheerful boy of 81 years.
In going to join brother missionary
in Shang- flung, he passed through a
village where a band of thirty-tive
Great Swords were at. dinner. He
might have passed through in safety
had not little girl raised the cry of
Yang Kweitze!" or foreign devil.
Instantly the rebels were upon their
feet, and had surrounded Brooks.
They pushed him about, called him
vile names and at last, while some one
held him, others trust hook through
his nose. to which a rope was tied
They pulled him about here and there
to the immense amusement of the
mob. At last the unfortunate boy
managed to eXtricate the hook and
break away from his tormentors. He
started to run from the village, but
three of the rebels got horse and
started to ride after him. They soon
succeeded in overtaking him, and
then killed him with their swords.
1t was this tragedy which aroused
the British government to action