Lancaster enterprise. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1891-1905, 1900-06-30

them off-that is promising him
protection in case he gave GER
tam amount of silver, which in
some cases amounted to $50 or
200 ounces. Where they were
poor they compelled them to give
whatever they had, and In cases
of refusal they threatened to
tear their houses down, leaving
them shivering in the cold. The
Roman Catholics were armed
against them, and their churches
turned into forts or arsenals, and
in one case, at least, regular
pitched battle occurred.
Under these conditions the of
ficials were applied to again and
again by the missionaries, but
they gave little encouragement
and no help. Among these appli
cants were the friends of the Rev.
Mr.. Brooks, who was so brutally
murdered on his way from one
mission station to another.
When this matter was brought
to the attention of the British
legation Mr.. Campbell was sent
to investigate the matter. He un-
derstands and speaks the Chinese
language perfectly and conduct
ed the investigation in master
ly way, not only discovering the
criminals, but bringing them to
punishment, and he insisted upon
the punish rnsnt being carried out
in his presence. Nor did he rest
satisfied with the punishment Of
the criminals, but the village
elders were properly dealt with
for failing to protect a traveller
while passing through their vii
lagos.
ORGANIZED FOR THE PROTECTION OF
TIE EMPRESS DowAGER
Early last year Prince Tuan,
the father of the heir apparent,
and one of the most warlike Of all
the princes OF the imperial house,
raised corps of not less than
12,500 Manchus from 20 to 35
years of age as a special body
guard of the empress dowager.
These he called the Glorified Ii
gers Corps, and it is reported on
the authority of one Of General
Neh's officers that not less than
one third of this company joined
the ranks of the Boxers, and es
tablished branch association in
the suburbs of Pekin. This would.
readily account for the proximI.
ty and strength of the Boxers in
the vicinity Of Pekin at the pres
ent time.
The present excitement has
arisen In this cOumtIy, from all
we can judge from teirGrams, not
because the conditions in China
are worse than they have been
for the past several months, but
because of two reasons: First, be.
cause the Boxers are nearer Pc
kin than they were before and,
second, and the more important
of the two perhaps, because the
Times correspondent has returned
to Pekin and is now sending out
his sensational kilograms.
There is. we think, no rea-
son to fear for the safety of the
foreigners in PekID or in any
other part of China. 1t is not the
In Intention of the Boxers to mur-
der the foreigners nor to destroy
their property, else they could
have done so long before this.
The murder of Mr.. Brooks was a
mistake on the part of those who
committed il, and did not receive
the sanction of the body as a
whole, and it will not be dupllca-
ted unless under peculiar and ex
ceptional circumstances. | my
self was in Pekin during the
whole period of the Ohinese-Jap
anese war, and j know the SEN
timent Of the officials, even the
conservative ones, concerning the
protection of foreigners. Even
the most conservative officials
understand the power of foreign
governments, the strength of
their warships, and the daring of
their soldiers, and they do not
wish to come In contact with them
at the present time. 1t is always
true that they would rid them.
selves Of all foreigners it they