Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1900-10-04
CROSSED sOBi DESERT,
Experiences 81 n Party ~ Refugee Mis.
atOMAr ies.

( William and Mrs. Sprague aud Miss
Virginia Murdock, who escaped from
kalgan. province OF Chi Lii. China. in
June, and who were chased across
Cobb desert, thence travelling by way
oi Siberia. have just reached London in
good health, although thev endured
terrible hardships The missionaries
will proceed Immediately to the United
States.
MIR. Williams, who has worked IN
China for 81 years, gave representa-.
tive OF the press III interesting story OF
his experience. 1t appears that the
first assault Oh the mission compound
ut kalgan was made during the night
Of June 10. when yelling mob AT.
tempted to batter down the gate with
stones. Seeing the uselessness of re.
naming, the missionaries, il the
course OF the night. evacuated the COM
pound and proceeded to the maYis.
trate's yamnu. The following day
they we're ordered to leave, the magic.
trate declaring that he feared not only
for the missionaries' safety, but also
for his own yamun ii he continued to
protect them. After allowing the
Amei leans to draw their money from
the native bank, the magistrate iur.
nisheL them with 30 soldiers rs HI es.
cort through the great gate in tine wall
intW Mongolia.
1--WE had no idea of the terrible
journey which awaited u.s. contil = ID
4 Mr.. Williams. eve had no notion Of
having to escape across siberia and
only purposed to remain iu some place
OF safety and return after the crisis.
! Wherever We attempted to stop, how.
ever, the officials ordered us to leave
forthwith. declaring the Boxers were
ON our heels. Finally, reaching q
Mongol encampmeut. Mt llaraus.s, we
saw that flight across the great Cobb
desert was inevitable. Having Sc
cured u caravan we started June %
Just before starting, seven swedish
missionaries, with their families, who
had just escaped with their lives.
joined us. One lady had horrible cx.
parienccs. She had been almost
dubbed to death, while some OF the
males were fr.ht:ul spectacles, being
covered with blood.
"Our caravan consisted Of 20 cam.
els, 10 horses and six camel carts fur
the ladies and children. For eight
DAYS We travelled over nothing but sand.
The air was ike that OF an oven and
The suffering WAS intense. The ami.
mails had 10 grass and no water, and
marching in the daytime was in.nossi.
BILE. At the few isolated wells Mon.
gnls were encanpcd in the vicinity and
they refused to allow us to draw water,
tearing we would poison the wells.
After IS days OF terrible anxiety W.
reached Ur.a, on the other side Of the
desert. We presented sorry spec.
tAcle. The Russian consul. general was
most kind. lleg gave up to us II rooms
in the consulate But to our dismav, the
consul told us we must leave forth.
with, as there were 1000 Mongol sold.
iars in the neighnorhood who might he
hostile. He also warned us that tens
OF thousands Of Mongols We're gathering
for u religious festival. and that il we
valued our safety we had better clear
out without delay. 4 fortnight later
August l3. we reached kiAk lit, and
remained there until August 81.
Sin the meanwhile, MIR. Tower
(Charlenagne Tower, United States
ambassador 10 Knssia) obtained Pc.
mission iron, the authorities ut st. Pot.
ershnr. ior our journey over tho SHE.
rian railway. Arriving ut lrkutsk
September >. We took train and
reached st. Petersburg September Is.
'It is impossible to speak too high.
ly OF the great kindness Of the Russian
officials. Everything possible was
done ior us by them, even to offering
us money. On the Trans ib.iian rail
way. though it WAS choked with troops
and closed to civilians, the authorities
provided reserved car fur us. We
passed imlnens.. numbers OF troops. APP
purently couscripts, hastily collected.
They wore no uniforms aud some hid
no guns. All Of them wore straw haas
! At the United States legation at 81.
Petersburg We expressed the opinion
that Russia was preparing to seize
NIanchuria. but we were informed that
the American legation had been AS
snrcd that Russia had no such inten.
ton"
I Trouhl Over ~ Pea Fowl.
( Louisville. KY. Sept. 21.-tIu,h
McCullocll, coroner Of Jefferson coun.
ty, tonight shot and killed George
''wen, ~ wears old, at the latter'e
",u,e, on Melwuod Avenue. Luivner
McCulloch WAS arrested ana denied
bail. Inc trounie started about two
weeks ago between Mc('mlloch and the
Owen families. who are nei.hbors. aud
who were formerly friendly, and seem.
ed to come to head this afternoon
over pea fowl, which escaped from
the yard vi Mrs. Owens house. The
fowl had been given hy Mrs. McCnl.
loci, to Mrs. Owen, mother Of the man
who was killed. Mrs. Owen says
that McCulloch fired seven times ut
her with u revolver. none OF the bullets
hitting her. but several OF them hit the
Owen house. DR.. McCulloch came
home at 1870 O'Clock T.. NJ, and. going
into the Owen yard. according to Mrs.
Owen, began to abuse her. George
Owen came in ut this time and nd.
dressed DR.. Mccul!och, who, Mrs.
Owen says. Immediately shot the
vnur, ,uuu ami than shot ~ EeWforuC.