Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1900-10-03
TERRIBLE STORY
HISTORY OF BOXER REVOLT BY
A CHINESE CONVERT.
MADE A REMARKABLE JOURNEY.
Sickening Details of Massacre-Heads
Nailed Up Over Village
Gates.

Tien Tsin, Sept. 5. via San Francisco,
Oct. S.-(Correspondence Of the Associat-
eed Press.)-A circumstantial narrative
of the massacres in Shan 81 province has
reached here through a native Christian
teacher who escaped and after a remark
able Journey through the country by foot
and boat has just arrived. This man Is a
graduate from the North China college,
speaking English tiuently and is abso-
lUtely certain in his statements. which
are corrobolated by the American off,
cia!s here. His story confirms previous
ly reported murders and adds details Of
shocking cruelties. 1t covers a period
from early June, when the trouble began,
doWn to the latest known outrage, which
as previously reported in the Associated
Press dispatches, occurred August Is, at
Yen Chou Fu, about $50 miles southwest
of Tai Yuan. when Mr.. and Mrs. Atwater
and their two little children, Mr.. and Mrs.
C.. w. Price. their son, all of the Ameri-
can board; Mr.. and Mrs. Laugreu of the
Swedish mission. and Miss Eldred, an
nglish lady, We're butchered. The refu-
gees story of the murders directly im-
plicates Hu Hsien. the governor of hi
81. who has previously been charged
With instigating and abetting the killing
of foreigners. 1t is said that a few days
after the rescue of the legationers at Pc
kin. a prominent member of the tSung Ii
yamen appeared at the British legation
and formally accused Hu Hsien of invit-
ing all the foreigners in Tai Yuan into
MS yamen under pretenSe of eScorting
them in safety 70 the coast, and having
them all put to death. The names of the
victims at Yen Chou Flu Were given by
the Hoipers, who escaped. According to
the refuSee, none of the missionaries at
that station had been molested UP to
August IS. One project of the district
died shortly before that date and the gov
ernor sent a new man, who. two days at
ter demanded of the local officials why
the foreigners had not been expelled. This
district magistrate who was friendly to
the missionaries. replied that there was
no occasion for their expulsion, but un-
der compulsion arrested the chief dispen-
ser of the hospital. The man was given
800 blows and the demand was made that
he should secure all the arms in possess
sion of the mission. There was accord
ilgly given up two pistols and two rifles.
The demand was repeated that they must
hasten their departure. A request was
made on behalf of Mrs. Atwater, who was
about to be confined. that they be al
lowed a few days of respite, but the pre-
feet insisted that they were to be sent
away to the coast and must be ready the
next day. Four country carts We're pre-
pared for them and their goods duly
packed. They We're to start on August
Is. A guard of twenty soldiers was made
ready. AS soon as the arrangements We're
made the foreign houses We're sealed up.
The missionary requested that they be
permitted to sell their houses to secure
silver for the journey. The official replied
that all the property had been cOnfiscat-
ed by imperial decree and could not be
sold, but that a small property in a
country village could be disposed of. This
VAS accordingly done and a small sum
Of silver secured. The escaped teacher
rode a horse given him by Mr.. Atwater.
The soldiers compelled him to dismount
md ride on the cart. He overheard re-
marks by the soldiers and from these he
gathered that mischief was meant and
on the advice o fone of the soldiers, es-
capped from the party some few miles
from the village of ksi Shin.
SIGNAL FOR MASSACRE.
The party was supposed to be sent to
Pin Yau, about thirty miles from Flu
Chow. When not far away on his line
Of escape, he heard the firing of a gun.
He afterwards learned that this was the
signal for the attack upon the party.
They were escorted by the soldiers a few
miles further. when they were met by
another detachment and all were attack
ed and killed with swords.
The officials here place no doubt in the
accuracy Cf the report which is said
to have been confirmed by close ques-
tioning and further upheld by a message
AAoAtA Ava y - oA
a bit of linen which the refugee brought
with him and surrendered to an officer
at the gate of the walled city when he
arrived.
Going back to early in June this man
gives a graphic and apparently reliable
account off all the murders in the Shan
81 province. Much of it is too horrible
for publicity. Men, women and children
butchered, their bodies mutilated and in
many instances their heads placed on the
gates of the Wages. So far as known
the first murders occurred Tune IS, when
two of the women members of the China
mission were killed at Hso Lii Khan. These
We're Miss White Church and Miss Sewell
who lived alone at the mission, a remote
place. On the day mentioned, about 300
Boxers forced an entrance into the mis-
sion compound and some of the village
men smashed in the gate The local ma
g~istrate was sent for, but it is said he
reproved the messenger for disturbing
him.. The mob took this as an indication
that they were not to be interfered with
and forced an entrance into the house.
The two women made vain appeals for
mercy, but We're beaten to death with
clubs and heavy glass bottles. 1t is said
that one of them survived the assault
about an hour. Their clothing was strip
ped off and their %valuables stolen. When