The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-10-09
FLED BOXERS FIFTY DAYS.
FIVE MISH0NARIRS MERE VINO
CRossBD THE DESERT or COM
nsy were Probably the Last Foreigners TO
Lave Pekin Before the siege harhs'ed
fer weeks by Fanatical chinese thui
ney Finally Reached Rusian Territory

had b fee for their lives before the Boxer ul-
rising m China arrived here Yesterday on thelr
way 30 their homes IN different parts 81 me
United States, and alsO to The gcnernl meeting
Of the American Board Of Foreign MisIols
which convenes in 81. Louis This evening. IT,"
five missionaries arein the service Of The Ameri-
can Board. Notwithstanding the hardshlp1
Of their night before the fanatic hordes OF The
anti-foretgn Chinese, these particular mis-
s~lonates have satisfaction IN their success
in keeping juat ahead of the worst Of their
enemies all the way through the hostile
country. They had difficulties which they
forbeaE n dwell upon noW that they have ar
rived home. but the whole party Of twenty
thres who left China escaped, except one chiId'
who died In Russian jurisdiction.
The missionaries who arrived Yesterday
are tho Rev. William SprugIe and Mr. Sprague
of ShortrTlle. y Y, Miss Virginia Murdoch,
NJ. d., Of Kansas city, thp Rev j II Hoherts
OF Hartford conn, and the Rev. Mark VIII
liama. They came in the second cabin Of the
Anchor line steamship city Of Rome, and NJ
the pier at the foot of West Twentv-tourth
street wound up " Journey Of four months
and two daya from pekln to New York, during
which they had ira yelled all the time possible.
except n brief halt In siberia while they dis
posed Of the cara Vnn nv which they had travel
led over the Desert Of Gobi The missionaries
distinguished themselves from the great num-
Der OF those reported from various parts NJ
the world In the past few months by the moder-
alton NJ their tales Of their experiences no
horrors being detailed hy them. and only tho
statement made that they endured enough
10 keep people awake o. nights.
Mr.. SprRgle. Miss Murdoch and Mr Roberts
gave most Of the story thar was told To tho
r,,.rtors ,.utarAu,s THAI loff
Pckin on June q. on the morning Of the last day
that the gates Of the city We're open 10 the vol
untary ext or entrance of Foreigners That
evening the gates swung 10 only 10 open 10 tho
world at the ursence Of thp worlds bayour'1
For that time, Miss Murdoch remarked ve--
tcrdav. we were ahead ~ Thorn
After four days journey from Pekin the
missionarie 10 reached Ealgan on June N, making
their way To the missionary compound through
three separate rabhleS or mohs That night
they sent away the Chinese Christians and
workers and when they were well on the mis-
sinna rieS betook themselves to the NHmon, or
Government house The administrative" au-
thor'ties were nor glad TO receive them, and the
next night thcv cont tho foreigner under an
escort Of about frtv soldiers through the city
gate- and rhe flRitive~ entered Mongolia on
June -. They did not. however, leave Kalgan
WITHOUT SlIllf luT'ifI fN'lNllA fNIfl Ifl' " 'llfil
the entrance 20 the compound in that city
through mobs. When the rabhle attacked the
compound the missionaries attempted TO brighten
them away by firing theI arms In the air The
missionaries had altogether two shotguns and
three revolverS. OF course We did not want
to shoot any one. Mr.. sprague said. with "a
fine Yankee twinkle IN his eve we had the guns
10 shoot dogs and such, and 10 show. you know.
We showed them
The firing into the air. however, failed 20
shake of the Chinese. and then the mission
aries had 10 go 20 the Yamen. from which the
troops escorted them Fftv miles from Kalgan.
at Hura Osa, they found q caravan. II wis one
Of the pieces NJ unexpected good luck that
sometimes o~vcrtHl,e the forlorn The AmeI-
cans fell In with some swedish missionaries and
Joined forces IN making mp thr caravan. or 1t
might be said In taking possession Of the cara
van There were eleven IN the party 81 Amert-
cans. Including six children. ana twelve of the
Swede. II 50 happened ttat ~ Hurs O-a u
Swede. August Larsen. had arranged for a
caravan az the ORDER oi Mr.. Clmph'll. British
Vice-Con-nl at Shanghai. to take Mr. Campbell
on n summer journey into the mountains Mr..
Campbell. however. had gone 10 pekin. where
the British Minister had detained him. perhaps
because he needed him to man IA gun The
mi~siOnarPs. although men and women Of peace,
were militant at this time, aud u Il war measure
took possession Of the Cdluphril caravan aud
perfected arrangements loT tu"ir further Nlght
under more advantageous circumstances Il
don't know whether Nr taupuru knows vet
that We took IT,, Mr. Sprl-uc aid YESTERDAY.
but We had to haN" 1t ana "" have paid Tor IL
now
Before the caravan loft Huu O-a MI. SUrague
rode back TO hHikau and At might, through the
HorI'"lloditl,t tr'Iir 81 .hr hihe+r
longing To the mi~-luuarle-. With which he was
abb" lV p%urvltI-" -unur -upril.~. The better
Cla~-,- Ol the tlinc-r Ia the cities Whrrr hey
were familiar with H. WrI" not antaguni-tlc,"
Nil, Murduck said, the Boxer amy leaders
and their follower came from Interior ruIut4.
whore TN" people were not familiar with the
advantages ut Western civilization. But
when Inc Boxer army came to our towns the
men there simply had 10 Join them or meet
their demands through sheer terror.
When the caravan .eit liura Osn II consisted
81 iWthtS 'alu"'- twenty horses ana eight
MongOl drN"IS, with the tWeuty-three mis-
siouary tr,ycll"r~. there We're no servants.
The missionaries had 10 do their own work
The ten men sin"pt IN a tent The women slept
H. the carte. They could not even get proper
Cimc, carts enough, but had 10 make SHIFT
witt the Oh carts which are used Ia draw soda
around over there. Hot and tired, twenty
three travellers ~et uul across the great desert
OF Gobi at the rat" ui two ami uue-hali miles
an hour. Sometimes they were forced 10 20
a. long a. t~" days at Il tim" without water.
Natives IN hostile parts refused to sell them
food some did not darrlo and they were com
oiled III som" places To barter their horses
Tor sheep 10 eat, They Jourueyed at MINT
from weiI to We'll. or from oasis 10 upsi-. hating
in the daytime Ia allow the horses aud camel,
% feed.
Much OF the Journey lay over attitudes OF
from 500 10 N,OU feet and the midday~ were
hot ana the nights clilllHclv cold. Sickness
was inevitable. aud rs has been -ald one Of the
children died after the party reached Russian
soil The mgltiveS Hor" fourteen days in the
desert proper and muCn pf the remainder OF
their way lay over trt-,leSS wastes. where the
natives refused 10 give them even water on
the second stage oi the journey from kalgan
the Governor of the province sent ahead OF them
two soldiers 10 guard the wells Ia sea that the
missionaries did not put poison In them. The
MongUl driver threatened Ia desert them, not
because of dislike Tor them, for the drivers, tine
missionaries say, werr very lural. but through
fear for their own skins
Ten DAYS after this party eft kalgqn a fresh
army OF Boxers uHd sympathetic troops went
10 that place 10 destroy the mis- on lrV com
pound. and the missionaries ana native Chris
tians,t 90, IL they could get item These maraud-
ers were sent, Mr., SprHgue said, by the Gov
ernor Of Shansi province, Au H-iAu, who offered
800 taels for the heart Of a missionary and raid
90 taels for tho head Of Il native I hristian. IL
have seen the receipt for ia" o. Iarls, Mr..
Spr igue said
The Boxers and their allies sent 10y Yu Hsian
said that the compound must be- opened The
local ruler deUu led but m" Boxers compelled
MIN to submit AMI the uitce WIS looted. The
Boxers made an effort 10 ovaTtake H." caravan,
but its iournayinE was ~ nearly continuous "a
possible. W did not W n stop OF sundays %
Mr.. Sprague confessed Tn ten men, seven
women ard six children had eiudcd this band