The Pacific commercial advertiser., 1900-12-28
FATE OF MISSIONARIES.

We learn from tie Hongkong Press
that by somewhat slow degrees truth
as to the fate Of various missionaries
in the interior of north and north
western China is coming to light. The
tale is grievous and the details sad
and sickening. The unfortunate teach
ers of the Christian religion and their
fiocks have experienced almost every
cruelty and torture that have ever been
known and practised by callous-
hearted race. Neither youth nor age
nor sex has been spared. The inno-
cence Of childhood, the helplessness
of womanhood, the white hair or the
aged have alike failed to awaken one
sentiment of pity, one feeling OF com
passion In the minds OF the Boxers
and their official patrons. The man
date had gone forth that they were
to slay and spare not, and the Boxers
had no bowels of compassion to De
moved. while the mandarins who gave
the orders seldom had the courage to
see them carried out, and closed their
ears to any appeal for aid or for
mercy. There were exceptions among
the officials, il is true, and the people
also In some instances, to their honor
he IL said. succored- the hapless vic
tins of prejudice and fanatlclsm'
sometimes saving their lives at great
personal risk. But in most cases there
we're none to deliver; amid the crown
of mocking faces not one expressed
pity at the fate of the prosecuted. Inc
story of this latest nineteenth century
, massacre is not quite unrelieved in all
its dark passages Of blood and cruelty
| but 1t is dark. doleful. and dismal TO
a degree. In this most sordid empire
chiyalrous feeling and tender solici-
| tude for the weak and suffering is not
looked for, but on the other hand such
a reyel in bloodshed was certainly not
expected
The records of the dark deeds done
| in this last year of the century VIII
long be a stain on China. They were
perpetrated in defiance of treaty
rights. in teeth of the fact that the
Chinese government had engaged to
protect the foreigners, and despite the
promptings of that natural feeling ol
humanity which should govern the
entire race, irrespective of color, race
or religion The savageries practiset
by the red Indians were not more re
voting than the barbaritieS inflicted
upon the missionaries and their con
verts in North China Bishop Hamer
the founder of the Belgian Mission
, and Bishop of Western Mongolia, VIII
q had for nearly thirty-five years labor
ed in Shansi-practically giving HI
o life TO the work-was seized while Gel
9 ebrating mass, bound, and marche
b. through the city, and, because h
:, counted his beads as he went alonf
. had his hands chopped off. and wa
. then thrown into a noisome prison
. Three days later he was brought ou
p, wrapped in cotton on which kerosen
:, was poured, then set alight and burr
to death. With him perished fiy
thousand converts, and every churc
= and building connected with the mi:
l. sion was destroyed. Another devote
e priest. Father Herman, was, take
/ with a confrere, Father Maliet, to
II place called Huiwacheng, where th
v former was cut into four pieces an
h his heart taken out and nailed to
If tree. What fate overlook his con
) panion In misery is not yet known. 4
Il Lachoukeou, near Jehol, in MongoE
d another priest, Father Sagers, aft'
J. having been carried for a distanc
1t bound like a pig on a bamboo, W;
II then thrown into ditch and the
'e buried alive, unless a blow given hi
Of on the head with mattock as l
te strove to rise first secured for him
Ig deliveranee from further torment. A
a other terrible case, also in Mongoii
a was that where IL Swedish Protesta
lS Will luSlT WIVES dl
n. children sought refuge with three BE
Or gian priests at Houpa. The Cathol
ht Mission was attacked by the mob, al
at all the missionaries, both Protesta
er and Catholic, were burned to death
the building. Mr. and Mrs. Green al
Miss Gregg of the China Inland Mi
j. sion at Huolu, in Shansi, who escap
cy with their bare lives after almost i
ms credible sufferings and hardships,
in which their little daughter succumbt
ew have been telling the story of tn,
go journey to Paotingfu and deliveran
lily there. They left their home at Hue
in on the 9Th of July with the intenti
we of proceeding to Tientsin, and aft
wo running the gauntlet of several da
tn gers, arrived at Tsing-yuan, VIII,
nd they were betrayed to party of b,
ig. ers by youth who had hypocritica