The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1900-09-25
in W|LDS
OF SHANS|
Desperate Plight Of
Missionaries.
WOMEN BEATEN TO DEATH
IA Terrible Tale of the Flight Of
White People through Hos
tile Villages.


diabolical massacres and barbarities. /
foreigner could by any possibility es-
cape the murderous purpose of Yu
Hsien, whom our Ministers so supinely |
allowed to be made governor there. |
Fortunately. some have escaped. a
party of refugees from Shansi arrived
at Shanghai on August 20 after encoun-
tering such sufferings and hairbreadth
parallel for anywhere.
The party consists of Mr.. and Mrs. A.
II. Saunders with. two children (other
two Of their children died on the way),
and Mr. A. jennings and Miss Guthrie,
all from Pingyao; Mr.. E. J. Cooper and
two children from Lucheng (Mrs.
Cooper, Miss Rice and Miss Houston.
also from that city. were killed on the
way OF died from injuries received);
Mr.. and Mrs. Z. A. Glover with two
children, and Miss Gates. from Luan.
All were members Of the China Inland
Mission, and Of the nineteen who start
ed 1--WE persisted.
The story they tell is as follows: All
was quiet in Pingyao up to the 25th of
June. The magistrate was friendly, and
had issued a proclamation denouncing
the Boxers, and promising protection
to foreigners and Christians. We were
. aware that there was trouble on the
route between us and Tien-Tsin, but
did not know much as to what was
going on, or anticipate danger. On that
day, however, we received a letter from
Taiyuan enclosing a copy OF a procla-
nation which had just been issued by
Yu Hsien, the governor. in which the
people were informed that China was
at war with the foreigners, and that all
foreign devils must be destroyed. On
the back of that, we learned that our
magistrate was having his favorable
J proclamation taken down from the
E walls, and that a mob had already be-
e gun to demoish our chapel in the city.
: Later on, In the evening, mob arrived
/: at our house in the suburb. and we
!. were driven to take refuge In the
yamen. The magistrate declared he
!, could not help us. He had received or
ders no longer to protect foreigners,
!. and babe us depart In peace. At length,
in answer to our entreaties, he agreed
to send us to Taiyuan, $50 Ii distant
under escort, so We started north for
C the capital. We got within 20 Ii of il
without adventure when we met a ma
: tive Christian whom we know fleeing
south. He implored us to turn back as
the Inland Mission had been already
burned, the Roman Catholic establish
T ment pulled down, and all the foreign
n ers were I'm the Baptist Mission com
: pound surrounded by n great mob who
n were threatening to burn 1t with al
a who were inside. On this we turned
back towards Pingyao. and our escor
n at once left US. We had not muci
D. money, and the people demanded exor
bitant prices for everything. even fol
the simple permission 70 pass along thu
road. We sold our clothes and pawneC
whatever we could pawn. including on
= wedding rings, and in this way reached
our station at Lucheng safe, but strip
!. ped.
Lucheng had not yet been rioted. bu
only two days peace was allowed u
when. with the friends there, we ha'
Y 20 flee for our lives at midnight will
y. nothing but one donkey load OF bed
D ding and clothes. and supply Of silve
which we divided up among the party
Which direction 10 take we did no
know. To go north again was out 0
- the question, ard eastward TO Shan
tung was equally impossible, SO W
made for the south. hoping 10 g
through Houan and Hupeh TO Han
z koW. But We had only got 80 II frOT
- Lucheng when we were stopped at
10 large village by some two hundred pee
- pie who demanded money. We coul
not satisfy them. so they seized ou
donkey and in sheer wanton mischie
tore all our bedding and clothing {
h, pieces. They they stripped US mex
7. taking each persons clothes. hat, shoe
and stockings. and little store OF silve
~ leaving US nothing. ladies and childre
" alike. but one pair Of native drawer
D. each. In this affair we lost the native
who were accompanying us. some
whom we fear were killed while "
drfx- al rtrffh ftth
- IL was a terrible situation. The blazin
sun burned Us to the bone. and son
Of US had not so much as n little pieC
Of rag TO wet and put on the top of OF
heads. At every village we were a
tackled and driven from one to the 9th,
- with blows and curses. The villag.
o. there are very thick. and before we z,
IT clear OF the mob from one, the me
n from the next had already arrived
ed take us in hand. Neither food nor WI
ter could be obtained. How we contrir
ed to exist we hardly know: for da,
. our only support was found in the filth
= puddles by the roadside. When v
reached n city II was a little bette
Apparently each magistrate was an,
! q ious that we should come to our end
=. the next county, so when We went
- the yamen they would give US a lit
~ food and send an escort TO see US SAT
}" ly over the borders OF that particul.
- point. the escort always left us. al
80 we had TO struggle on as before.
Miss Rice was killed on the road IF
II north OF Tsechaufu In ShansI. Tn
day both she and Miss Houston s
down on the roadside saying they wou
= willingly die, but walk another ST
~ they could not. In the previous CT
the magistrate had given Us a SIN;
ct piece OF silver which we had TO carry
% our hand having nowhere else to p
lite II. We thought we might be able
hire n cart for these ladies with IL
piece OF silver. so two of us went to
village 90 negotiate. The villagers I
fused the cart but At the same tir
}, they pounded our knuckles with sti
= till We dropped the silver. and tn
drove Us down the road away from o
party. Just then II began to rain a
the party. with the exception of the Il
p ladies. retired for shelter TO an emp
at guardhouse near. There n mob fell up
MIA them and drove them on. and in IL
list way the two helpless ladies got Il
M and were beaten 20 death. Nothi
Irof1f1 fo HOua fflf ,-rsoo