The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-06-12
BOXERS VAST STRENGTH
The Society's Membership Said TO
Number Over II, 600. 900.
Originally Organized as a Law. md
Order Association igninst the Bnn-
For the Mnncharian Dynasty and
Against Foreigners the Motto.

NEW YORK, June 11-Few foreigners
realize the numerical strength of the or
der OF Boxers which is causing the turmoil
in China. According to an estimate made
| by a Chinaman TO New Yorker a year
ago there are eleven millions in the order.
which now stands for robbery, lawlessness.
and murder, but which originally was or
sanized as defence against bandits in
| Testing the province of shan-Tung.
| The robbers whom they protested against
were unusual in their way as the Box
| ers
They did not live in the mountains pld
rob fer living. 1t seems to have been
by way of diversion. During the day the
bandits, who were always villagers, pur-
sued the peaceful vocations of carpenters,
shoemakers, and the like. When they
were going to rob they went to some
stronghold in the mountains and descended
by night en- the village selected to loot.
No one was safe from them. and no or
ganized defence was made until the Box
ers formed. That name is comparatively
new. for when first they gathered together
to protect their lives and property, they
were known as tho Society of the Great
Sword The UnivefeaIsSociety of Box
ers," now the official pane, came later.
No Christians kne%Hhen the Great
Sword was formed Clipsse speak of it as
being ''Ha,'' but what fat means it is
impossible to tell. II There is no doubt
however. that its first principles were those
of law and order league, but, as it be-
came more powerful and increased in num-
bers, many dishonest and designing per-
sons went into it for the protection and
off hp
disturbing element. They frequently d.
rected attacks of the band upon individ-
uals whom they claimed were bandits, but
who were, in reality, simply personal enc
mics.
Some of these victims, it is said. terrified
by the persecution of the Great Sword,
looked for some force from which to obtain
protection and found it in the Christian
missionaries. The Chinese. protesting
conversion, besought help. which the mis-
sionaries gave by using all their efforts
to bring the offenders TO justice. Then, in
turn, some of the missionaries became vic
Tins of persons who claimed Christianity
merely for its protection, and that increas-
ed feeling against the missionaries.
The crimes with which missionaries are
charged by native priests. including infan-
ticide and cutting the bodies for medicinal
purposes. infiamed the Boxers against
them. These have been the cause of num-
berless murders of the Christians, and is
said to be the root of all hatred of the
missionaries.
Until ten years ago the Christians had
lived within comparative security, but in
May, 1891, two nuns who were going home
from sick visit were set upon by mob
maltreated. and charged with bewitching
children. The mission houses were plum
nd thnrA q h.
ance throughout China. The extent Of
these aroused resentment in Europe. and
after the murder Of some German priests
and the looting of the mission in Shan
Tung. Germany seized the port OF Tsin-
Tau. The Shange Tung Chinese swore ven
geance, not only upon Germans but upon
all Christians, and the Great Sword began
to be felt; felt, ,.,,,,z ,,,,.. !, :, 49,.
scribed and temporarily suppressed, but |
they became bolder than ever and estab- |
lished a reign of terror throughout Shang
Tung. Native Christians were robbed, !
beaten. murdered and their houses de- |
stroyed. Many were made to recant and |
some chapels were looted, but no mis- |
sionaries were killed So bold were the |
actions of the society and SO fragrant |
their outrages that Yu Hsien, the Gov
ernor Of ShangTung, was ordered to pro-
ceed against them.
Under compulsion. last October, he sent |
force against the Great Swords. who |
had taken the field with the ayowed in
tention of wiping out the Christians. The
two forces met, and the rebels were de-
feated with great loss apd fed.
The victors returned jubilantly to the
Governor, who instead Of being pleased at
their report. was thrown into a great
rage. He degraded three of the officers
tn Del, hot /
called rebels were merely a congregation
of honest country people, whom the
soldiers had attacked and massacred
without right or warrant.
The moral effect of such report was i'm |
mediate. Boxers rose all over the coun-
try and Christians everywhere were as
sailed. In response to urgent appeals Yu
ffsien was removed and a friend of Ii |
Hung Chang was made Governor Even |
then it was too late to arrest pillage.
which continued until nearly every Chris
tian home had been cleaned out and its oc
cupants were fleeing.
The climax was the murder Of young
English missionary named Brooks He was
passing through q village where thirty-fiye
of the Boxers were having dinner. and
they captured. tortured, and finally killed
him.
The British Government took action, but
were too engrossed with affairs in South
Africa to make it as pronounced as it un-
soubtedly would otherwise have been.
According to a Chinaman the Boxers |
came into active organization the last time |
when the Empress Dowager deposed the
Young Emperor. They are certainly be- |
ieved to be the force on which she relies |
and she is said to be wholly in sympathy
with them. On her return to power the | ,
Boxers issued a circular. which read: We {
arc for the Manchurian dynasty and would |
'ypel every foreigner"
The name of Boxers is said to have
,een gfen to the order recently by the ,
English who called them Boxers" as =
lang. meaning a fighting people :
Tientsin. the town on which the Boxers
re said to have been marching for days. =
s one OF the largest commercial cities of +.
'hna.
1t is on the Pei-Ho and WanLo Rivers
nd the viceroy of the province makes il y
lis official residence for a part of the !
ear. 1t is the great trading and dis .
centre of northern China and ,
ianchuria, and the population is said to S
,e 100000.
The city has a fine arsenal. where snail i
.uns are manufactured and in the same
'uilding is a mint. Near 1t is a naval
chool where the cadets are taught Eng
ish, and also naval college. The lat Il
er is under Russian supervision. though q
Imported by the government of Pekin. | {,
nd the students are trained as Russian q
c
Ennden,ucd Man,s Pot CT