The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1900-10-14
FIFTY DAYS OF TORTURE
Shocking Experiences Of Flying
Missionaries In Shansi.
THE WORST PROVINCE IN CHINA.

DinboIIcal Massncres and Barbari-
ties Practiced Against Foreigners.
Many Rairbreadth Escapes Are Re-
ported.
A writer In The North China Daily
News in copy of the paper just re-
ceived in this country says that OF all
the provinces in China Shansi has been
the worst In respect OF the diabolical
massacres and barblrii.es practiced
against foreigners. ''At one time" he
writes, cit looked rs il not a single for
eigner could by any possibility escape
the murderous purpose Of Yu Hsien.
Fortunately some have escaped. A
party of refugees from ShaEsI recently
arrived at Shanghai after cncOuntcrlng
such sufferings and hairbreadth es-
capes as will be difficult to 6nd par
allel anywhere.
'"rhe party consisted Of Mr. and Mrs.
A. r. Saunders, with two children two
others of their children died on the
way, and A. Jennings and Miss Guth-
rie, all from Pingyao; e. j. Cooper and
two children. from Lucheng (Mrs.
Cooper, Miss Rice and Miss Houston,
also from that city, were killed on the
way or died from injuries received;
Dir. and Mrs. A E. Glover, with two
children, and Miss Gates, from Luan.
All were members of the China Inland
mission, and of the 10 who started five
perished."
The survivors tell the following
story:
Late in the evening mob arrived
at our house in the suburb, and we
were driven to take refuge in the va
men. The magistrate declared he could
not help US. He had received orders
no longer to protect foreigners and
bade US depart in peace. At length, in
answer to our entreaties, he agreed to
send us to Taiyuan, 100 Ii distant. un-
der escort so we started north for the
capital. We got within 20 ii of it with
out adventure, when we met native
Christian whom we knew fleeing south.
He implored Us to turn back. as the
Inland mission had been already burn
ed. the Roman Catholic establishment
pulled down and all the foreigners
were in the Baptist mission compound
surrounded by a great mob who were
threatening to burn it with all who
were inside. On this we turned back
toward Pingyao, ard our escort at
and the people demanded exorbitant
prices for everything. even for simple
permission to pass along the road. We
sold our clothes and pawned whatever
would pawn, including our wedding
rings. and in this way reached our sta
tion at Lucheng safe, but stripped.
''Lucheng had not yet been rioted.
but only two days peace was allowed
us when, with the friends there, we
had to flee for our lives at midnight
with nothing but one donkey load of
bedding and clothes and supply of
silver, which we divided up among the
party. Which direction to take we did
not know. To go north again was out
of the question, and eastward to
Shangtung was equally impossible, so
we made for the south, hoping to get
through Honan and Hupeh to Hankow.
But we had only got 40 Ii from Lu-
cheng when we were stopped at a
large village by some 200 people, who
demanded money. We could not salts
fy them, so they seized our donkey and
in sheer Wanton mischief tore all our
bedding and clothes to pieces. Then
they stripped US, taking each per-
sons clothes, hat, shoes and stockings
and little store of silver leaving US
nothing, ladies and children alike In
this affair we lost the natives who
were accompanying us, some of whom
we fear were killed, while we were
driven along the road by men with
clubs. 1t was terrible situation. The
blazing sun burned us to the bone, and
some of US had not so much as little
piece of rag to wet and put on the top
of our heads. At every village we
were attacked and driven from one to
the other with blows and curses.
The villages. there are very thick,
and before we got clear of the mob
from one the mob from the next had
already arrived to take US in hand.
Neither food nor water could be OBJ
tanned. How we contrived to exist we
hardly know. For days our only sup
port was found in the filthy puddles
by the roadside. When we reached a
city, it was little better Apparently
each magistrate was anxious that we
should come to our end in the next
county, so when we went to the yamen
they would give US a little food and
send an escort to see us safely over
the borders of that particular yamen's
jurisdiction. Arrived at that point, the
escort always left us, and we had to
struggle on as before.
Miss Rice was killed on the road so
Ii north of Tsehchau. in Shansi. That
day both she and Miss Houston sat
down on the rof dside, saying they
would willingly die. but walk another
step they could not. In the previous
city the magistrate had given US a
small piece of silver. which we had to
carry in our hand, having nowhere
else to put it. We thought we might
be able to hire cart for these ladies