The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-07-28
CARBONDALE.
cARBoNDALE GIRL MURDERED.

Sadness possessed the home of Mr..
and Mrs. w. f. Frisbie Of Salem ave-
nue., last evening, when their atten-
tion was called to "a dispatch in the
New York Sun, which mentioned
among the victims of massacre in
Southern China the names of DR.. and
Mrs. Vanderburg. Mrs. Vanderburg,
who was Miss Letta Beeman, is an
adopted daughter Of Mr.. and Mrs.
Frisbie She was for several years
popular teacher in the public schools
of this city and a prominent worker
in the Presbyterian church. About
three years ago she went to China ana
took up missionary work with her
husband. They were stationed about
ninety miles inland on the Island OF
Hainan in the China sea. The last
letter received in this city, written oy
the doctor, was dated June I, 1900, and
was in part as follows:
1.-THE thieves haven't killed us all Oft
yet. Week ago Monday we had an
awful scare and Eleanor (Mrs. Van
derburg) was as cool as cucumber.
l was so glad to find that she could
go through q siege like that so well.
The soldiers came over at l.30 a. M,
just after midnight and aroused US
all up and said: "The thieves are
coming!" "The thieves are coming!"
We all grabbed what We could of
clothing for the children and went over
to the old house by previous arrange
ment, as the old house is consider
able of a fort. Then / got all the SER
wants and coolies / could get together,
about six, and carried boards upstairs
and placed them around the veranda
to form a defense, from behind which
we could shoot. Then l got some
medicine, ETC., and went back with my
sword, gun and pistol and waited.
But the thieves the soldiers had
seen had other objects in view. They
passed here and went and plundered q
large village near by, taking away all
the cows and pigs, and even their
chickens. They have been doing this
for some time in here, and the thieves
seem to be nearly as strong as the
soldiers in numbers. We have all
written to Hoihon to ask the English
consul to send in more soldiers. They
have answered that more are coming
in soon, so we hope to hear that they
will be on their way in a day or two.
THE head men of this band of
thieves are men who have a price on
their heads, and have to plunder for a
living, as they are outlawS-some from
here and some from the mainland
who know of the small garrison in
here and take advantage of it. But
these times are awfully hard on the
natives who won't join these Boxers
or Triads. AS soon as they are asked
they have to meet and pay the thieves
for protection. If they don't, their
homes are plundered. The officials get
after them and such poor fellows who
had Joined for protection are easily
caught by the officers, and so it makes
it either a frying pan or fire for the
people when these plunderers get
started.
1.-TWO years ago thought they were
most all beheaded, but it seems to be
as usual that the worst of them es-
capped. May God help the Christians.
Their lot is the hardest. They have
brought their valuables, except their
cows, up here and now ask us for
guns which we cannot give them, and
this makes them lose faith in us as
friends, l fear, for they don't under
stand the treaties"