Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-10-20
MASSACREOEIS HANS!
Reward Claimed From Government
for Killing Missionaries.
ACCOUNT BY A NATIVE CHRISTIAN
Governor Yu Hen Honored for
Being Anti-Foreign.
QUESTION OF PUNISHMENT

Mr.. w. o. Eterich of the American
Presbyterian mission at Chefoo. China,
writes as follows. Under date of September
10 last:
While the city of Pekin was being looted
by the forces of the allied powers a high
Chinese official. named Wang, came to the
legations for protection. While there he
made the startling statement that he had
seen official document from Yu Hen,
the governor of Shansi, which official stated
that he had killed thirty-three foreign mis-
sionaries and claimed a corresponding re-
ward from the imperial government. This
was almost too shocking to be believed,
even of Yu Hen. who has been noted for his
bitter anti-foreign hatred. but 1t has been
confirmed by a number of independent
witnesses. 1t was not until September 1
that detailed account of the massacres
was received through a native Christian
teacher, being given by him to Rev H. D.
Porter, NJ. d.. to whose kindness I am in
debted for it. This native Christian, a
graduate of the North China College, at
Tungcho, has been employed as teacher
in boys school at Fenchowfu, Shansi
He arrived in Ten Tsin September /, hav-
ing escaped from the general massacre He
many vicissitudes. arrived safely He is a
remarkably intelligent young man, who
within the past two years has learned to
speak English with great precision. He is
abundantly qualified to give accurate
and detailed report.
The First Murders.
On the 2Sth of June the first murders
were committed. as far as known This was
at Hsiao vi Hen, where two ladies Of the
China international mission, Miss White
church and Miss Searel. were living alone
On the day mentioned some 800 Boxers
broke into their compound, subsequent to
the following incident: few rough youths
began attacking their front gate They
sent to the district magistrate to ask for
help. The official came himself, and find
ing no further harm than the smashing in
of the gate, reproved the informant and
struck him with his hand This gave no.
tice to the crowd that they could attack
with impunity They began at once. An
other appeal to the magistrate was made
who replied that his men were intended to
protect Chinese and not foreigners. A
larger crowd at once entered the premises
The ladies kneeled before the crowd and
begged for mercy. but they were beat on
the head with clubs. Some also took glass
bottles and broke them on their heads.
The ladies lived about an hour from the
first attack upon them. Their clothes were
taken off ard their watches carried away.
When the official was informed Of their
death he sent over two boxes for collins.
These collins We're placed in the new bap
tistery, finished in their own court yard.
The details of this terrible affair We're
learned through memssenger sent from
the American board of missions at Fen
chowfu.
The next disaster was on the Goth of June
a; Sheo Yang. seventy miles east of Tai
yGen City. This is the mission station of in
dependent workers under Mr.. T. w Pig
gott There were present at the time Mr..
and Mrs. Piggott, son and tutor, a Mr.
Robinson; Miss Dural also a teacher, and
two daughters Of Rev Atwater. These
seven We're driven from their homes into
the mount aims not far away. They soon
returned to their homes however, and were
there arrested by the district magistrate
and compelled to go TO the capital of the
province Taiyuen. On The way they were
chained with handouts and collars, and
not permitted to buy food The soldiers
were not allowed to sell them eggs even at
81 apiece. On July they were taken and,
on arrival at Taiyuen, placed in separate
rooms. Mrs. Piggott not being allowed to
communicate with her husband.
Burning of Their Homes.
On the 2jth of June most Of the houses Of
foreigners at Taiyuen had been burned:
the missionaries. with the exception of
Miss Coombs, having escaped to the house
of Mr.. Farthing of the English Baptist
mission Miss Coombs was unable to es-
cape, being hindered by her native school
girls. Hundreds of Boxers and rough peo-
pie had crowded into their houses, but sew
eral of the missionaries managed to fight
through the crowd and so escape. During
the rioting many Were trampled upon, two
school girls being killed. Miss Coombs
plead with the soldiers. who were sharing
in the loOting and burning, to save herslife.
They seized her instead and threw her into
the burning houses. Later nothing but
pile of ashes was found in the place she
fell. The above missionaries must have re-
manned several days at the house of Mr..
Farthing. On July I the governor sent for
LOT, ist IF h1, nf "a ion
ers On the 9th he ordered them all to
come to his yamen. under the pretence that
he intended to escort them safely to the
coast. On entering the first gate of the
yamen they We're surrounded by soldiers.
About thirty Boxers, with drawn swords,
We're allowed. or invited. to enter the cir
Gle. and each foreigner was cut to pieces.
They were all beheaded. and their heads
placed in baskets and hung upon the four
gates of the city. About forty native Chris
tians We're killed at the same time. The
following day ten Roman Catholic priests
were killed in the same way. They are
ported as chiefly Frenchmen. The bodies of
the thirty-three foreigners killed were placed
in wooden cases and all buried in the bap-
tistery, presumably in Mr.. Farthing's court
yard. The list of those killed is not COM
plete but as far as known is as follows:
Mr.. Etokes and wife, Mr.. Simpson and
wife, Mr.. Beynon. wife and three children.
Mr.. Farthing, wife and three children. DIR.
Levitt. wife and child, DR.. Miller Wilson
and wife. Mr.. Whitehouse and wife. This
makes twenty-five at Taiyuen. which, with
the seven from Sheoyang. makes twenty
nine. There are thus four names to be sup
piled. 1t is upon the massacre OF thirty
three foreigners that the tiendiSh governor
of Shansi demands a reward. 1t is also re-
ported that in and about Taiyuen 500 native
Christians have been killed. The English
Baptist mission at Hsin Chou. Is thirty-fve
miles north of Taiyuen The six missiona-
ries stationed here were: Mr. and Mrs. Dix
on. Mr.. and Mrs McCurran and another
gentleman and lady. These all are reported
to have escaped on horseback into the
mountains and may possibly have avoided
their pursuers.
Missions at Taiku.
The mission of the American board at
Taiku, some twenty miles south of Tai
yuen.- seems to have, escaped the first IN
tensity Of the general attack upon foreign
ers. This is said to nave been due to the
friendly spirit Of the focal official. who had
abundant occasion to, be friendly to them.
On July 81 the Boxer bands came in
crowd of about 300 toeattack these mission
premises. One of the principal native help
ers was killed and the gates of the COM
pound broken in. The members OF the mis-
sion present were follows: Messrs. F. D.
Davis, G. u. Williams. De H. Clapp and
wife. Misses r. Bird and S.Partridge. The