The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-11-23

TO 1T A PARTY OF MISSIONARIES
OWED THEIR LIVES.
He Interceded for Them when Con-
dcmned to Dcath-Tortured and
Beaten at several Places.

1 VI tht pIAiOu VI DiOpQ anu liidScdNiC AZ
China is told few of its chapters will be as
thrilling as the narrative of the Green par
| ~, who were found almost dead by the al
lied expedition. The tale of their hardship
End abuse and almost miraculous preser-
walton has leaked to the outer world by
| piecemeal, but 10 the correspondent of the
| Associated Press it's details of suffering
| and cruelty were told for the first time by
| Miss Greig.
| Mr.. and Mrs. Green, members of the
British Chinese inland mission. with their
| children. boy and girl, aged five and
three years, and Miss Greig, an assistant.
were stationed at Huai-Lu. a small town
120 miles south of this place. During the
| first week of July news of massacres of
missionaries were received at Pao-Ting
| Flu, and also news of the destruction of the
missions at Shun-Ti-Fu. Chao-Chi and
Shen-Yi and of the moving of the troops
| from the Shan-Si province towards Tien-
| Tsin to attack the foreigners On hearing
| of the state of affairs the little party
! moved away to the mountains on the adj
vice of the mandarin TO go into hiding.
| They took with them only few bare ne
| cessities, carrying the children asleep in
| their arms, and were conducted by two or
| three Chinese servants to a Chinese temple
| a short distance back in the hills. Here
| they remained two days and were then in
| formed by the villagers who used the tenn
| pie that they must leave at once. They
| were also told that their home had been
| destroyed and the site made the headquar-
| tiers of Boxer camp. Some friendly Chi
| nese showed the party small cave a lit
| tie distance from the temple, where they
| remained secreted for two days and three
nights. suffering the utmost discomforts,
their hiding place being only about six feet
| by four, with water dropping from the
roof. While the party lay in the cave the
Boxers were seen and heard searching for
| the foreign DEVILS On the third day
| their servants discovered them and led
them to a farmhouse, where the entire
party lived in one small room for a month.
not daring 70 stir from their retreat in
the daytime. and only with the greatest
caution al night.
| On Aug. 13 the Boxers discovered their
hiding place, from which their host had
| made tunnel to a cave short distance
| away. The Boxers demanded that the lit
| tie band be given up to them. On hearing
| their benefactor being beaten and tortured
| Mr.. Green determined to give himself up
and do what he could TO save his wife and
| little ones and Miss Greig. AS the mis-
| sfonary appeared at the mouth of the cave
ne was Immediately shot In the face with
L
| bleeding, he pleaded for the women and
children. but with no avail. The Boxers
| ordered them from the tunnel and the
| frightened women came forth, expecting
| death or worse. Knives and swords were
| held over their heads and all their possess
| sions were taken from them except their
clothing. They were then made to march
| TO Huai-Lu, their former home Here they
| were met by the mandarin upon whose
| advice they had gone into hiding. This
| man beat and abused Mr.. Green and re-
4 n for
/ advice and protection. The mandarin then
said he would send the party to Cheng-
| Ting-Fu, with escort of imperial troops.
He assured them they would receive am
| pie protection at Cheng-Ting-Fu.
| The party was placed in rough wood
| Journey About three miles out they were
| overtaken by the Boxers who had orig
| inally captured them and on reaching
| Cheng-Ting-Fu were refused admission TO
the city because of their escort. For
| three days and nights without stop, except
/ at rare intervals, to partake of native
food, they were carried through the coun-
try to Pao-Ting-Fu. Loaded with abuse,
| mistreated and suffering, the place literally
swarming with Boxers demanding their
| lives. the helpless prisoners were escorted
/ TO the yamen of the chief magistrate, Ting
| Yuen, who refused to receive them. Then
| occurred strange incident. The chief
/ Boxer himself pleaded for his prisoners
| and induced Ting Yuen to come and speak
/ TO Mr.. Green He expressed sorrow at see
| ing the condition of the prisoners and said
/ he would send them to Tien-Tsin under an
| escort of imperial troops and with his off,
| cial passports. He also offered to provide
them with sufficient money to secure food
on the journey.
That morning they were taken to boat,
| but found neither troops nor passports.
| They were in fact again in the hands of
| the Boxers, who took them some thirty
| miles down the river and on Wednesday
afternoon landed them in a marsh covered
with high reeds and informed them that
| Ting Yuen had ordered that they should
| be put TO death and their bodies disposed
of. At this time the children Were undoubt-
edly the means of saving the lives of the
entire party, for the same Boxer who had
| previously interceded for them, and had
evidently conceived a great friendlipes for
| the little ones, cried and told Mr.. Green
| they must try to reach Tien-Tsin alone. He
| then left them and took the boat away
| The money which had been provided for
| their subsistence was in the copper cash
| OF the country, and was too bulky TO
| carry. therefore the little band was left
| entirely helpless in the vast swamp.
To add to their misery violent storms
| arose and toward evening, as they shiv-
cred in their hiding place. they heard bands
| of Boxers securing the swamp in search
| of them, their presence having been dis
| covered by some villagers. AS night fell
| Mr.. Green, almost helpless from his
| wounds, made his way, accompanied by
| his party to house. and was told by the
| owner that a friend of his would take
| them TO Tien-Tsin. Then he left. ostensibly
| to get boat and make arrangements for
| their escape. After a while the villagers
| returned, bringing not the promised aid
| but large party of Boxers. The mob
| burst in the doors of the hut and unmerci-
fully beat with swords and slaves Mr.
Green. the women and children. Almost in
| sensible, despairing and hopeless. the de-
voted little party gave up, but other cruel
| ty was in store for them. The Boxers de-
| cided TO take their captives TO a village a
| mile away and devised the means of trans
| porting and torturing them at the same
| time. Mr.. Green's left hand was bound to
| his left foot: Mrs. Green and Miss Greig
| were tied hands to feet, left hand to left
| foot, and right hand TO right foot and the
| little girl was treated the same way
| Spear handles were then thrust under their
| arm-pits and they were carried 10 their
| destination. The little boy was slung
| across the back Of man.
In the village of Si-Nan they were thrown
| Gown, bound in the filthy mud OF court
| yard and examined to their identity
| Their story was laughed at, the examiners
| refusing TO believe that any foreign devils
| had been let go by the Boxers and a
| deputation was sent 10 Pao-Ting-Fu 10 as
| certain the truth and determine the fate of
| the caDtives. On the third day the depu-
| captives were told that Ting Yuen had pre-
| viously ordered their death and re-
/ peated this sentence
/ PrOvidently there were two sections OF
| Boxers. civil and military. The civil sec
| ton fs-d heard of the defeat of the Box
| ers at Taku and elsewhere and ordered
| the prisoners 20 be kept alive 10 be used
| as hostages. should the alie~ he sent 20
| destroy Tho cf+v ~ pao-TrnV-Eu buf eaou1f