The Hawaiian gazette., 1900-09-07
THE PER|LS
OF CHINA
Missionary ChaIfant's
Experience.
REEVE, W THW|NG'S FRI END
He Writes Of the Narrow Escape
Of Himself ard Party
at Fangtze.

worker among the Chinese here. has
learned with much satisfaction of the
safety of many of his friends in China.
He said, II have been concerned as to
the position of Rev. Frank H. Chalfant
who went to China with me first in 1887
He was living at Weihsien in the Shan
tung province. The entire mission was
destroyed, hospital, schools and mission
airy homes. 1t was a most trying and
exciting time.
Mr.. Chalfant himself tells this thrilling
story in a letter which he writes under
date OF June q. from Fangtze, which Is
nine miles south of Weihsien, where he
found refuge at some German coal mines.
He says In part:
You shall have received the news by
gable from Che Foo under date of yes
terday that Weihs!en is a ruin and that
all the missionaries escaped The COM
pound was burned and looted at p. M
on Monday, June Is. On June 10 was
to have escorted my wife and Mrs. Cros-
settle and my nine-year-old son Ned from,
Tsipgtau back to Weihsen. On the eve
of starting came the news of the bonn
harding at Tien-Tsin and the fight at the
Taku forts at the mouth of the Pei-Ho
triver). This caused US to decide 1t UNI
advisable to take the women to the In
terror. SO 1 returned myself on the 18th
in company with German engineer, Mr..
Axt, who was coming to this place
(Fangtze). Reaching Weihsten on the
evening of June 81 found the following
persons at home: Mr.. and Mrs. Fitch
aud their two children, Mrs. Fariss and
her three children. DR.. Edna Parks and
my little daughter, Margaret. The abb
sent ones were DR.. FAIRIES and son, David,
at Shanghai; Miss Boughton, away ex-
aiming her schools, and Miss Halves,
fifty miles distant teaching class of wo-
men. Those of us at the station decided
1t was expedient to leave. Mr.. Fitch
volunteered to escort the women and
children then on the place, leaving on
Saturday. The plan was to go direct to
Tsingtau-one hundred miles.
At that date no alarming kilograms nor
other messages had reached Weihsien
other than the news brought by me. At
10 o'clock on Friday special messenger
came from Mr.. Cornwell, who was in
charge of ship Sent by our efficient con-
sui. Mr.. Fowler, to the junk port of
Yang Kiaao- Kau, fifty miles northeast of
Weihsien. This message urged the imme-
date coming of our people to the steam
er. We decided the first party should go
there, and they started on Saturday at
a. M. Meanwhile we had dispatched spe-
cial couriers to recall the Misses Bough
ton and Halves, and I remained alone to
escort these women and to attend to the
thousand and one emergencies likely to
arise.
On Saturday Miss Boughton arrived.
and on Sunday we had the usual Chinese
service-fated to be our last at Weihsien
for many n day. At daylight on Mon
day Miss Halves came, having travelled
all night. We three then worked hard
to pack the most valuable small belong
ings. and to provide for the various de-
partments of our large mission plant. The
schools-hoys and girls high schools
had already been dismissed "a thing most
providentaD. We sent away the fcw re-
naming school girls to their homes-these
had stayed over for the vacation. BY
this time ugly rumors Were a1oat, and
our Christians and helpers advised us to
leave. This was consoling, for usually
they are very averse to the foreigners
all leaving. At p. m. one of our native
pastors, Ii Ping I. came with cart to
take away some goods of his own and
others. While loading the cart an unruly
crowd pushed In at our gate. The gate
man sent for me. saying he could not
restrain them. l took cane and went
up, supposing 1 could get them to be-
have.
BY that time they had attacked our
wall and smashed the tile work or coping
thereon. / drove them away-they were
mostly small boys-and held the gateway
till Mr.. LIS cart went out. At once they
attacked the cart, and In a moment stole
everything in it. 1 could do nothing out
side, and SO shut the large gate against
tho mob'a return.
Meanwhile. seeing the sudden turn in
affairs, 1 had dispatched a letter to the
Yamen asking for few soldiers to pro-
tect the place. Returning to our houses,
advised the women to go to my house, |
as the most secure. and walt for me-
ran back to find the dispensary windows
smashed and n bowling mob on the high
or ground to the northwest storming the |
place with bricks and tiles. ! ran back |
took from the safe taels 10 OF sycee and |
y In MeNicans. as provision against flight |
locked the safe and returned to try to
keep back the mob till help should come
from Yamen. The lives of many depend |
ed upon keeping back the mob. ran
forward amid shower OF bricks and tiles |
ana at twenty PAGES warned them back |
They jeered at me. A brick hit my foot |
slightly inturing but not disabling the de- |
Tending garrison. The mob fell back, and |
Just then cayalryman appeared brand |
ishing his gun. He was from the Yamen. |
saluted him cordially and asked him to |
help. 1 then opened the wicket gate and |
our large gate tonly large enough for one |
person to enteD and ran out to the north
west corner of the compound. whence the |
mob had Withdrawn. The horseman
started around the compound, presumably |
TO see II there was an attack on the |
other side. lie never again appeared. and |
soon the crowd. cowed for the while by |
the arrival OF the soldier. began TO boot
at me and say tho Yamen would not help /
ps, I feared the man had returned. and |
my fears were correct, ! afterward learn
ell that he had not been sent out TO help,
but was casually returning from other
business,
IL waa now about y, m, ana being AT
lime of longest day the sun VAS still nigh,
by hope and prayer then was ia keep
hack tho mob until sunset, no that Ne
eeuld escape under cover Of durAneRa. !
took ~ ny position ~ the corner Of the
compound outside, They stood siill and
soan said, Lets aeallerh They Nare uas
feaidfd Nhal 10 d. and a. this point
che presence Of ene soldier fton lhs