Evening star., 1900-10-03
COUNTENANCED BY OFFICIALS
Unfortunates Hacked to Pieces
and Bodies Burned.
HEADS PLACED IN BASKETS
of the Associated Press.


foot and boat has just arrived. This man
is a graduate of the North China College,
speaking English fuently. and absolute
confidence is placed in his statements by
the American missionary officials here. His
story confirms previously reported muir
ders and adds details of shocking cruelties.
1t covers a period from early June, when
the trouble began, down to the latest
known outrage, which, as previously re-
ported in the Associated Press dispatches,
occurred August 10 at Yen Chou Flu, about
fifty miles southwest of Tasyuan, Where
Mr.. and Mrs. Atwater and their two little
children; Mr. and Mrs. c. Price, their son,
all of the American board; Mr.. and Mrs.
Iangren of the Swedish mission and Miss
Eldred. an English lady, were butchered.
The refugees story of the murders directly
duplicates HUI Hsien, the governor of shan
81, who has previously been charged with
instigating and abetting the killing of for
eigners. 1t is said that a few days after
the rescue of the legationers at Pekin a
prominent member of the tsung ii yamen
appeared at the British legation and for
mally accused HUI Hsien of inviting all the
foreigners in Tai Yuan into his yamen
under pretense of escorting them In safety
to the coast and having them all put to
death. The names of the victims at Yen
Chou Flu were given by the helpers who
escaped According to the refugees, none
of the missionaries at that station had been
molested mp to August 13
Brutality of the Prefect.
One prefect of the district died shortly
before that date and the governor of
Shan ST sent new man, who, two days after
his arrival demanded of the local officials
why the foreigners had not been expelled.
The district magistrate, who was friendly
to the missionaries. replied that there was
no occasion for their expulsion, but under
compulsion arrested the chief dispenser OF
the hospital. The man was given 300 blows
and the demand was made that he should
secure the arms in the possession of the
mission. There We're accordingly given up
two pistols and two rifles The demand was
repeated that they must hasten their de-
parture. A request was made on behalf
of Mrs. AtWater, who was about to be con-
fined, that they be allowed few days
respite. but the prefect insisted that they
We're about to be sent away to the coast
and must be ready the next day. -Four
country carts were prepared for them and
their goods duly packed They were TO
start on August 10. guard Of twenty
soldiers was made ready AS soon as the
arrangements were made the foreign houses
were sealed up The missionaries request
ed that they be permitted to sell their house
to secure silver for the journey. The official
replied that all the property had been con-
fscated by imperial decree and could not
be sold. but that small property in a
country village could be sold. This was
accordingly done and small sum of silver
morse
given him by Mr. Atwater. The soldiers
compelled him to dismount and ride on the
cart. He overheard remarks by the SOL
diers. and from these he gathered that mis-
OF the soldiers escaped from the party some
few miles from the village of ksi Shi
Signal for the Attack.
The party was supposed to be sent to
Bing Yao about thirty miles from Flu
Chow. When not far away from his line
of escape he heard the firing Of gun. He
afterward learned that this was the signal
for the attack upon the party. They were
escorted by the soldiers few miles fur
ther, where they were met by another de-
tachment, and all were attacked and killed
with swords. The story Of the refugee is
confirmed by message from Mr. Price,
written on bit Of linen, which the refugee
officer at the gate OF the walled city when
he arrived.
Going back to early in June, this man
gives graphic and apparently reliable ac-
count of all the murders In the Shan 81
province. Much of it is too horrible for
publication. Men, women and children were
butchered, their bodies mutilated and, in
many instances, their heads placed on the
gates of the villages. So far as known
the first murders occurred June %, when
two women, members Of the China Inland
Mission, were killed at Hasa Tt Hsifu
They were Miss White-Church and Miss
Sewell, who lived alone at the mission, a
remote place On the day mentioned about
300 Boxers forced entrance into the
mission compound and some of the village
men smashed the gate. The local magts- |
trate was sent for, but 1t is said he reproy- |
ed the messenger for disturbing him.
The mob took this as an indca ton that |
they We're not to be interfered with and |
forced an entrance into the house The two |
women made vain appeals for mercy, but |
were beaten to death with clubs and heavy |
glass Kettles 1t is said that one of them |
survived the assault about an hour. Their |
clothing was stripped off and their valu- |
ables stolen. When the local magistrate |
was Informed of the murders he sent two |
boxes. in which the bodies were placed and |
buried In the baptistry. The details Of |
this outrage were learned from messen- |
ger sent from the American board mission |
at Yen Chou Flu. |
Outrage at Show Yang.
The next outrage took place at Show |
Yang, about seventy-five miles from Tai |
Yuan Fu which was mission station Of |
the Independent workers, on June 20. The |
story Of this massacre, if true, leaves little
doubt of the guilt Of the local Chinese au-
thoritles. and also of the governor of the |
province. In all thirtythree persons were |
slain. 1t appears that Mr. and Mrs. T. W. |
Ptggott, their son, Mr.. Robertson. a tutor;
Miss Duval teacher, and two daughters |
driven from their homes and for several |
days hid in the mountains Finally they
determined to return to the mission. They |
were arrested and sent to Tai Yuan. They |
Were chained and handcuffed and iron col |
lars were placed around their necks and |
during the terrible march they suffered ter |
rfbly. They We're not permitted to pur- |
chase food. and during the entire march |
were practically without anything to eat
On arriving at Tai Yuan they were placed |
in separate rooms and suffered many indig-
mites. In the meantime most of the foreign |
houses In Tai Yuan were burned foreigners |
taking refuge in the home of Mr. Farthing
Of the English Baptist mission. One wo- |
man, Miss CoombS, the principal of a girls
school, however. failed to escape, and fell a |
victim to the mob. Hampered by the efforts |
to protect her scholars. she was separated |
from the others and caught by the rioters |
who were looting and burning buildings. In
spite of her pleadings she was seized and |
thrown into the flames. The missionaries
remained until July in the house of Mr. |
Farthing, when a complete list of all for
eigners was demanded by the governor He |
then ordered them all to come to his yamen |
assuring them they would be protected |
and safely escorted to the coast. The order |
was complied with. and the entire party tf |
foreigners was admitted between files of |
soldiers through the outer gate to the court |