The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1900-10-04
Kenosha Missionary in China Writes
of Her Safety in the Infested
Celestial Nation.
STILL SLEEPING ON THEIR ARMS
Miss Schaeffsr Tells of Her Escape From
the Tr1ads and Her Safety and Work
in the Island of Halnan

III d 1GCCGT written DV the lazy nSISCAA
on August 81. The letter, which will
be of great interest to ali people in the
county, is as follows:
Kiungchow, Hainan, China, Aug.
II, 19OO.-Editor EVENING News and
TELEGRAPH COURIER: Permit me
to greet your readers again.
Doubtless you in America have, like
ourselves transferred your interest in
the Philippines and South Africa to
affairs in China.
To those of my personal friends who
may be wondering where am, would
say, "Safe, and in my usual health in
Kiungchow City,
In the latter part of July 1 left
Hainan for the British colony of Hong
Kong in company with a number of
other missionaries and business people.
This was because there were rumors
af1oat to the effect that foreigners and
the native banks and pawnshops were
to be attacked during a heather festi-
val that was held in Hollow Aug. 1-15.
The danger was not from the local
popu1ace, but from the vast crowds of
people that gathered at that time from
ali parts of the island and from the
mainland.
It seemed prudent for women and
children to be away under the circun-
stances, but the gentlemen of the
mission and the customs people re-
manned. They informed the local
officials of the rumors afoat and asked
for proc1amations ordering the people
to remain quiet. After some delay
these were posted, Hollow was given a
guard of 100 soldiers to police the
streets and two gunboats, the French
cruiser ''Kersaint'' and the Customs
cruiser ''Likin," took up their stations
in the harbor, ready to lombard both
! Kiungchow and Hollow should trouble
arise
The festival passed off quietly, and
after a three weeks vacation, l am
again in Hainan. I do not venture to
take any country trips, however, and
my shotgun and ammunition are kept
ready to hand, though l anticipate no
trouble here.
In Hainan the rebels are known as
Triads instead of Boxers. They were
very active in their depredations in the
spring and the lives of the poor, terri
fed villagers in the interior were
scarce worth living. Nearly all were
forced to join the Triads as means of
self protection, for if they refused to
| join they were robbed of their cattle,
grain and va1uab1es, besides in many
cases being kidnapped and held for
ransom or tortured to death.
I spent May and June out on a
country trip and in visit to my fell
low missionaries at Nodoa, a market
ninety miles from Kiungchow. This
station is in the midst of a rebe11ious
people and while there we had enough
excitement to make things decidedly
interesting. Loaded guns and dark
suits were kept in a convenient place
so that if we should be attacked and
had to flee, we could do so armed and
inconspicuous.
This movement of the Triads was
not anti-foreign nor anti-christian,
but anti-governmenta1. Of course, be-
ing heather organization with idol
worshippers as prominent feature,
the native Christians could not join,
and so incurred the disp1easure of the
Triads. One small village moved out
completely, bringing their cows, rice
and household effects to the Mission
compound for safety.
But there were also heather villages,
which by reason of their wealth and
the consequent heavy initiation tax
asked of them, refused to join; they
secured guns, fortified their villages
with stockades and held out.
The Mission compound was guarded
by thirty soldiers furnished by the
friendly official whose fort was next
door. These soldiers fortified the
place by laying heavy p1anks up
against the verandah railing of the
Mission house, threw up earthworks at
various places inside the hedge which
surrounds the yard, built lookout in
tree near by, kept sentine1s on duty at
night and guards at the gates in the
daytime, and we felt quite safe. But
if this official and his soldiers (who are
from the Northern provinces) had
| luIuSu IAdAlOA " us, DIS SCGIuS TO nave
been the case in many places in the
| North, our story might have been
sad one.
The different District Magistrates,
in obedience to the instructions of the
Viceroy in Canton, have been indefati-
gable in hunting down the thieving
Triads, decapitating some and ''cag-
ing' others; the latter is a form of
slow death worthy of medieval times.
The cu1prit's hands and feet are tied,
and then he is suspended by board
around his neck, on which his chin
and the back of his head rest. The
whole is enclosed in a bamboo cage
and set out in the court of the yamen,
| where crowds of people go to see the
CHASTITY sight.
Three wretches were thus Gagged in
this city few weeks ago. They were
-, ~ IA o~,d,1~od