The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1901-05-07
MINISTER coNGER GIVES HIS
TORY OF UPRISING.
BEGAN AS RELIGIOUS ORDER
Taken Up by Governor to Farther
His Schemes Against
Foreigners.

Des Moines, Ia, May 3.-Minister
Conger was formally welcomed to
Des Moines at a public meeting held
in the Auditorium this afternoon. The
reception was rendered by two Grand
Army posts, city, citizens generally
and missionary societies represented
in China. Three thousand attended.
Minister Conger and family and init
mate friends occupied the stage and
the boxes were filled with state and
city officers. Addresses OF welcome
were made by Judge Josiah Given, DR..
E. r. Hutchins, John A. Mccall, Gov
ernor Shaw, Mayor Hartenbower, and
others. Minister Conger responded
briefly reviewing the events Of the
| siege of Pekin and relief Of the le-
cations.
In lie course of his reply, Minister
Conger, in referring to the boxer up
rising In China, said: But there is
a history connected with this affair
which l have not seen in print and
about which | will tell you. The or
ganization which is known as the
boxers had probably been in existence
for more than a hundred years, but
had long ceased to be of Importance.
Two Buddhist priests in tile province
of Shan Tung, some time in the year
1899, revived the organization or made
the organization which took the name
of the older one. Some have said it
was a patriotic organization, but it was
in fact at the outset a religious move
ment. The priest who was it's head
has since been captured, tried by a
German court, and executed.
1t mas been learned since the suppress
sion Of the boxers that the order
was entirely religious. The priests
protested to have supernatural pow
ers. The society spread in Shan
Tung province. There was never any
danger from it until it was taken up
by General Yu Shen, governor of the
province, a bitter Halter of all foreign
ers, and he saw that he could make
use Of this society to further his ends.
HE encouraged the society, gave
it's promoters funds and assisted them
in every way. The priests pretended
II Cu0y COulU Cdll uOWu lIOlu IAC 0hlCS
millions of warriors fully armed and
equipped and that they would form an
army to drive out of China everything
that was foreign. They pretended that
they could by certain rites and cere
monies make their bodies impervious
to bullets. This took a deep hold or
the superstitious minds of the Chinese
people. But there had not been a for
eigner harmed in Shan Tung province
up to this time. Rev. DR.. Brooks, 8
missionary, was killed more by acct
dent than by design.
!, General Yu Shen secured assistance
Of half the princes and between then
they determined on making the soci
ETY. sufficiently powerful to drive oui
all foreigners. Soon the society spread
over into Chi Ii province, in which
: Pekin is situated, and all of the for
:, eigners were attacked and native
Christians were compelled either t.
: recant or suffer death"
Minister Conger declared that all O.
the time of the siege there was the
fimsiest possible veil between the lie
gationres and death. It could have
been brushed aside with one charge
he said, and would have been if Chi
nese had possessed courage. In som
way they We're filled with fear ant
never made a charge.
"Such a charge as was made by on,
men under Captain Meyer would have
ended orr careers" he said.