Evening star., 1901-09-07
IN MEMORY OF MARTYRS
ANNIVERSARY OF THE MASSACRE At
TAI YUAN-FU.
Procession Of Missionaries and Nae
uves-Seryices at the
Cemetery.

cemetery.
From the Shanghai Mercury, August Q.
1t is now well known that in July, 1900,
forty-six foreigners were killed in Tai
Yuan-fu, including several Protestant mis-
sicnaries. their wives and children, two
Roman Catholic bishops, three priests and
seven Sisters of Charity. We must not omit
to mention that many Chinese Christians
perished at the same time. The massacre oc-
CURED on July 8. Exactly a year later TO
the very day eight Protestant missionaries
| entered the city as the guests and at the
invitation of the governor. After compli-
mentary visits had been paid and returned
arrangements were at once made for the
memorial services. and by the evening OF
July II everything was ready. Outside the
| west gate of the entrance to the governors
"amen and near the place of the massacre
large pavilion, stretching across the
street, had been erected. About fifty yards
further southwest Is the yamen of the pre-
feet. The center of the inner court OF this
yamen had been covered with an awning.
under which were arranged twenty-six
banners. about twelve feet high, on which
| were inscribed in gilt letters the names Of
| the Protestant martyrs both foreign and
| Chinese.
AT the suggestion of shen Tao-tai, who
had lived in England for a time the Off
cials had also prepared number Of
| wreaths, which were placed on wooden
| frames covered with cloth. These were
| arranged in the same place as the BAN
| ners. About o'clock on the morning Of
Thursday, July 49, nine four-bearer chairs
| were brought to the door of the house
where the missionaries were located In
these they were carried to the yamen of
| the prefect. Accompanying them in pri-
vate capacity was Maj. Pereira- At the
yamen they were carried through the court
where the banners and wreaths We're ar
rod in hal of ha lpd v-hn
they were tremendously received by all
the officials of the city except the governor.
who was supposed to be too i'll to come out.
Memorial Procession.
The court yard was crowded with people,
| many Of whom pushed right up to the place
where the officials and foreigners were sit
ting. The final arrangements having been
made, the procession started. being headed
| by 100 foot soldiers who were supposed to
be foreign drilled and who marched In fair
| ly good order to the sound of bugle and
drum. Then followed the officials in their
chairs and were succeeded by the memorial
banners and wreaths. The foreigners, as
chief mourners, came last, and the process
sion was closed by about thirty cavalry
The first stop was made at the pavilion
near the governors yamen, as 1t had been
| arranged to hold a short service as near as
possible to the spot where the massacre
had occurred. The leader of the service
stood on a small raised platform, in front Of
which stood the officials and foreigners.
The street was closely packed with people
and fairly good order was preserved.
though there were only few yamen serv-
ants to control The people, the soldiers hav-
ing gone on ahead little way. The service
concluded. the procession reformed In some-
what different order and then passed slow
ly through the streets, which in many
places were thronged with onlookers.
At the Cemetery.
The new cemetery is more than two miles
from the city, and after leaving the east
gate, crossing the moat and passing
through a small village the road leads
through narrow gully in the 'laess," then
along a stony dry river bed and finally
winds up rather steep hillside to the hills
east of the city. 1t took the procession
nearly an hour and half to reach this
spot. Arrived there, the chief mourners
were first of all met by the 100 foot soldiers,
presenting arms, and the sound of bugle
and drum
| In front Of the gate Of the cemetery a
large awning had been erected, on one side
of which were two tents and on the other
three, awning and tents being all con-
structed the cheSsboard patterns with
poles and variegated clothes about foot
wide. Then the mourners were met by the
| officials who ushered them into the prn-
cipal tent where more time had to be
spent in partaking of light refreshments
and chatting. Meanwhile the wreaths had
been deposited on the graves and the
Service ut the Graves.
A little time was spent in inspecting tho
graves and wreaths and after a while
with the officials. mourners, Chinese Chris
tians and many onlookers grouped around
two specially selected mandarins ascended
the pavilion and one of them read an ad-
dress which had been prepared by the gov
ernor himself and which was supposed to
be apology. The other official then
bowed three times toward the graves, after
which one of the missionaries in the name
Of the others thanked the officials for COM
ing. Finally the address itself was handed
over by Shen Taotai to be kept as per-
manent record This finished the ceremon-
les far as oficialdom concerned
and the mandarins withdrew Representa-
tives of the gentry came forward and paid
their respects to the mourners by making
a low bow, after which the Chinese Chris
tians gathered around the pavilion and
short service was held which was con-
Quoted by Mr.. Hoste of the c. 1. M. 1t was
a beautiful day and from the pavilion
one looked over the thirty-four new graves
to the city and plain beyond and the high
mountains to the west, all so peaceful it
was hard, nay almost impossible, to realize
what actually happened only a year and
ten days before.