Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1901-11-26
DODGlNG THE BOXERS.
Returned Missionary Lectures on
the Uprising in China.
TELLS OF THRILLING EXPERIENCES
Rev. w. P. Sprague in an Address at
First Congregational Church Talks
Entertainingly Of Life in the Far
East-A Miraculous Escape.

From Fridays Daily.]
Rev. w. p. Sprague, missionary OF
the American board in China address
ed a good sized audience yesterday ey-
ening at the First Congregational
( church on the subject of the Boxer up
rising in China. Rev. Sprague has
been missionary in that country for
over twenty years, and was there at
the time of the uprising of the Boxers
during the summer of 1900. Rev.
Sprague, in opening, gave in brief the
causes of the Boxer movement and for
more than an hour held the closest
attention of his audience as he told. of
the fearful atrocities and tortures
practiced by the Boxers and their at
tempt to exterminate the foreigners
and native Christians. He spoke of
the many thrilling experiences Of the
missionaries in their escapes from
danger and of the loyalty of the ma
tives to the region which they had pro-
fessed and for which they suffered
many tortures and even death.
Causes of Uprising.
g Rev. Sprague spoke in brief as fol-
lows: Long before the outbreak of
there were unmistakeable signs of an
upheaval 1t was the purpose of the
emperor to introduce .ew reforms in
to the empire, but to this many of the
people were most ardently' opposed.
Another question that entered into the
movement as one of it's causes was the
aggression of the foreigners within
the bounds of the empire. Opposed to
all changes and reforms themselves
they did not wish to allow foreign
ideas to be brought in for those who
would accept.
The First Outbreak.
"The first outbreak occurred in the
province of Shan Tung and from here
it spread with rapidity throughout the
surrounding territory coming upon
many of the people and missions sud
denly and as thunderbolt out of a
clear sky, sweeping down upon the
people with terrible vengeance, kill
ing foreigners and subjecting the ma
tive Christians to the most horrible
tortures, in all cases where they would
not renounce their religion.
Last Words of Pitkin.
Il want TO speak here of the forti-
tude manifested by their perfect sub
mission to the Divine will and the spirit
of forgiveness toward their prosecutors
and murderers as is shown in the dy-
ing words of the murdered Pitkin,
sent to his wife, Train my boy to be a
Christian, train him to be preacher,
and when he is twenty-five years old
tell him of his fathers last wish. that
he would come to China and preach
the gospel to my murderers.'
They Leave kalaan.
During the month of June the Box
ers reached Kalgan, surrounded the
mission and threatened the lives of
those within. Mr.. Sprague then told
of the sending away of the native
Christians to hiding places in the
mountains, of the escape of his party
to the governor of the province, but
here there was no protection, or at
most they could not be protected long
for the Boxers were coming with all
their barbarity to reek their vengeance
upon the foreigner wherever he was
found. They at last left with small
escort of soldiers, passing the great
Chinese wall and making their way il