The Wichita daily eagle., 1904-05-15
KILLED IN MOUNTAINS
How Missionary Met Death at
Hands of Persian.
LETTERS TO MRS. PUTNAM
Wife and Daughter Writes
Home to Wichita Folks

Mrs. S. c. Putnam, of this city, is j
receipt of number of letters from he
niece. Mrs. Mary Schauffler Labaree
telling of the death of her husband, Rev
Persia. was conducting through a dan
gerous neighborhood a Miss Dean, a grad
uate of the Lewis Academy. The affai
ls one teeming with blood-curdling stories
and is told accurately by Mrs. Labaree.
Rev. Labaree was a cousin to DIR. Nor
rison of this city.
The assassination of Rev. Labaree oc
CURED on the 10th of March. and the let
tiers given below were received on the
18th and 14th following. Only extracts
are here given for the reason that there
Is much in the letters as a whole that
might prove of an offensive influence tc
the Persian government and still greater
numbers of missionaries would be muir
dered. 1t is said that the Persians are
very naughty toward the missionaries and
that it is very hard matter to get along
with them. The letters given below are
explanatory of the exact situation as told
by Mrs. Labaree
Urumia, Persia, March r. 1904.
My Dear, Dear Friends at Home:
How can l ever write you this letter
and where can l begin with the story of
these awful days? 1t is only at odd mo-
ments that l can write a few words be-
tween the calls of our sympathizing, low
fn fria dc he ~ 0f q home
which are greater than ever just now.
Thank God that He is fulfilling His prom
Use "As the days so shall thy strength
be- and is giving Father Labaree and
me the needed physical strength for the
awful strain that is on us every hour and
moment
The last mail took my letter telling how
Ben had started last week, Friday, (March
D. for Khio, a city three days journey
away, to escort Miss Margaret Dean,
the teacher of our children who is going
home to America at this time. From
Khoi she went on with Pastor Won Oert
zen, a German missionary. There were
several in Ben's party and at first he
hoped it would not be necessary for him
TO go, as his whole heart was set on
making a missionary tour to the south of
here. But the others of the party did not
seem responsible enough to entrust a
young lady to them, and Ben felt that
he had asked Miss Dean of her mother to
come out here, he was responsible for her
safety. None of the other gentlemen in
the station felt that they could go at this
time so Ben packed up and started, TAX
ing as his servant the young man Israil
Chfic -ha hoI ir
our service for some years, and who is
very helpful and a good companion on
journey, and was delighted at the idea of
this trip. i had a letter from Ben from
Salinas where they spent Sunday, telling
Of a good many difficulties which he had
encountered on the way. chiefly from the
wild fighting horses of the German lady
who was in the party. and the delicate
condition of the young Swede, who has
consumption. Ben and Miss Dean spent
Sunday on the Salinas Plain in the village
Of Ula, where we have very good native
preacher, Kasha Pastor) Yokhamnan.
The others of the party were with friends
In a village nearby. On Monday they
reached Khoi, and Ben stayed there until
Wednesday, when he started back with
his servant as had been planned bring
ing in their saddle bags their belongings
and the travelling bed and bedding belong |
Ing TO us which Miss Dean had used as
far Kho. That evening some travellers |
brought word to kasha Yokhannan and |
one of our young doctors that they had |
seen some bodies near the road and they |
looked as they might be foreigners /
kasha, knowing that Ben had planned to |
En h.-t hat chn md fa,.A
road, started out as early as possible the |
next morning with DR. Shemon and some |
government servants In the road on the |
pass they found the body of Israil. They !
had to search i long time before they /
came upon Ben in a little valley about /
two miles away. Ii is evident from the |
tracks, that after lsran had been shot |
Ben was taken by three horsemen off that
long distance, killed with dagger thrusts
and stripped of all his outer clothing
They took the bodies to Ula long way
of and telegraphed Immediately to DR.
Cochran. He happened to be in the city
and was just about to go home. about
half-past five. Thursday evening He had
seen both Father Laharee and me a few
minutes before. and Father was most
surprised to have him come up 10 his
room. Then they both came down to me-
while was singing with the children and
Father told me OF it. Can't you imagine
how absolutely stunned me were and how
we had to be assured over and over that
there was absolutely no mistake in the
reading Of the telegram.
The news spread like wildfire that night
and when the death bell toIed from the
Seminary pcople were out on their r,ofs
and lining the streets and nlling our
yards. all sobbing and mourning This
whole quarter of the city WAS mourning
as one man for the friend they had lost
Twenty-four of the nearer and dearer
friends came in to us and others stood
outside waiting for Or. Cochran TO return
from the telegraph office where he had
gone 10 communicate further with Sal
mas. The next day the whole city was
moved. MoSiem noblemcn were in tears
and everyone was asking Of each other
whether this news could be true. In the
nearly seventy yeats cf this mission no
foreign born person has ever been killed
in this part Of Persia and all Who heard
OF il were stunned. Yesterday and today
we have had ~ calls ~ sympathy and
this is only the beginning. Tor they win
be coming for days and weeks probably.
And hard as il i t. see them. Yet il Is a
great comfort 10 feel this universal and
heartfelt sympathy. Conditions in our
mission work 81 late years have been
much as they were in Japan few years
age. when amonS the native churches
there was 50 much feeling against the ,
missionaries. and il seemed as If there