The daily morning journal and courier., 1905-11-16
MURDER OF MISSIONARIES
PERSONAL QUARREL CAUSED
 MASSACRE OF EYE.

Chinese Minister at Washington Hands
 Report to Secretary of State Root on
 the Lienchow Misunderstanding DIs-
 pute Between pr. MachIe of the Pres-
 byterian Mission and Catholic Con-
 verts--Encroachment on Formers
 Property Precipitates Final Trouble.
 Washington, Nov. 15.-No boycott; no race feeling, but a mere personal quarrel was the cause of the death of the five American Presbyterian mis- sionaries recently at LienchoW, in China, according to the report made to-day to Secretary Root by Sir Chen tung Liang, the Chinese minister here
 The minister had with him when he came to the state department a copy of a long cablegram from the viceroy of the provinces of Kwantung and Kwangai bearing on this subject.
 The report which Minister Liang handed Secretary Root is as follows:
 Canton, Nov. 1.-Chinese Minister Liang, Washington: ''On the 1st of the tenth moon October 2S) at Lien chow, the village people, in a riot oc- casioned by the celebration of a local festival, burned a hospital connected with the American missionary estab- lishment there and killed five persons, male and female. The dead bodies have been recovered and duly placed in coffins. pr. Machle and Miss Patter- son are safe. Soldiers have been dis- patched with all speed to the. affected district with strict orders to apprehend the murderers without delay. In obe- dience to an imperial decree, the civil and military officials of that place have been degraded. All the steps taken by the provincial authorities have been reported to the Waiwu Pu for com1nu- nication to the American minister.
 "The American consul at Canton is inclined to connect this affair with the boycott movement with the view of making the most of the situation. When Dr. Machle, Miss Patterson and a Chinese missionary arrived at Can ton under escort from .LienchoW Tao- tai Wan, of the bureau of foreign af- fairs was appointed to inquire into this affair with the American consul. It was found that the trouble originated in @ standing dispute, between pr, Machle and the Catholic converts. On October 2S, a festival was being cele- brated outside the city of Lienchow near hospital connected with the American missionary establishment at that place. A platform built for the occasion happened to encroach slightly upon the ground belonging to the American Missionary society. Dr. Machle desired its removal and seized the consecrated cannons on the altar. This act excited the indignation of the village people and brought on a riot. The investigation of the American con- sul at Taotai Wan was especially di- rected to clearing up the point whether this affair had any connection with the boycott movement, All testified that there had been no society organized at Lienchow for carrying on the boycott, nor had there been any public meet ings or discussions on the subject. This trouble, therefore, had no connec- ton whatever with the boycott move- nent. Now Taotat Wan has been dis patched to Lienchow in company with the American consul and three naval officers to make an investigation on the spot. A report to the above effect has been sent to the Waiwu Pu.
 (Signed) "TSEN."