Arizona republican., 1906-03-17
A ROBBER RAID
 A "SAVING" AFFAIR
How Chinese Officials Took Precau- tiOn Against 'Affording Protection.

New York, March 16.-An interest ing story of robber raid in China has come here from the Rev. C. F.. Patton a Presbyterian missionary stationed at Canton. The incident occurred dur ing missionary trip in the country, and is told by MT. Patton as follows:
 We were just going ashore at Shui Tung when we had the first intimatio1 of trouble. Out in midstream lay a cluster of boats. filled with men, wo- men and children and a motley col lection of household goods. Our boat man eXcitedly told us of the raid The poor folks peopled the ramshakle hutS you see perched high on poles over the waters edge Poorest of the pow erty-striken, they were so panic struck that they were moving all their scanty possessions out to escape the dreaded raid of the soldiers, when they should follow in the wake of the rObber band.
 Although stin mid-afternoon, the streets were all but deserted. Business was suspended. The usual litter of street booths had disappeared. Few were the pedestrians even. There was a Subdued awe aS when some great local calamity befalls a home town. Only. the bOlder spirits dared appear others fearing a return of the raiders who had left such a wake of terror be- hind. The raid began on the morning of the day before. just a breakfast time. Preceded by the booming of guns and the blare of trumpets, the raiders came through the main street three to four hundred strong. Evident ly a fairly organized band, the leader was borne in a sedan chair. while two subordinate officers rode horseback; in this country a mark of either wealth or power. A number of .coolies carried loads, evidently the plunder of pre- vious raids They seized only money or such things of gold or silver as could be readily be converted into it.
 "The door of the drug shop of the elder Of our church was several times attacked, but eventually passed by with the remark that there was prob ably nothing of value within. Sev- eral of the church members lost prop erty, one to the extent of $40 One member was killed by a shot fired through the door of his shop. In all fourteen men were killed and four wounded. in some eases by random bullets. We were shown through the Yamen. where the officials boxes were ransacked while he lay low within.
 "The elder related how he and others
 
 official. It seems that after the disap pearance of the raiders the official had mustered the ten soldiers under his care and had sallied bravely forth to overtake and annihilate the raiders, several hundred strong The others saved him from following and per suaded him to return to the city. The official seemed an earnest man desi- rous of doing his duty, yet he is in danger. With but the paltry half score of soldiers allowed him, he Is held responsible for anything that may happen within his Jurisdiction. The powers that be allow about 200 sol ders for a dozen points scattered over 5000 square miles of lawless territory, yet hold the petty officials responsible. Just how many men were in this raid on Shui Tung can scarce be said. Making due allowance for fright and Chinese exaggeration. there must have been several hundred. Current rumOr says that three or four hundred marched through the city.
 "A sequel to the raid was learned on a later visit to Shui Tung The of ficial showed us an order from his su- perior calling upon him to close twen- ty of the leading shops and to bring the owners and employs to Tin Paak, the former for. trial, the latter as wit nesses. It was charged that during the chaos following the raid these shops had taken in certain of the loot left by the raiders in the street. For this they were to be punished. Not a hand has been raised to discover or