The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1906-01-25

byterian missionaries at Lin Chow,
China, three men concerned in the
murder, and who had confessed their
guilt, were beheaded. Nineteen others
were sentenced to different terms of
imprisonment ranging from one to five
years. on the whole, it is reported that
the Commissioners are satisfied with
the results of the investigation. The
boycott, 1t appears, was not the cause
of the trouble. Satisfactory evidence
has also been given that the soldiery
were not in fault The missionaries
having fled to the hills, their hiding
place was found too late; the majority
of the fugitives were already killed
when the soldiers learned where they
were.
The following is a translation of the
joint report sent to Viceroy Shum by
the Chinese members of the Commits
sion of Enquiry that sat at Linchow,
viz, Cheung Wan Kee prefect) Ting
Ping Lau (sub-prefect of A-chow
Tang Cheuk Thong (present project of
Linchow), and Shum Lun Shen( the
cashiered prefect of Linchow)
We have already reported to you our
arrival at Linchow and the aspects of
the case From Investigations we have
discovered that the origin of the Lin
Lhow massacre was through the cele-
bration of the Ta-chin festival at the
Chan-Loong temple by the people of
the Choi-Yuen-Pa village who mad
gathered there to propitiate the Gods
so as to obtain a good harvest DR..
~ ID Of 20
matshed erected for the festival was
encroaching on land belonging to the
mission and took away three small
cannon by way of retaliation. The viii
lage considered that portion of land as
the public property of the village They
state that without any provocation
whatever, Dr. Machle insulted the VIII
layers by taking away the Ta-chin can
mons. This act, according to the deep
ly religious people, meant bad luck for
them. The village people grew very
angry and demanded repeatedly from
DR.. Machle that the cannons should be
returned to them but this the DR.. re-
fused to do. The people then went TO
the hospital to search for the cannons
themselves and in so doinG came across
be infants murdered by Dr. Machle'
Then the peoples anger knew no
hounds and was impossiblee to sup
press. Cries came from ten thousdnu
mouths, and suddenly the matter ue-
welcomed into serious affair. troIh
careful and minute enquiries made we
are of opinion that the affair happened
all of a sudden and was not preihe-
ditated and there is, therefore, no TINS
leader in the affair The ignorant peo-
nile Of the village thought they were
justified in taking revenge CoIise
ouentlv they did not loot any OF the
buildings but burnt them down Inc
IGNORANT neople of the village having
Let loose their anger, this serious case
resulted. For the crimes committed
thev deserve capital punishment. but
tbev deserve on the other hand pity
and sympathy on account Of their ig-
norance Now Wen Taotai and your
humble servants have separated the
criminals and have questioned them
separately.
This case being an international at
fair we dare not be too lenient At the
same time we must take into consld-
Grafton that it is also matter with
reference to the feelings and behefs OF
the general public, and owing to this
we cannot be too severe with the Grim
inals.
During the last ten days your humble
servants have been considering over
this matter night and day and have
taken great pains to question and eX-
anime the criminals, and have called
on the virtuous gentry and respectable
witnesses to appear before us to tesu-
fy. The measure of the crimes COM
mitted by those concerned has peeh
clearly discovered and proven. Amongst
the criminals there were three, name
ly: Hung-Ah-shun, Tang-Koon-sze'
and Leong-Ah-kam, who confessed that
they threw a European into the river
and used weapons such as pitchforks
and spears with which they stabbed
them until they were drowned.
At that time the people that had col
lected together were like swarm OF
bees or a heap of ants. The people all
acted together and it was Impossible
to make out who struck the first, the
second, or the fatal blow that wound
ed or killed. 1t was very difficult TO
measure the crime and mete out pun
ishment in proportion as one would IN
an ordinary case. These three Grim
inals who were the principal actors
have confessed that they committed
the murders and it has been conclu-
sively proved that they did. We sent
your Excellency a telegram praying
that instructions may be sent so as to
cause them to be beheaded as a caution
to others, to deter them from commit
ting such dreadful deeds.
Tang-Lo-chat and Lo-Tak-Koon, two
elders Of the village, were members OF
the committee for the Ta-chin Wor-
shipping Festival Although they did
not encourage nor direct the people 10
commit the deeds, they did not at
49, a ,.nrtrnirn thn nnnn and allowed