Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-05-05
ON THE TRAIL OF THE
AMERICAN MISSIONARY

rience?" you enthusiastically inquire of
missionaries who had borne brilliant part
IN the siege at Picking mo. am not" de-
cloediy amrms young mother: when a
woman has had to consider, directly and
finally, while mob Of Chinese who would
torture and murder her and hers is bowling
Ior D DC only a few feet away, whether or
uves 10 save them from the unspeakable
vengeance of the Boxers, she has under
gone an experience which she would will
1ngly have foregone." 1t is said that per
sons are still dying, both among the Chinese
and the foreigners from the effects of the
Boxer troubles.
"A
The world has never learned either the
full extent of the horrors of the atrocities
perpetrated by the Boxers and the allied
soldiers (these last having vio,ated every
law of God and NAM or of the part played
by the missionaries in the siege of Picking.
On the former point consideration for the
FEELINGS of the families and friends of the
maTtyred missionaries has prevented full
recital OF the tndtgnities to which their
bodies We're subjected. If person were In
clined to brood over such subjects l should
think 1t would get on his nerves to recall
That the very men who slaughtered the mis-
sionaries and the Christians and Who de-
stroyed mission compounds SO completely
that not one brick was left standing upon
another, and all trace of the site of the
building obliterated, are still walking the
streets, and still of the same mind
The magnanimity and the courage of the
missionaries now working at the scene of
the Boxer troubles are beyond praise. They
show no resentment but only forgiveness
For the sake Of these murderers of their
friends the missionaries are giving their
lives. And they are unafraid, although they
are not blind to their danger. They know
full we'll that it is only the dread of the
merciless and all-devaStating foreign troops
which keeps the Chinese from falling upon
them again. At Paoting-fu we were enter
tanned at the Presbyterian compound, and
Miss Gowans, a quiet, sweet-faced serene
eyed little woman from Canada, gave up
her own room to us. Something was said
about the attractively simple white furni-
ture. 1T Is all made from packing cases
and boxes" came the quiet rejoinder. You
know l lost everything in the troubles, and
/ did not think 1t would be right consider
Ing the possibility of a similar experience.
was the only allusion made by Miss Cow
ans to the presence of danger, and she itin-
crates freely out in the country; yet she
lives, unruft1ed in spirit, in the constant
presence of the realized possibility of fol-
lowing her friends to martyrdom.
f.
Having said SO much concerning the
Boxer days 1t is necessary to say more
Most of the missionaries, in the siege and
out of it, acted heroically: but they are not
Dragging about their conduct. They have
even kept to themselves the facts concern
ing certain eminent officials mot Ameri-
cans, be it said who figure largely in the
public records of the siege, but whose in
efficiency during those testing days was
only equaled by their cupidity afterward,
when they earned for themselves the repu-
tation of being the prize looters Of Picking.
A word as to the conditions at that time
Absolute chaos reigned. All the foreign
ers, except those in the legations which sur
vived the siege, were homeless and without
worldly possessions, as were also the native
Christians. The Chinese were fleeing,
panic-str1cken, for their lives. Soldiers and
Just for fun" Shops and houses were
abandoned So terrified were the natives
that they would surrender anything on de-
mand. A Chinese on horseback passed
along on the street holding aloft a placard
in English, such as the fear-smitten people
were afaxing to their houses, which read
Don't shoot! Very good people live in
this house." An Englishman, amused at
had got the horse. The latter simply got
down and ran in fright. leaving the horse
to his queHtioner. An army officer called
at the American legation one day during
this period and hitched his horse outside
Russian soldier promptly appropriated
the horse. The rights of private property
had been forgotten; people seemed to lose
themselves utterly. II could have looted
who participated in these scenes And
some missionaries did loot, to q greater
or lesser degree. One Independent mis-
sionary boosted in print of his looting
While this must be admitted, 1t Is only
fair to add that the great majority of mis-
sionaries were free from this stigma.
True, some, or all, Of the missions, in
their organized capacity, and acting under
the advice of the American minister did
enter abandoned shops and possess them
selves of supplies of food and clothing for
the native Christians, who had been left
homeless and penniless by the Boxers.
When the owners could be found am told,
payment was made for these supplies;
when not, collectable memorandum Of the
transaction was left. This passed under the
head Of 'looting;" SO did many of the pur-
chases made later by missionaries from
sidewalk merchants. Nearly everybody was
j looting and selling, Chinese as well as SOL
diers and camp followers. Rich people in
hiding were also selling their possessions
for what they would bring, in order to buy
food. So priceless treasures could be bought
on the street for song, and some mission
aries awaited themselves Of the opportunity.
Others accepted gifts from grateful Chinese
to whom they gave protection during those
days of danger. The possession Of these
mementos brought upon many missionaries
tho o,,cricjOn N having heen among fha