Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1910-04-23
CHINESE DESTROY
ALL THE MISSIONS
Foreigners Houses in Chang-Sha,
China, Are Looted.
BARELY ESCAPE WITH LIVES

THE Section . Strong Antfcreign
Province-oniy the British Consul
ate Escapes Destruction - The
.Hordes of Rioters Numbered $4,000
Chinese Governor of the Province
and Son Killed.
Chang4Sha. China. April 1S.-All the
foreignow-ned buildings in Chang-Sha
have been destroyed by fire, with the
exception of the British Consulate.
All the buildings rented by foreigners
have been looted. The Chinese Of
fcials on Thursday issued a procla-
mation that they were unable TO pro-
tect the lives and property of foreign
ers, and therupon all foreigners made
haste to leave the city. So far as is
known, no foreign resident lost his
life.
The governor of Ho Nan Province,
Won Ching-Siu, and his son were kill
ed and several other government Of
fcials fed. Even yet a section of the
city is in flames. Six thousand foreign
drilled soldiers are stationed here,
and a few of these protected the gov
ernor's house for a time, but soon all
Joined the rioters. The riots began
on April 13, when the famine sufferers
looted the rice shops. A captain of
police was wounded while trying to
restore order. but thousands crowded
aroun him and his assistants and he
was Obliged 20 fee to the Yamen. The
rioters followed him there and besieg-
ed the place all night.
Anti5F oreign War.
The following day the disturbance
became anti-foreign, this being a
strong a%nti-foreign province. The
China inland mission and the Norweg-
ian and Catholic missions were burn
ed. The other missions were burned
on April IS. The missionaries attach
ed 10 the American Episcopalisn Mis-
sionary Alliance, the United Eyangel-
ical Church and the Wesleyan and
Yale Missions, numbering Al in all,
took refuge in boats. They lost all
their effects.
The destruction of all foreign prop
erty, including the Japanese consul.
ate and the British warehouses, follow
ed. The fate of the Standard Oil
Company's new tanks is unknown
The British consul detained two
steamers for the refugees, who in
clude 20 japanese. Owing, however
to the shortage of provisions and the
hopelessness of the situation it was
decided to start for Hankow.
Rioters Number 1900.
The officials buildings were de
stroyed the same day, the troops join
ing the rioters, who numbered not
less than $4,000.
Eight Germans attached to the Lie
benzol Mission were in Chang Sha
when the trouble began. They fec
from the city and it is reported that
three of them while proceeding tC
Hankow in a junk without lights were
run down by the British gunboat This
tie and drowned,
Another report states that the mer
drowned were Americans, but there is
no confirmation of this.
The chief cause of the rioting was
the scarcity and high price Of rice
For a long time past there has beer
Al anti-foreign propaganda carried on
and conditions were such that any op
portunity that arose from whatevel
cause supplied the excuse for demo
s,rating the an~ti-foreign sentiment il
a graphic manner According to one
report, the governor of Human com
mitted suicide after notifying the Chi
nese government that he was respon
sible for the trouble. The latest ad
wees regarding the situation through
out he district are far from encourag
ing.