Milford chronicle., 1911-11-24
MASSACRE BY
CHINESE REBELS
Many Children Among the Dead
at Sian-FG
CITY OF TAl-YUEN IN RUINS

Foreigners and Manehus Among Those
Slaughtered In the Province Of
Shen-si.
Chinese officials in Pekin confirm
the report that massacre of foreign
ers, as well as Manchus, has occurred
at Sian-F'u. The legations believe that
the report will prove to be true.
Tai-Yuen, the capital of the prov
ince of Shan-Si, is in ruins, but the
missions are safe. Shan-Si is the prov
ince adjoining Shen-Si.
There were forty foreigners in Sian
Flu and many missionaries in the
smaller Shen-Si towns. Up to the pres
ent only Chinese reports have been re-
ceived regarding the massacre. There
has been no telegraphic or postal
communication with Sian-Fu for more
than three weeks.
The Swedish missionaries, Messrs.
Sandberg and Erickson, arrived in Pc
kin from Tien Tsin. They said that a
telegram had been received from Sian
Flu before their departure from South
ern Shen-Si announcing the murder OF
Mrs. Beckman, a school teacher, and
five children. Many Chinese girls in
Miss Beckingsdale's school, who were
mistaken for Manchus because Of their
big feet, were also reported to have
been murdered. A German, Phillip
Manners. was among others killed.
Messrs. Sandberg and Erickson say
that a magistrate in their town offered
them S4O0 each TO leave the province.
Shen-Si probably is the most anti-for-
eign province in China proper, not
having received a lesson at the hands
of the foreign troops in 1900.
Mrs. Beckman probably was the
wife of r. Beckman, of the Scandina-
vian China Alliance Mission at Sian
Flu. Miss j. Beckingsdale belonged to
the English Baptist mission. Philip
Manners was a German connected
with the Chinese hospital service.
At Sian-Fu, which is a city OF nearly
a million inhabitants. the English
Baptists have two stations, with six
men and seven women missionaries.
Also there is in the city the Society
of the Brethren, an English organiza-
ton. with two men and three women
missionaries.
The Young Mems Christian associa
ton is the only American institution
which has workers in the local field Of
Sian-Fu.
Highwaymen in HoNan attacked
and robbed a party of fugitive mis-
sionaries, injuring one of them. No
where else apparently have foreigners
been attacked, the rebels elsewhere
giving them protection, but it is fear
ed that lawlessness must increase. The
Pekin government is pOwerless beyond
Ho-Nan and Chilli
The legations have taken no action
as yet, but they have the reported
killing of foreigners under consider
alton. Without a strong invading force,
however. nothing can be accomplish
ed beyond the reach of the Yang-Tse
gunboats.
Most of the legations advised their
people in the interior to escape three
weeks ago Many disobeyed, believing
they were in no danger. Some of the
women and children were sent to the
coast.
Advices from Chun-King say that
the consuls long ago advised the de
parture Of foreigners, and that more
than a hundred left Chun-King. Many
remained, but not a single foreigner
up to the time the advices were dis
patched had been killed in the prov
ince of Sze-C -Chuen.
The disagreement between the ma
tional assembly and Premier Yuan
Shi Kai is becoming stronger. The
premier has not vet visited the as
sembly, and his loyalty and belief in
the ultimate success OF the monarchy
is now considered undoubted. He
seems to believe that he is responsible
to the throne alone.