The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1913-11-29

bers. who Immediately started for n
other part OF the city. We took .ad-
vantage Of the opportunity to make
our escape, and fed to an old Chinese
house which at that moment was
vacant.
I'VE ran into the side room and hid
ourselves in a pile OF old wheat straw.
No sooner were we concealed than
the robbers came and began their
about, jumped or top Of it and ran
their bayonets through 1t time and
again. The bayonets just missed my
legs.
For four days the robbers lived in
the same house, in a room opposite to
us. For three days and nights we
were without water and food. We
hardly slept for eleven days and
nights, for the robbers were all that
time in the same house, most Of the
time in the adjoining room.
"They were smoking opium and we
frequently heard them say that when
they caught US they would kill us.
The only time we could move a mus
Gle was hen a pig moved about,
rustling the straw in which we were
hidden, or when the rats scampered
through it. We were almost choked
with the dust in the straw, and suf-
fered from the burning in our threats,
noses n eyes. l cheWed on my
handkerchief for half a day in an at
tempt to moisten my mouth. When
/ could stand 1t no longer I crawIed
out Of the straw in the night and
CROPPED about until I found about a
cup full Of water which l drank with
eagerness. 1t was dirty water left in
a washtub, but it revived me and
my heart began to work better.
That morning the owner Of the
house. a Mr.. Wang, who was treated
as a slave by the robbers, came in to
hide clothing in the straw where we
We're concealed. We spoke to him,
and he was startled at finding us
there, He promised not to tell where
we were, and gave us water to drink
and some cold rice to eat. He did
not get an opportunity to give us
more then, on account Of the presence
of the robbers, but each day after that
we got from him a little rice and
water, enough to keep US alive.
The last day but one that we were
in the straw Wang found out and
told us that our families were in the
Yamen. where the robbers had made
their headquarters. OF course we
were very anxious, for We did not
even then know whether they had
food or not, or whether they were
DelnS We'll treated, and no message
could be sent to them.
Prof. Christian Stokstad and DR..
Johnson came to Tsaoyang on Oct.
8, and on order Of Vice Pres. Lii Yuan
Heng, took command of the troops. II
they had not arrived the city would
have been burned and we all would
have persisted.
"The nights Of Oct. 4, s and 6 the
robbers tried to escape from the CITY
and pass the troops, but were driven
back. Oct 7, they managed to get by
the N~angyanfu troops, who did not
do their duty. =.
About 400 Of the robbers were kill
ed in Tsaoyang. They murdered no
less than 1000 people in the city.
"On the morning of Oct. Z, Wang
took Mt. Holm's card to his wife, who
had already returned from the Yamen
to the mission station, and as soon as
she answered we went back to the
station. The adviser to White Wolf
had assisted the women inasmuch as
he did not allow any of the robbers
to go into the Yamen and do them
harm. A native Of Tsaoyang, who
was in the Yamen, gave them food.
TT was impossible to remain at
the mission on account Of the stencil
rising from the dead bodies lying
round, 80 we left the next day for
Fancheng with an escort of troops.
We were all in q very weakened con-
dition and could hardly stand. Mr..
and Mrs. Holm and child and Miss
Sather, also an American, all of whom
are in a serious state of health from
the shock and terrible exposure, will
leave shortly for the United States"