The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1914-02-20
MISSIONARIES IN
DEATHS SHADOW
Hid Under Straw Pile and Heard
Plans For Their Execution.
ESCAPED CHINESE BANDITS.

nSSSOsO W ktt0 vUtk0 "VO Sossos
Suffered Torturss Of Mind and Body.
Kept Alive by Ministrations Of
Friendly Native.
The exciting experiences OF two
missionaries who couple Of months
ago were prisoners in the hands Of the
white Wolf" and his 1000 brigands
In northern Hupeh. China. have just
been described in Peking by the Rev.
III. 8. Fauske, a Norwegian and mem.
Der Of the Lutheran Brethren mission
He and his American companion. the
Rev. George Holm. suffered great pri-
walton and often were exposed to ex-
treme danger. For days they were
separated from their families. with no
knowledge Of the safety OF their wives
and children and suffering the pangs
Of hunger and thirst, and as they tay
in hiding within few feet of group
OF bandits they heard their death plan
ned in case they were found.
"The robbers broke into our mission
compound early on the morning OF
Sept. &C." said the Rev Mr. Fauske
They were dressed In silks and sat.
ms and had silk girdles hanging al
most to the ground. Each carried
rifle and revolver. About five or six
Mr.. Holm and demanded silver money.
our other valuables and that we give
them our guns On fevovers Mr. Holm
had no weapons. and | had only one
revolver. which gave up
Then they took Mr. Holm captive
md went away with him Later IF
teen or twenty more bandits appear.
ed. demanding silver and because we
did not have any. took me prisoner
ION the 9th the robbers allowed me
TO go back to the mission station to Sc
cure food for my wife and children
but upon arrival | could find no trace
Of my family did. however. meet
Holm. who also had secured permits
sion to look after his family
Everything in the mission had been
destroyed, and all food. clothing and
movabes had been stolen
"Mr. Holm and | went into the
streets to try to find our families. but
our search was fruitless
Hid Under Pile of Straw.
AT this time the Chinese troops,
which had arrived at Tsaoyang. start
ed to attack the robbers by firing from
outside the city walls The shots whis
tied through the streets in which
we were. scattering up against the
buildings This alarmed the robbers
who started for another part Of the
city We took advantage of the oppor
tunity to make our escape and fed to
an old vacant Chinese house
1--WE ran into side room and hid
ourselves In pile Of old wheat straw
No sooner were we concealed than the
robbers came and began their search
jumped on top OF ii and ran their
bayonets through 1t time and again.
For days and nights we were with
out water and food. We hardly slept
for eleven days and nights. for the
robbers were all that time in the same
ing 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 when pig moved about,
rustling the straw I'm which we were
hidden, or when the rats scampered
through Ii. We were almost choked
with the dust in the straw and suffer
ed from the burning in our throats.
noses and eyes. | chewed on my hand.
kerchief for half Il day in nm attempt
to moisten my mouth.
Rsked Life to Stake Thirst.
when ! could stand 1t no longer
| crawled out OF the. straw in the night
and CROPPED about until found about
a cupfu OF water. which | drank with
eagerness. 1t was dirty water left in
| washtub. but ii revived me.
THAT morning the owner OF the
| house. II Mr.. Wang, who was treated
| as slave by the robbers, came In to
| hide clothing In the straw where we
/ were fUll'tuNu. we SIoht W
| 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 Each day after that
we got from him little rice and wa
ter. enough to- keep us alive.
The last day but one that we were
In the straw Wang found out and told
US that our fa9lilies were In the va
men where the robbers had made theil
Headquarters
Professor Christian Stokstad and
DR.. johnson came to Tsaoyang on Oct
| 3, and on order Of Vice President L
Yuan Heng took command of the
troops If they had not arrived the
city would have been burned and we
All would have persisted
1.-THE nights of Oct. 4. 3 and q the
robbers tried to escape from the city
and pass the troops. but were driver
back Oct. they managed to get by
the Nangyangfu troops.
about 400 Of the robbers were KILLED
In Tsaoyane They murdered no lesi
than 1900 people In the city.
1--WE left the next day for Fanchent
with an escort Of troors and rejoinet
1 s,r fa r,fIioS