The patriot. [volume] (Indiana, Pa.) 1914-1955, 1914-08-15

Religious Worker Writes of ES-
cape From Chinese Bandits.
DEMAND MADE FOR WOMEN.

House Occupied by His and Other
Families Searched, but All Foreign
Ladies Remained Hidden In a Closet.
Government Does Little TO Suppress.
the Robbers.
NJ. B. Birrel. who is a missionary In
China and whose family resides in
Washington. has sent friends and ac-
Quaintances there as we'll as the Wash
ington Star accounts appearing In the
Chinese newspapers which give. Mr..
Birrel says, IAN idea OF the dangers,
and privationS which so many are fac
Ing through the utter neglect of the
present rulers in Chind% The accounts
deal particularly with the recent ac-
tivities of White Wolf, the bandit.
Mr.. Birrel represents the Christian
Missionary alliance at Wuchang, in the
province Of Hupeh, China He says:
'The inclosed clipping from the Gen.
trail China Post Is of a letter from
Minchow from William Christie, one
! OF our missionaries. The rulers inA
China had tens of thousands OF k-cops
with which to food south China last
year. and are holding it under the heel
Of military ruLe, but they do not SEEM
to have the heart to put down the rob
bers who traverse province after prov
ince and ravage so cruelty. 1t should
be possible. at home. to stir up among
Chinese a feeling Of shame, which
seems to be about the only way OF
moving those at Peking to do any,.
thing"
Failed TO Protect City.
The clipping to which Mr.. Birrel al
ludes Is as follows:
Minchow, Kansu, May %.
The Lord has called upon us to take.
joyfully the spoiIings Of our goods.
White Wolf reached Minchow on
May 20. The officials attempted TO
protect the city. but failed. There was,
sharp fight on the city wall and near
the north gate for about fifteen min
utes. On the VOLTS side one was
killed and few on the Minchow side
After the retreat of the Minchow sol
diers the robbers came into the city
and began shooting down all kinds OF
people. They reached the yamen, but
the officials had made their escape.
Then they began the hunt for horses
They came to our place and | gave
them the two poorest. but they de-
manded the two best Band after band
came to our place asking for this and
that. | could only give them what
they asked for up till dark. Other
bands had come into our premises, but
Lad been able to reason with them
and keep them from wholesale plum
der
However. after dark two other bands
of very wicked men came TO our place
and demanded women They began to
search with two large lanterns and
got two native women. one a servant
and one the wife of an evangelist.
They searched the foreign house from
top to bottom for our ladies. but in the
infinite wisdom of God they were not
seen, having hidden in a closet in the
attic They were much chagrined and
threatened to shoot me dead several
times
After the last party left knew there
was DO time to lose as they would
soon return The city swarmed with
them-there must have been from TO-
600 to 20000-so. taking Hazel from
her bed, the ladies' Mrs. Christie, Mis-
ses Mackimon and Haupberg-and
left the house We each took a rug
for protection 1t was impossible TO
take anything else with us. We es-
capped over a wall and most fortunately
met with our two evangelists. They
said that the north gate was open. and
by it we made our escape and walked
toward the hills in the southwest.
Took Refuge In a Forest.
At cockcrow we reached a small
farmhouse. where our evangelist had
friend After a meal of barley -four
here. and after rest, proceeded and
came to a large village where there
was a forest In this we took refuge.
Hundreds had already done So That
afternoon some of the robbers came
to the village in search of horses. We
could hear their voices and their shots.
Then they left and near sunset another
band came surrounded the woods and
fred shots into it from all sides. We
thought our end had come. for we lay
near the top of the wood. But it began
to get dark, and the shots to 90 farther
and farther away.
That night we left the wood under
the guidance of hunter who knew
every path. He led us during the
pitch dark night to a place Of safety
little hut in lonely valley.
Hearing that the last of the robbers
had left Minchow. we returned TO the ,
city footsere and weary. Our dwelling
house and ali our belongings. as well
as those of the two ladies. were burn
ed to ashes but the church and street
chapel were saved. also our servants
quarters and stables.