The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1914-01-08
MISSIONARIES IN
DEATHS SHADOW
Hid Under Straw Pile and Heard
Plans For Their Execution.
ESCAPED CHINESE BANDITS.
Concealed In tho Same House With
Robbers Of tho white Wolf" Band.
Suffered Tortures of Mind and Body.
Kept Alive by Ministrations of a
Friendly Native.

4 Kept Alive by Ministrations of
4 Friendly Native.
The exciting experiences of tw,
a missionaries who d couple of month";
( ago were prisoners In the hands of tn,
| white Wolf" and his 1000 brigandi
In northern Hupeh. China. have JUS
! been described in Picking by the Rev
! II. S. 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-
IRENE 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 lay
In hiding within a 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 49," said the Rev. Mr. Fauske
They were dressed in silks and sat
ins and had silk girdles hanging al
most to the ground. Each carried a
rifle and revolver. About five or six
| men pointed their rifles at myself and
Mr.. Holm and demanded silver money.
our other valuables and that we give
them our guns or revolvers Mr.. Holm
had no weapons. and | had only one
revolver. which ! gave up.
atrrbap tbay fool, NJ.
and went away with him Later ff-
teen or twenty more bandits appear
ed, demanding silver and. because we
did not have any. took me prisoner.
"On 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
movables 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
IN old vacant Chinese house
I'VE 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
for us. They pulled the straw about
jumped on top of it and ran their
'ayonets through it time and again.
For days and nights we were with
out water and food. We hardly slept
'or eleven days and nights. for the I
'obbers were all that time In the same
louise. most of the time in an adjoin-
ng room.
They were smoking opium. and we |
frequently heard them say that when Z
hey caught us they would kill u.s.
The only time we could move a mus 8
lie was when pig moved about, 8
ustling the straw In which we were 2
idden, or when the rats scampered Q
hrough It. We were almost choked
Nth the dust in the straw and suffer
d from the burning in our threats.
oses and eyes. chewed on my hand
erchief for half a day in an attempt
} moisten my mouth.
Risked Lie 20 Stake Thirst.
when | could stand ir no longer | =,
-awled out OF the straw in the night a
nd CROPPED about until | found about m
cupful OF water. which | drank with F
lgerness 1t was dirty water left in la
washtub. but it revived me. 81
THAT morning the owner of the u
)use. Mr. Wang. who was treated vi
a slave by the robbers. came in TO
de clothing In the straw where we
ere concealed We spoke TO him.
I'd he was startled at finding us there.
e promised not to tell where we were
ID gave us water to drink and some
Id rice to eat Each day after that
e got from him little rice and wa 1
:. enough 10 keep us alive.
The last day but one that we were to
the str;fs Wang found out and told Oh;
that our families We're in the va "a
N where the robbers had made their AZ
ldquarters ~,
Professor Christian Stokstad and t;r
johnson came to Tsaoyang on Oct. ca,
and on order of Vice President Ii 25,
an Heng took command Of the Blu
ops If they had not arrived the Lo
' would nave heen burned and we
would have persisted.
The nights eff Oct. 4. 3 and the my
bers tried to escape from the city ~ ~
pass the troops. but We're driven
* Oct. they managed to get by
Nangyangfu troops VIII
About 400 OF the robbers were killed
Tsaoyang They murdered no less aw
n 1000 people in the city Tai
We left the next day for Faucheng ano
b an escort OF troops and rejoined Do
families" for
B.