The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1918-08-02
GOPHER STATE LADIES
CAPT|VES OF Chinese
Thrilling Experiences Related
By the Two Women
WAS MIRACLE
Power of God Is Shown, Miss
Schmidt and Mrs. Dixon
Write

II St
Captured by Chinese robbers, held
captive, and finally released un-
harmed through the power of what
they considered miracle of God, was
1.-THE fate of Miss C. Ada Schmidt,
| formerly of Minnesota, and Mrs. S.
M. Dixon, who are engaged in mis-
sionary laDors in China. In letter
to Dr. c. H. Nerbovig of this city
| Miss Schmidt encloses an account of
her thrilling experiences.
"Here in China it is very restless
at present" she wrote, from Tsao
Hsien, Robbers are having full sway,
| it seems; as the soldiers have gone
south. The weather here now. April
| %, is warm, and it will soon be hot
again. l am glad for the poor peo-
| rles' sake that the harvest is COM
| ing There are so many of them,
and they are SO restless all over the
country, and have simply nothing to
eat, so they go to stealing. Oh, it is
terrible. We are all praying for
mighty revival all over, and may God
send it soon"t
On April Miss Schmidt and Mrs
Dixon were travelling out of Tang
shan in typical Chinese wagon, on
their way to neighboring village. 1t
was about four o'clock in the after
| noon. and a warm. sunshiny day.
Two robbers suddenly appeared in
the road ahead of them, and with
revolvers pointed at the party order
ed the driver to stop, which he did
at once. In quite the same manner
as the old time bandits of the west,
the robbers roughly demanded
money. The missionaries gave them
ali the money they had. which
amounted to about S. 90! Then the
robbers searched the suit cases, hand
bags and the wagon. When they
were through searching they asked
the women for their watches, but
Mrs Dixon had in the meantime slip
ped her watch IT her shoe top, and
it was not discovered. The robbers
cid not search the pockets of the
women, but robbed the suit cases,
stole the steamer rug from the seat
of tho wagon, and also took q COM
forter and a towel Then they stole
good mule, which belonged to the
brother of the missionaries, and which
was hitched to the back of the wa
gon.
Frightened and Trembling.
Frightened and trembling the two
women awaited the next move of the
robbers. They found that they were
not to be released. Their captors
took them back to the village through
which they had just passed, and hired
two barrows and men to wheel them.
One robber mounted the stolen mule,
and rode through the country and
gathered together band of Chinese
thighwaymen, and they all returned
to the village about dusk, and the vii
layers had to get tea, bread and soup
for them. They offered the captured
women something to eat but they re-
fused, saying they were not hungry.
After their meal the robber band
aid the captive women moved or
through river beds and over hills uu-
TIL they came near a village The
wheel barrow men who were, wheel
ing the women were then discharged
and sent back to their own village,
as the robbers did not want them to
III.
With all the precautions of first
class Williams the robbers wended
their way through puzzling streets in
order that they could not be tracked,
and finally came to dark, mysteri-
Gus looking Chinese house, where they
hid their captives. Food was brought
and Miss Schmidt and her sister
tried to eat. while a number of Chin
csc came in and looked at them, as
though they were curiosities. At last
the robbers left one man on guard,
and went away.
I'VE will not harm you. Lie down
and Sleep" said the guard rather
kindly, and tired out after their har-
rowing experiences Of the day the
two missionaries obeyed, lying down
with all their wraps on as the night
was cool and they had only one COM
forter.
All the next day, which was Sat-
Crday, the women were detained in
the house. and about ten o'clock that
evening they were moved again. AS
the men stated they could get but
enc wheel barrow Mrs. Dixon walk
| ed a large share of the way to the
| hOAI FIllciSc AZ OU6 NSeCCl0m6nC
through which they passed they met
one of the robbers who had captured
| the two women, and The men smoked
while the party rested awhile before
going on.
Arrived at Village. a
Sunday morning, about two O'Clock.
the party arrived at a village. Paus-
ing outside the gate one of the rob-
bers called out.< ms
"Ta Ke. (elder brother), open the
gate!"
The man refused, but the robber
threatened to shoot, so at last the
guard opened the gate and the rob-
J Der band and their captives passed
in, and made themselves at home.
They housed the women where they
could eat and sleep, but all day long
curious Chinese came in to look at
them, and referred to them as "for-
eign devils" remarking of their
strange appearance. Relying for So
lace on their religion the missionar-
les prayed to God for deliverance.
| An old woman, who was mistress
OF the house where they were de-
tanned comforted them by saying that
| the robbers would not harm them
and that they were more afraid than
their captives were. She said that
the villagers would return the wom
en- to their homes but they had to do