Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1920-08-05
IS CAPTIVE II
DAYS IN CHINA
Tells of His Experiences With the
Outlaw Gang.
SUFFERED AWFUL HARDSH|PS
or' Shelton, Medical Missionary, Sta
toned for II Years in China, Is Can.
tured by Chinese Bandits and Held
for Ransom-FinaIIy Escapes ard
1or 40 Days Underwent Most Teri.
BILE Travels-Tortured by Tumor.

Dr. A. l.. Shelton, medical m,s-
sonaW stationed for seventeen yeas
at Batang China on the Thibetan Dor.
DER arrived in New York recently
after undergoing surgical treatment
at the Mayo hospital, Rochester,
Mimi, made necessary by his suffer-
inGs while held captive for ransom ty
the bandit, Yang Tien Flu.
1--WE left Batang in November ard
| was bringing my wife and daugh-
ters to the coast on their way home"
said DIR. Shelton, telling his story Il
was going back to the interior. We
mad been coming toward the coa;t
for ~ days, when all of a sudden
bandits began firing at us from Il cliff.
soon hey swOoped dow n and took ev-
erything we had. including myself.
"They asked me to go up the road
and see their chief. Surprising he
merely wanted to talk to me. | Went.
they tried to take my wife and chill
dren, but soldiers came from the
town and saved them.
"The bandits kept me seventy-one
days. We are greatly indebted to
Father Bailly. II French Catholic mis-
sonary. who has lived in Ymnan
thirty years, and who took Mrs. Shell
ton and the girls TO Yunnanfu while
was carried off through the country,
constantly on the move. until | esq
capped.
Ransom Demanded.
"The bandits wanted to get tho
governor Of the province into trouble.
There were grudges and political rea-
sons. They knew was coming
through and waited for me- They
demanded $4,000 worth of arms and
ammunition in exchange for me, but
I talked the chief, Yang Tien Flu OUT
of this, saying l would not he ran.
somed. because II would get every
missionary In the district into dan.
ger. Then he demanded n blanket
pardon for himself and 500 followers
was in favor of this, for in his
band were many good fellows who
wanted to get back to civil life and
honesty. Everything was ready to ba
signed up on this plan when the gov.
ernor tried to surround them in thu
night to put them to death. This way
in the first month of our wanderings.
"They escaped with me, and fos
forty days thereafter, underwent the
most terrible travels, with soldiers
after us, sleeping out on the noun.
tains, forced marches, and all the tins
undergoing torture from tumor tina.
began growing on my neck. At tho
end of the second month I was s.,
weak that rolled off my mule unless
tied and held on. Then they carries
me another five days on two poles; nj
the end of which I was so nearly deaA
they left me In an old hay barn with
four guards and instructions that II (
died my body was TO be secreted. II
| got better, they We're to be notified
and would come back after me.
"For five days I lay in hole In the
rice straw and rested. Then came X
report that soldiers were coming, and
the whole village fed except an ola
man who brought me rice.
His Escape.
"The soldiers did not come, but a
small official went through and in tie
excitement l got out of the barn ard
made my way to the nearest Christian
village. where I got small pony. and
the church elders held me on him for
twenty hours until, the middle of the
next afternoon, l reached place
where there was a magistrate and SOL
diers.
"Three days later, with an escort.
I was met by DR.. e. p. Osgood or
Chuchow sent by our mission, and
]. p. Thornton Of the Standard OH
company, who had been appointed
special representative of the United
States to negotiate with the bandits
for my release
DR.. Shelton was operated on at the
French hospital at Yunnanfu, united
with his family and sent to America