Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1919-1980, 1920-05-03

travel through there. It took a great
amount of argument to make them
understand that l would die before /
would sign any demand paper or per-
nit efforts to secure ransom money
for my release.
FINALLY becoming convinced that
they were wasting time on this point,
they changed their demands, sending
word to the governor of Yunnan prov
ince that they would release me pro-
vided that they were pardoned for
all past offenses. (This included any
and all crimes they had committed
during their three years of outlawry.)
Robbers Eyade Strategy
"The province executive agreed to
this and negotiations were nearly
completed when he decided that he
could capture the band. Secretly he
took steps to do this, but the robbers
received word of the move against
them by the authorities and fled,
taking me with them.
: "For nearly three months they wan
dered about through the Tibetan
wilds, successfully evading the gov
ernment forces, although the soldiers
were after them all the time and
making every effort to round them
up in country where the advant-
ages were all with the bandits
1--WE were kept on the move day
and night and in February l became
so i'll that it was impossible for me
to ride the mule on which had been
mounted. They rugged up a pole drag
and carried in this fashion for six days
more, despite the fact that l was in
a serious condition. At the end of the
sixth day they decided that l was 60
ing to die and they halted at a small
hamlet where they concealed me in
the loft Of a wretched barn. This loft
was full of rice straw and l was TAX
en- there at 8 o'clock in the morning
and was left there for five days while
four of the robbers guarded the place
and permitted none Of the villagers to
see me.
Help Arrives
"This five days of rest was my sal
vation, for on the sixth morning l
was somewhat improved. One man
was sent to telr the chieften of the
band that was able to travel and to
come and get me. On the afternoon
of this day, only an old man was left
to take care OF me. the remaining two
guards going off somewhere. Late in
the day this old man came to me, cry
ing that the soldiers were coming.
sThis was untrue insomuch as the
small detachment of troops that had
arrived was not in search Of this par
ticular band but were investigating
the Iooting of Chinese mission sta
tion. However. this rumor frightened
away all the bandits and their VII
lager friends. succeeded in attract
ing the attention of the soldiers, VINO
me and took me from my
enforced hiding place.
"As the bandits had taken all the
horses in that district, the subordi-
nate officer in charge of the small
force had difficulty in getting me out
of that country. l was helped from
village to village, however. and final
~ reached Magai. where a magis-
trate and q number Of soldiers were
stationed. From here | telegraphed
nv wife of. my SAFETY. Upon learning
of my escape. the governor Of Yum
nan sent 200 soldiers to escort me to
Yunnan Flu
In China Since 1908
Mr.. Shelton was sent to China In
1908 By the Christian church foreign
missions s6clety of North America.
AS a medical missionary, he built
several hospitals.
His work on the Tibetan border
has Given hi man international repu- ,
fconffnned on page eight