The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-04-05
CHINESE REGARD
IRELAND AS A
FRIENDLY NATION
Irish Priests Unframed
By Peasants

two Irish priests, Frs. P. O'Connell
and +. Mcdonald of st. Columbans
Mission, Hanyang, who were last
week mishandled by local peasants
union near Kien Kiang, West Nupeh,
yesterday made a public statement
concerning their adventure. They
had arrived in Hanyang Sunday
night, safe and well.
Their signed statement indicates
that the published reports concerning
their treatment at the hands of the
people in the KEN Kiang district had
been grossly exaggerated. The fol-
lowing is their signed report of the
occurrences:
THE first report circulated about
our capture did not come from US
and contains several exaggerations
regarding the treatment meted out to
US. Our clothes and boots were not
taken off. Neither were we stabbed;
nor were we tied to poles nor to a
tree.
Ireland Considered Friendly.
The following are the facts: A
branch Of the Nung Men Hsieh Huei
peasants Union) from a place about
five miles away came to our Church
at Ko CHA Tsui armed with pixies,
swords and a few old guns. | went
out to meet them. The leaders as
serted that there were eight English
priests at the Church and some guns.
l assured them that there were only
two of us-Irish priests quite I'M
armed. The leader then stated that
since we belonged to a friendly nation
they would not harm us, but that we
should have to cease preaching
Christianity. He then produced a
crucifix, taken that day from a Cath
Ollie house, and pointing to it said l
should have to remove the cross from
the Church and give it to him and
surrender both church and house to
them.
Rushed The Church.
! refused all these demands. The
crowds tower which the leaders had
only nominal controD seized me and
bound my wrists tightly. The crowd
then rushed into the Church and res
idence, broke the Church windows
and removed some religious articles
from the buildings. Entering the
residence they met my confrere,
Father McDnald, who had a white
metal crucifix in his hand. They
broke the crucifix in his hand, then
seizing him, they marched him out
side the gate, bound his wrists and
tied him to me. The leader then
came over and whispered to us 'Pu
Yao Chin mot serious).
Prisoners Unbound.
1--WE were then marched to the
headquarters of local branch of the
Huei. At their meeting place, the
leaders on being assured that we had
no firearms and that we were Irish,
unbound our hands and induced the
crowd to leave. They returned to us
some of the articles taken from our
persons, including my pocket-book
containing twenty dollars. They gave
US food and a bed and said they
would set US free in the morning.
Next day they held further meet
ing in which they decided to take US
to the PROVINCIAL Magistrate at Tien
Men. A body of about twenty men
took us there.
arrived at Tien Men, the Provin-
eial Magistrate received us well. We
were provided with food and bed
and told we would be liberated and
escorted back to our Church by an
other route. The following day un-
der an escort of four soldiers, we
reached 70 CHA Ko where we learned
that when our captors had taken us
away from 10 CHA Tsui, a local
crowd had entered the church and
house and had left nothing but the
bare walls Subsequently we set out
for the Mission Headquarters at Han
Yang, where we are safe and well.
"Signed:
REV. P. O'Donnell,
"Rev. F. Mcdonald"