Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-06-18
Special Dispatch to The Star.

f11LADELPftIA, June ID lney
wanted to throw Ruth's body away.
saying she was only little girl and
didn't count for anything, but Mrs.
Slichter and I found one of Shelters
suit cases and put Ruth in that and
carried her ourselves into the village,
the robbers jeering all the while
at u.s."
The horror Of this experience at the
hands of Chinese bandits, the unbe-
lievable hardShips and barbarous cru
city to whic1 two American woman
missionaries were subjected, are re.
Elected in a letter just received from
one Of them, Miss Mary 1. Craig.
Miss Craig. a trained nurse and a
Presbyterian medical missionary, has
been stationed at the hospital mission.
airy station at Anshunfu, Knei Chow,
800 miles in the interior of south.
west China, not far from Tibet. The
station is maintained by the China
Inland Mission.
When she was seized by the bandits
In April. Miss Craig, the Rev: Morris
Slichter and Mrs. Slichter and the
Shelters two children were going
overland from Anshunfu to Yunhanfu,
on their way to the coast. The rob
bers. from 200 to 300, attacked them
and their armed escort of 100 soldiers.
Father and Child Killed.
Mr.. Slichter and Ruth. his daughter
years old, were killed and Mrs
Slichter was shot in the arm. Mrs.
Silchter. Miss Craig and 5-year-old
John Slichter were carried off by the
bandits, but finally released.
Miss Craig's letter gives for the
first time a detailed account of the
horror of their experience. Miss
Craig is sister Of William e. Craig
managing editor of the Philadelphia
Evening Bulletin. The letter was
written to Miss Craig's sister, Mrs
Elizabeth G. Namely, Brookline. Pa
1t follows:
"Shihtsung, Yunnan Province,
China,
Monday, April IS, 1927.
Dear Elizabeth: Since 1 last wrote
you we've passed through an awful
experience.
About two days after writing you
from Lo Pin Uopinchow) we started
on our journey again, escorted by
about 100 soldiers, because that stage
OF the way led through district
where robber bands were in control
To be accurate, we left Lo Pin on Fri
day morning, April 8, and on Satur.
1T was about 2 o'clock, l guess
They came upon us from behind in a
very lonely place and began shooting.
Our coolies got frightened, of course,
and dropped our baggage and chairs
and ran. We got out and ran, too,
and crouched down in a rice field be.
hind a bank to save ourselves from
the flying bullets.
"EFor a while the Shelters and /
were separated, but I crawled around
on my hands and knees until I found
them. 1 had just succeeded in reach
ing them when some of the robbers
came upon us, and we pleaded with
them not to harm us, saying they
could have all our things.
Slain i'm Mothers Arms.
"But they paid no attention to our
pleading, and two Of them murdered
Mr.. Slichter and dear little Ruth. Mr..
Slichter was pierced through the heart
with a sword and Ruth was shot
through the head.
1.-THE bullet came out of her ear and
entered Mrs. Shelters wrist as she
was holding Ruth in her arms. l
can't describe to you the awfulness of
the scene.
II was trying to comfort John
Slichter, so didn't see Mr.. Slichter
attacked. When I turned and saw
him lying on the ground I thought he
had tainted, as he has had a bad heart
for years. So I tried to resuscitate
him. but found he was already dead.
and on investigation discovered the
wounds in his back. He must have
died instantly.
Ruth lived, although unconscious.
for about one-half hour. judge. Aft
err the robbers had killed Mr.. Slichter
and Ruth, they raced on after the
soldiers and killed about 80 of them.
Coming back, they took Mrs. Slichter,
John and me captive, and smashed
open all our boxes, taking or destroy
ing everything we possessed. One of
them snatched my hat and eyeglasses
and sweater off, and I've been without
them ever since.
Carried Body i'm Suitcase.
1--WE had to plead and plead with
them to have the bodies Of Mr..
Slichter and Ruth brought to the viii
lage where they had taken us. They
wanted to throw Ruth's body away,
saying she was only a little girl and
didn't count for anything, but Mrs.
Slichter and I found one Of the
Shelters suitcases and put Ruth in
that and carried her ourselves into
the village, the robbers all the while
jeering at us.
but God is always mindful of His
children and even in the midst Of this
angry, wicked mob, He softened the
hearts of few of the robbers to be
kind to us. These brought us a box
Of dry bread from our food basket and
q tin Of condensed milk that we might
have something to eat, and they tried
to comfort us and told us not to be
afraid, and we would be released soon.
or course, this was small comfort, but
1t did help some.
1--WE were put into small, dirty
room, one-half of which was a stable
with big water buffalo wallowing in
it's filth. We managed to get little
warm water in a dirty tub and set
about washing the blood from Ruth's
head and face. We changed her
clothes and put her in an empty
steamer trunk, wishing to take her
this way to Yunnanfu for burial.
"This done, we began to plead for
Mr.. Shelters body. But 1t was not
until the next morning that we saw
it. He had been put into an empty
stable, all his clothes having been
stolen, and even one or two gold
crowned teeth wrenched out. 1t was
awful to see him lying there naked
and with great big ants crawling all
over him.
Clothes i'm Coffin Stolen.
1--WE got him washed and could only
mt a s,Iit of M ianas on him as rigOr