Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-06-18
AMER ICANS ROBBED AND SLAIN
AT HANDS OF CHINESE BANDITS
Survivors Forced to Garry Baby Body in
Suitcase After Robbers Kill Her
and Father, Nurse Writes.

fast and seemed so near that we were
too scared to walk, but we were forced
to go on, up hill and down for dis
lance of five miles without once stop
ping. All this while the soldiers were
pursuing us.
when the robbers saw we were
so exhausted we simply couldn't go
on any farther. they placed man on
either side of Mrs. Slichter and myself
to drag us along, and John Slichter
was carried on the back of a coolie.
zone time. when jumping down
little embankment. my ankle turned
and then they put me on mule. On
and on we went for another five miles.
and when it was quite dark we came
to a little deserted village where we
spent the night. But the night was
filled with but little less terror than
the day had been. But God was faith
full and mindful of us. bringing us
safely to the dawn of a new day.
1--WE had no bedding that night,
and the little room we were in was
without ventilation of any kind. We
could have stood that for q night If
the robbers in the next room hadn't
kept a wood fire burning all night.
which filled our tiny quarters with
smoke so thick we could hardly
breathe, and we had to keep going
out into the night to get relief.
"Weak and weary from lack of food,
sleep and the exhaustion of the terri
BILE flight Of the afternoon, our only
refuge was with the Lord in prayer
This brought us much consolation and
peace, and lying down on some boards
we managed to sleep for few min
utes at time.
Ransom Demanded.
During one of the maps I heard
as plainly as could be voice saying,
Our God is able to deliver thee Over
and over again this was repeated, and
when I awakened it kept repeating
itself, and I was led to reply, Yes.
Lord, not only able but willing, and /
believe Thou wilt
Next morning at daylight every
one was called up and l was given a
letter by the head robber and told 1
was to go to meet the soldiers and
talk with them about ransom. This
meant that I was being released, but
Irene and John were to be kept until
a ransom was paid.
About o'clock, when it was just
gray light, the robber band, with
Irene and John, rode off deeper into
the mountains and left me behind
with two coolies. l was free. I could
hardly realize 1t and my heart was
aching for the two still kept. How
ever, God gave me confidence and
faith to trust for their deliverance,
too.
1.-THE robbers had said that If the
soldiers came upon them and fought
again they would kill Irene and John,
so, realizing this and the awfulness
of it, felt it my first duty to find the
soldiers and plead with them not to
fight.
Soldiers Were Kind.
1.-THE coolies managed to get seat
arranged for me of tree branches, and
carried me back to the place whence
we had fled the day before. Here 1
found the soldiers. There were three
officers in charge Of them. They were
most kind and sympathetic and prom
ised not to fight any more, but to do
all they could to secure the release
Of Irene and John.
ut seems that this robber band, of
whom there were several hundred in
the party that attacked us, had been
in the army, and being accused of be-
ing robbers instead Of protectors of
the people, they deserted and became
robbers. This is their story. How true
it is we do not know.
Anyway, one Of the things they are
demanding is to be taken back into
the army and reinstated in the good
graces of the government. How much
money they are asking / don't know
Nothing has been heard from the sol
diers since l left Saturday, SO today
another delegation has been sent to
the rescue. pray as they go that
COD VIII give them success and bring
irene nc hnr IN fnfr
Cites Awful Treatment.
II cannot tell you all of the terrible
SUFFERING from suspense of those seven
days l was with these robbers. The
Wlckedness and vileness of the meni
The squalor in which we were forced
to live! We never undressed all that
time. because we had no change of
clothes and because we never knew
when the men would order us off
somewhere.
1.-THE food, which usually was dry
rice and a bowl of rough pork or
chicken, we managed to choke down.
rms was brought to us twice a day.
We got hold of a little kettle and kept
ourselves supplied with boiled water.
A box of dried bread and some ginger
snaps helped to keep us from starva:.
tlon. These some of the kinder
hearted among the robbers returned
TO US with tin of condensed milk.
The things the poor native people
are suffering at the hands of these
marauders is most pitiful. They
travel in such large mobs that thew
can go into a village and take full
possession of it and the people are
terrorized into helplessness. They
XIII chickens and pigs, steal the honey
ana rice and lay hands on every other
eatable thing. Added to this is the
destruction of the buildings and
dwellings as they go tearing down or
Juggling up In search of hidden money
or opium.
am now most comfortable here
IN the nome of the magistrate of the
CITY. Ihey are very kind to me and
are doing all they can to secure the
h OF Irene and John. I'll stay
mere until they come, so we can take
the rest of the journey together. We
are still four days from Yunnanfu,
III pennlless and possessionless.
All had is gone but the clothes T
nave on and three nurses uniforms
out they took all the pearl buttons of
these' SO can't use them. NV glasses
ana my gray coat had been taken. but
because was cold my pleadings were
LOST.
BAG. black: on Nebraska ave Friday njc67