THE MASSACRES IN CHINA.

Auckland Star, Volume XXVI, Issue 197, 19 August 1895, Page 2

THE MASSACRES IN CHINA.

PROTECTION WITHHELD FROM

MISSIONARIES,

HUNTED BY THE SOLDIERY.

By the steamer Menuiiur, which recently arrivod ab Thursday Island from Hongkong, the following extracts from a letter referring to the anti-missionary riots in Szewchen have been received;—" Duriug the afternoon Dr. Stevenson and I received a lebter from Mr Canrigbb telling us that) placards had been posted. These placards stated that a girl had been boiled by foreigners for her oil, and warned people agaiusb allowing their children to go upon biia atreet. tiinaU scones began to be thrown against our frost ' gate, and considerable yelling was heard. A messenger was despatched immediately with our cards to the Yaataen, calling the streeb officials on the way. The atone throwing increased, bub nob until the large and strong compound gates 101 lin with a crash did we show ourselves. Mr Jackson empty handed, Dr. Stevenson and I each with a loaded gun under our arms, appeared in Bight, and the crowd banished from tho gate, On the way we fired shots quickly in succession, and ran out upon tho street. The crowd divided and ran both ways, while we hold them at a respectful distance. Aboub 10or 12 men in ordinary dress stepped oub from the crowd, sayiug they came to protecb us, and a few minutes later three soldiers appeared in their red coats, Some time after we stopped inside our gate, while they scattered the mob ; bub the moment we were out of sight the mob closed in and tho stone throwing and yelling began with increased vigour. After 10 or 15 minutes of this we made another sally, firing a shot or two from our guns. The mob parted and ran as before. Dusk coming on, tho riotera had gained such courage thab they fairly rained atones upon ue, and our ground becamo untenable^ We boat an orderly bub hasty retreat bo pur hospital compound, and thero rejoined our wives and children. Almost immediately our dwellings were filled with a howling mob, while the smashing of glass and the crashing of timbers, no less than the demoniacal yells of the furious rioters, told us that the work of destruction was in full progress. Covered by the darkness we crawled one by one through one of the holes broken by stones in tho hospital gates. The two ladies and we three men, carrying four childreg

amongst! us, ran along the now comparatively quieb street). Ab" thestreob barracks, which quartered 150 or 200 soldiers, we ran in, thinking to obtain protection, bub on first sight of us the soldiers drove us out with most hideous yells and curses. One of them kiekod Mrs Stevenson inside the buildings as we passed out ab the door, atad Mr Stevenson promptly threatened this man wifcli his rifle, which he still carried. To this we believe, ab least partly, is due bhe fact that we were nob followed. We now ran across the open parade ground to the city wall, and, once on the wall, we took our way ab a more easy pace past north gate to the Borfch-weab angle of the city. When we were a mile or more from our late homes a bright reflection in the sky told us that the rioters were finishing with fire, whab they began with stones. The fire did not die away till midnight. A while after midnight we lefb the city wall and reached the China Inland Mission compound. There we lGarnb the fate of Dr. Stevenson's little girl, who, in the care of a nurse, became separated from us soon after leaving bhe hospital gate. Some rioters discovered that aha was carrying a foreign child, and they caught her by bhe hair and began beating her. She dropped the child, and managed to escape from them. A few minutes later the hospital gateman discovered the child sibting alone in a dark street crying, and he picked her up and carried her to one of the other compounds, which was still intact. No protection waß given us from the Yaamen, except thoao doubtful 12 runners and three soldiers, notwithstanding more than 20 hours had elapsed from the time our cards were first s-enb to the I'aamen, until we abandoned tie gateway. Early nexb morning word via-- brought that Mr Hartwell's honee and compound ' were being looted and burned, and before 9 o'clock Mrs Hartwell, with two little ones, tbe Misses Brackbill and Ford, joined us ab the China Inland Mis- : eion compound. They climbed the back wall of their compound aa bhe mob came in ab tbe front. We were now elaven adultsand seven children, gathered in one place. Between 9 end 10 a.m. a crowd rapidly gathered in the street, and grew bo turbulent thab wo determined to start for the Yaamen as rapidly as chairs could be obtained. Aboub 10.5 a.m. only six of the 11 adnlts had started for the Yaamen. After the exib of each of the chairs the mob grew more fierce, and the uproar increased. As the gate closed behind the sixth chair ib became evident to us who remained that the ! crisis had come, so we ran for the back wall of the compound, climbed the ladder, and dropped down on the other side. It ! was nob a moment too soon, for before the lasb one was over the mob had bursb through bhe front gates. We found ourselves in a narrow ooarb. The only exit from this courb was by a long alley, which opened on bho street right in tho midst of the mob. Our only hope, therefore, lay in concealment). In a moment we darbed through an open door into the back room of a little two-roomed mat house, and the three ladies, Misses Brackbill and Ford, and Mrs Kilbowne, Mr Vale and myself, besides three children, including two belonging t« those who had got off safely to the Yaamen in chairs, in alt eight persons, packed ourselves into a email Chinese bed and drew the dirty bine curtains close about us. The owner of the hub began protesting immediately in a loud voice, but 30 taols of good silver effectually shut his month, and liberal promises to bhe other seven families in the court, afterwards redeemed by a.bout> 15 taels, broughb them over to our side also. About 8 p.m., when ib was properly dark, chairs were called, and we went quietly one by one to bhe Yaamen, where we joined those who had reached there safely in the morning. From trustworthy reports, and whab we saw ourselves, thsre will nob be much debris for us bo clear away when ib comes bo rebuilding. Every stick' of timber has been carried away, nob so much aa a piece the size of a shingle remaining, Bricks and tiles, even the foundation stone, were dug up and carried off, and paving ' stones shared the same fate. Trees, shrubs, bamboos, and, in faeb, everything enclosed by the four walls, were ' considered their lawful booty. On 30th May, squads of eoldiers encamped on the sitoß of each ruined compound, carefully guarding the broken tiles and mother earth."