BANDITS IN CHINA

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 32, 7 February 1930, Page 11

BANDITS IN CHINA

MURDER OF MISSIONARY

PREACHING THE GOSPEL

WOMEN CAPTURED

United Tress ■ Association —By Electric Telc^

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(Received-7th February, 2 p.m.)

SHANGHAI, 6th February.

What is regarded' as conclusive evidence of the murder at the hands of bandits of Dr. Pike, an Australian missionary attached to tho China Inland Mission since 1902, was discovered by another missionary, Mr. Crofts, who conducted a lengthy search of tho tci> ritory in the vicinity of Kwcichow infested by robbers. This resulted in his finding Pike's horse and saddle in possession of a bandit gang arrested by the authorities. Mr. Crofts reported that the same* gang confessed to participating in the capture of Pike, but denied knowledge of ■ his whereabouts. The search led Crofts to a village in precipitous gorges where a Moslem woman reported seeing a foreigner standing in the midst of a band of robbers in the market place of Chingshan, hands tied and bareheaded, preaching the Gospel in fluent Chinese. Tho people wished to assist the stranger, but were afraid of the bandits, who later carried the victim off. A continued search resulted in finding villagers who described Pike's death. Still preaching the Gospel, he was taken' to a lonely rock overlookr ing a rushing torrent and shot through tho heart, his body falling into the river. ... •

The authorities deny the story. Three members of the China Inland Mission, Misses E. Cajandcr, E. E. Ingman, and A. A. Hedengren, all Finns, were captured by brigands in the Kiangse Province on 3rd February while travelling in a boat between Changshu and Kian. Particulars are not available, but it is believed that the ladies are hold for ransom. Miss Cajander has been in China for thirtytwo years, and the others' over twenty. Misses Cajander and Ingman suffered recently a similar. experience when the city of Yunghsin was looted a few weeks ago. In order that they might escape capture, Chinese sympathisers hid them by building them into a hole in a wall.