BOXER BARBARITY.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 11807, 9 August 1900, Page 5

BOXER BARBARITY.

CHRISTIANS OUTRAGED

TOO HUMBLE FOR'MARTYRDOM.

The Peking correspondent of the Overland China Mail writes under date May 24:—

A Boxer who saw the mm-dor of Chao, an evangelist of the London Mission, and of Liv Ch'ing-yun, a convert of the same mission, gave the following account of the occurrence to a friend of his in this city :-r-" On the 14th of the 4th moon (May 12) the Boxers, in number about 50, wore crossing the river Tsz-ts'un, about 3 li from Kung-ts'nn, when they met Liv Ch'ing-yun. They recognised him as one of the adherents of the Christian Church, and at once attacked him, and wonncled him with their swords?. Then they look him and tied him up securely to a tree on the bank of the river. This done, they proceeded to the London Mission Chapel at Kung-ts'un, found Ohao, the evangelist, bound his thumbs and great toes tightly together, and carried him to a tree near to that on which Liv Ch'ing-yun was bound. They then chopped off Liv Ch'ing-yuu's arm?, disembowelled him, cut off his ltead, and cast all into tho river. Afterwards all set to work in fury, hacked Chao into pieeew and threw the fragments into the river. Then they returned to the chapel at Kung-ts'un, looted tho furniture, smashed the inscription bpiml to pieces and went away." I saw the Boxer's friend who recounted this story and have no reason to doubt that it is true". Some of the chapel furniture is in the possession of people in lyung-ts'un, who were connected with the affair, but the magistrate at Ku-an, in whose district the murder took place, has declined to notice the matter. He did not even go to the blood-stained ground to see tho traces of the murder, nor endeavour to recover the dismembered bodies. The account received by the Hey. T. llowardfjmith, of the London Mission in Peking, agrees in tho main with the above. 'I met one of the Christians who, being forewarned, left tho place the day before tho murders tookjiloc^ J^lJ^y^^J^g^i 1 WOLFE'S fiCHNAITS Is a specific: against Dyspepsia, Indigestion Liver Complaints, and' other troubles of a kindred nature. Buy bottles intact.

Cluio to come away with mo. but he resolutely I refused, saying, ' 1 was sent hero to work for the church, and it is my duty to stay. If I lose my life for the sake of religion, I shall j l;o content, am! it will be an honour to my j name.' " The Christian who tried to persuade him. to leave Kung-ts'un, told mo that perr-on-ally " he felt unworthy of martyrdom, being only a small disciple, and therefore lie determined to try to escape." In this he had many difficulties and narrow escape?, but finally got safely to Peking.

The village, Kunß-ts'un, where these barbarous murders took place, is only 40 English miles from Peking. The native Christians are generally alarmed, and many have fled from their liomes for safety. It is still hard work' for the foreign Ministers to induce the Tsung-li-Yamen to suppress the Boxers. Consistencj' must be maintained at all costs.

The secretary of tho Melbourne Council of tho China Inland Mission, writing to the Dunedin secretary'on .Tidy 24-, says:—" We have just received a telegram from Shanghai stating that our workers at three stations in the Honan province have escaped, although everything was destroyed. The names of the workers were: Mr and Mrs Hoste, Mr and Mrs Biggs, Mieses Bavin and Kidman, and Mr Lack." Mrs Slott, now in Tasmania, but who was formerly working at Wen-ehau, in tho Che-Kiang province, has also received a telegram informing her that the workers had left that station in safety. There were other workers at these stations, but most likely they were not mentioned because they were not specially known in Australia. The above news should be reassuring to friends of workers in other districts, who will now probably be able to communicate with them.