BANDITS IN CHINA

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LII, Issue 17153, 1 October 1926, Page 7

BANDITS IN CHINA

ATTACK ON MISSIONS THE POSITION EXPLAINED (Special to the Herald.) AUCKLAND, this day. Interesting facts concerning the city of Chow Kia Kow, in the province of Honan, which was reported 10 have been attacked by bandits, who destroyed the mission premises, were given by the Rev. J. Brock, who has recently been in charge of one of the China Inland Missions in that city. Mr. Brock said the cabled report was slightly incorrect and confusing. There were two mission stations in Chow Kia Kow, one in the north and one in'the south. _ Until recently the Rev. W. E. Shearer had been in charge of the north mission, and he himself had charge of the southern station. The Australian missionary, the Rev. C. Freeman Davies, who was reported to have been captured by bandits, was in temporary' charge o'fsthe southern station, not of the northern one, as had been stated. Probably the only missionary stationed in the north of the city would be Miss K. E. Kreick. » BANDITS AND LOOTERS. It was evidently the southern station which had been destroyed, though tlie other might' also have suffered’ the same fate. With Mr. Davies were Mrs. Davies, Miss E. Popping, and Miss M. Simpson. All the women, however, had been reported to be safe. The trouble in Chow Kia Ko)v, continued Mr. Brock, had evidently been caused by bandits and looters following in the wake of the troops. The city had been protected by Marshall Wupeifn’s army, which had controlled Honan province. Now the troops were being thrown back, giving the bandits and local “ rowdies ” scope for looting. Mr. Brock said that although the mission stations in the hill country to the west had often been visited by bandits, Chow Kia Kow was generally' immune from attack. During the Boxer uprising the station had been destroyed, and the missionaries had been in danger for a time, but had managed to e sea do to the coast-. In December, 1924, the city was taken by bandits, and several of the shops were burned and looted. About 500 captives were taken, and those who could not pay satisfactory ransoms w'ere shot. GOING BACK AGAIN. The mission had been visited 1 and the bandits had threatened to take the missionaries. However, they had departed quietly after relieving the men of their watches. Mr. Brock said he left the station in May, 1925, before the present- trouble. He had now completed his furlough, and as he had had no advice to the contrary from the mission’s headquarters at Shanghai he would be returning tor take up the work, again. Althoughthe mission station was reported to have been, destroyed, part of it wag pfobnbl.v still standing. . “ From the reports,” said' Mr. Brock, “ anyone would think that China was absolutely unsafe to live in. It is a. large country, and just because there are disturbances in some quarters it does not follow that the whole country is affected. The disturbed areas are scattered, and the trouble is only local—here at- one time and there at another.”