PORCED TO LEAVE.
Missions Damaged And Looted.
THE EVACUATION.
Interviewed by a Press repre- sentative, the Rev. Father A. Luis said the trouble first started at 10 o'clock on Friday morning when a rabble, comprised of students, soldiers and even police, ttacked the Dominican College and remained in possession all day. They gave the Fathers and Sisters to understand they had come to take the place over, and as their actions became more threatening as the day wore on and fearing molestation they made preparations for departure.
In the meantime efforts had been made to obtain some form of police protection and the request was met half-way by sending some police guards to protect the College buildings. Their
pre- sence, however, had little effect for the crowd assembled in the building in force shouting and threatening.
At six o'clock the same evening he convent of Sainte Ensante was similarly entered by a mob. In this case the crowd was very violent, breaking all the windows, smashing all the property and generally looting the whole place. Escape Prevented.
(4).
MISSION LOOTING. this he had heard of no case of
Serious Trouble At Amoy.
STUDENTS'
DEMANDS.
violence.
Trouble at Amoy.
Speaking of the incidents at Amoy when the Haiching arrived there on Tuesday the Father said, "Some of the Chinese students and soldiers came down on the boat! with us from Foochow and when we reached Amoy they began to make all kinds of threats of what they would do.
The five American fathers who came down to Hongkong yesterday Some of the children had been had only been in the Foochow dis-brought down from the mission trict a fortnight and were staying and the students' first demand was there preparatory to going to their that these should be taken off. stations further up country. One When the gangway had been was able to give an S. C. M. Post lowered they took up their position representative the full story of the on it and would not let anyone happenings at the Dominican either board the ship or leave it. Sisters Orphanage and said those I think the incidents at Amoy were responsible for the looting of the
even more exciting than those at mission property went about their Foochow. work in a strange way.
They were very quiet on the days preceding last Friday and there was no indication whatever of the trouble which subsequently developed. On Friday, however, and a mob of students, soldiers cther Chinese went to the mission where a large number of children were being cared for, one of the students demanding an investiga- tion of conditions there.
the crowd and the
Two Chinese doctors were among students in- formed the sisters that they were to conduct an investigation. After this investigation had been com- pleted the doctors left but about four o'clock in the and students afternoon the big crowd outside the mission house broke down the doors and windows and made a forcibly entry.
The British, French and Ameri- can Consuls were all on the wharf but they were prevented from boarding the vessel.
Serious Situation.
125
The students adopted a very menacing attitude and it was some
was done.: time before anything They merely stuck to the gangway and refused to let anyone come on board or leave until they had got the children un.
at one time that there was talk of The situation looked so serious sending a wireless message for a this was not necesar. Even- gunboat, but as events turned out tually the students left the ship taking with children.
7
them the mission
Owing to the trouble at Amoy it was thought advisable that the Haiching should come straight down to Hongkong and not touch at Swatow. I understood that the master was instructed to miss
Mob Bent on Looting.
"The sisters stayed as long as added the Father, but they were they possibly could," forced to leave owing to the looting eventually
of the huge mob inside. They made their way over to Nan Tai Island and there sought refuge with a Catholic lady.
"The mob was violenty anti-was supposed to stay there." Christian, and while there was no actual shooting or violence, I be- lieve many of the students, soldiers and others in the crowd were armed. There were expressions of murder, but the main object seemed to be to get all the missionaries out of the place.
Swatow by the Consul and the agents. I do not know whether the vessel was delayed at Amoy at all as I have no idea how long she
Not Even a Coat.
The French Sisters in charge attempted to make their escape by going through a door at the rear, but were forcibly prevented from doing so. Eventually they were allowed to join the Fathers and board the Hai Ching. Both the French and British Consuls
re quested protection from the Civil Governor but their appeals were unavailing. The trouble con- tinued at various foreign establish- ments until the Hai Ching sailed. A telegram was sent to Amoy
The object of the incidents at otifying the Sisters that it was
both Foochow and Amoy was ob- the intention to create trouble at
viously to get all foreigners and the Convent there and requesting
particularly missionaries out of the them to evacuate when the Hai
country. The mob was violently Ching arrived. On getting into
anti-Christian, and at Amoy paid port, the whole place was agog After the mission had been ran- little or no attention to the pre- with excitement and the demon- sacked, the mob went to the Vicar's 'sence of the Consuls and of the strators behaved in a very menac-house, and I believe there was Chinese naval authorities which ing manner.
more looting there. Where looting were represented there. did occur everything of value was "Regarding the evacuation of taken and much damage was done Foochow many of us left without to property. The situation re-our belongings. We had only be-n mained critical on Saturday and there a fortnight and some of our Sunday and Father O'Donald went stuff had not been unpacked. 'to live with the Consul as he Hundreds of dollars worth of per- wanted to remain in Foochow as sonal belongings had to be left be- long as possible."
hind. One of the Fathers had to Asked if he had heard of any leave without even a coat. Fa- missionary being maltreated the ther O'Donald now remains in Father said there was a story cur- Foochow as he was anxious to stay rent in Foochow that a Protestant behind and see if anything could lady missionary had had her be done to safeguard the mission clothes torn off by the mob, but properties and also to see if any he could not vouch for the truth of the many things left behind of the story. Apart from could be saved."