CO129-338 - Public Offices & Others - 1906 — Page 315

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Inclosure 2 in No. 1.

M. Karlsson to Mr. Clarke.

Dear Mr. Clarke,

Tao-yun, August 22, 1906,

The Boxers have been drilling for a long time in the mountains around Tso-yuu Hsien and Sohping Fu. The Christians and all good people have feared exceedingly. The 18th August, in the afternoon, a good number of the Boxers entered Tso-yun Hsien and suddenly the missionaries had to flee to Yamên and many Christians followed them. After a little while the Boxers also came to Yamên and asked the Mandarin for food and proof to kill the foreigners; if the Mandarin would not give them that, they should kill the officials and destroy the Yamên. On the same day, the merchants had closed their doors and all the people did fear. After the Boxers had got food for the whole crowd, they went to a big temple in the city where they stayed.

The Boxers had settled to kill all the foreigners and native Christians and destroy the premises the next day. In the very evening of the same day, the 18th August, a German officer, Lieutenant in the German army, arrived; he was on a journey from Mongolia to Peking, and he had also to be shut up in the Yamên.

The foreigners were now together six persons—two gentlemen and four ladies. The Chinese officials were very frightened, and all the people in the Yamên, for the Boxers. Some few soldiers were in the place, but their officers had not yet come; they were together with me on the road from Ta-tong Fu.

The German officer offered to help the Hsien Mandarin against the Boxers; the Mandarin heartily accepted it, and the Mandarin himself also asked him to do it. The 19th August, early in the morning between 4 and 5 o'clock, the German Lieutenant mustered the little troop of Chinese soldiers and certainly he did inspire them. Only ten of them had rifles beside himself and his servants; the others had swords and spears, and so they went out to the temple where the Boxers were. Coming there, the Boxers had a man who watched outside and quickly reported that the soldiers had come. The Boxer leader went out to meet them and the whole crowd followed him. The German officer went in front of the Chinese soldiers, asked, by his interpreter, the Boxer leader to give himself and the other leaders up, and those that followed could go. But he answered, "We will kill you, foreign devil!" Then the Lieutenant shot one bullet over his head and asked him to draw back, but he did swing his sword and came walking very near, saying: "I will kill you, foreign devil!" At once the Lieutenant shot him down, but other Boxers did not fear; they came all pressing against the Lieutenant and the soldiers, then at once he commanded the soldiers to shoot at them. Eleven Boxers were killed, many wounded, and forty-two taken as captives. Several of these men were the head leaders in the massacre of 1900 in this district.

At my arrival on the same morning, I found all the foreigners safely in the Yamên and the Chinese Christians too.

In the afternoon, we all went back to our station and found that the watchmen had done their duty.

I will mention how the Boxers were dressed. Everyone had a yellow cap and waistband and yellow thread in the queue. In the waistband, they had a little yellow flag on which was written: "Fei hu tien ping." They had also two big yellow standards. Their weapons were swords, spears, spades, hammers, and some other things. They call themselves "Huang tien shen Tao."

The missionaries are all safe and well, and it is now peace.

The General from Ta-tong Fu has arrived with many troops. If you wish to show this to the "China Times," you can do it.

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to the Reverend G. Clarke, giving later particulars of the abortive Boxer movement at Tso-yun Hsien.

I am glad to see that the Chinese officials appear to be doing their duty and to have received reinforcements.

But I would call attention to the significant statement of the list, or, as it would seem, of two lists, an old and a new, found in the District Magistrate's Yamên.

I have, &c. (Signed) L. C. HOPKINS.

have been here to see me.

Inclosure 4 in No. 1.

M. Karlsson to Mr. Clarke.

Dear Mr. Clarke,

Tso-gun, Shansi, September 3, 1906.

In spite of that strain situation through the Boxer's trouble, the things have gone quietly on since I wrote to you. At present, several Mandarins from different places are here at Tso-yun. To-morrow, the "Ta-tai" for the north district is coming. The Brigade General from Ta-tung has been here and many troops. All the Mandarins are all friendly, and I hope that these things will be settled peacefully after some time. The Boxers have been drilling in many, many places in these regions beyond Sohping and Ta-tung Fu and outside the wall in the north as well as in the south of our district. They have organized themselves very well with King and officers of several degrees, and a great contribution of men, money, and food has been given to them from most of the villages. Some time ago, they came to the Yamên to the Mandarin to ask him to give them his seal and power. When the Boxers now came to the Yamên, the Mandarin went out and bowed his head to the ground for them and sustained them with food what they liked to have. The Mandarin has now lost his position and a new one has arrived. The stations are watched by soldiers. The Boxer leaders are the same as in the rebellion of 1900. A list has been found in Yamên from that time, and more than 100 were enrolled in the list at that time, and now the same names are found in the new list—more than 100.

Yours sincerely, (Signed) AUG. KARLSSON.

Yours sincerely, (Signed)

AUG. KARLSSON.

P.S.—I will soon let you know more about this affair.

Inclosure 3 in No. 1.

A. K.

(No. 70.) Sir,

Consul-General Hopkins to Sir J. Jordan.

Tien-tsin, September 15, 1906.

In continuation of my immediately preceding despatch of the 12th instant, I have the honour to forward herewith copy of a further letter from the Reverend M. Karlsson.