August 15, 1895.]
frontal region, which enters cranial cavity. Also several severe bruises; serious.
Of those who were killed outright, Mr. and Mrs. Stewart, Miss Nelly Saunders, and Lena an Irish nurse, were almost incinerated in one of the burned houses. They were, however, all murdered before the house was burned, as is proved by eye witnesses and as would be a natu. ral deduction, since they would have otherwise endeavoured to escape from a burnin house which was only a single floor building. Miss Hessie Newcombe was cut on left cheek and left hand, probably with a spear, and was then thrown over a steep embankment, where we found the body. Miss Marshall's throat was frightfully cut and a deep wound made on left wrist. Miss Stewart, I failed to find any serious wound of person and am inclined to think sho died from shock largely. This opinion is confirmed by Miss Codrington's report. Miss Gordon received a deep spear wound in face, another in the neck, and one in side of head. Miss Topsy Saunders' death was caused by spear wound in right orbit, the weapon entering brain.
Apparently no post mortem mutilation was attempted on any of the bodies. This massacre was done by members of a secret society, known as vegetarians, who have been giving some trouble, alike to Christians and Leathen, during the past year in and around Kucheng. From various reports of those who saw the attack, I believe there were about eighty men, armed with spears and swords, and seemed strongly or ganised and under one leader. No one in or near Kucheng or Hwasang kuew of the intended attack and it was as sudden as it was terrible. The entire time consumed did not exceed thirty minutes.
5
Miss Codrington tells me they asked to be allowed to live, and said their property was nn. important; that some of the murderers were inclined to listen to their prayers, but that the leader, who carried a red flag, waved this and shouted, You know your orders; kill outright" When the massacre was over Mr. Phillips and I placed all the remains in coffins and after much effort we succeeded in getting the District Magistrate to order the coffins to be carried to Suikan and secured chairs for those alive. We loft Hwasang at 3 p.m. on the 2nd August for Suikau and travelled all night, arrivin at the Intter place at 8.30 a.m. on the 3rd, the saddest and most terrible procession ever formed in China.
The Magistrate, led by our orders, sealed four boats for us at Suikau. We left there for Foo chow at 3 p.m. on the 3rd. On the morning of the 4th we met a steam launch taking the Sub- Prefect up to Suikau. We boarded this, and insisted upon the launch towing our boats with the wounded to Foochow. Soon after this we met Mr. Hixson, U.S. Marshal, Archdeacon Wolfe, aud Rev. Mr. Banister, with a launch bringing supplies. Those we welcomed with joy, and arrived in Foochow at 12.30 p.m. on this day.
As to the cause of this unheard of savage and cruel act I cannot form a good opinion, but believe the actors must have been hirelings.
اریم
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
in a tolling speech urged that the Govern ment of China was responsible for not punishing the perpetrators of former out- rages and that foreign Governments were re- sponsible by their weakness in accepting dollars for blood in settlement of former outrages. The following resolution was passed :-
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An indignation meeting will be held at the Club to-night.
LONDON, 6th August.
Lord Salisbury has demanded that the Govern- ment of China issue a decree ordering the exe- cution of the culprits concerned in the recent massacre and that the fullest protection shall be afforded to missionaries in the future.
He also demands an escort for the Foochow Consul, who is proceeding to the scene of the outrage to make enquiries. China has assented to these demands.
FooсHow, 7th August,
Archdeacon Wolfe states that the soldiers sent by the Viceroy to protect the missionary pro perty in Kucheng have looted the house of the the late Mr. Stewart and pludered everything of value. He also states that the Vegetarians number some 12,000 men in Kncheng and the adjoining districts, that they are well organized and armed, and quite able to withstand any Chinese troops that Government can send against them. It is well known that about 400 heads of the society are holding constant meetings in village about seven miles from Kucheng.
Whereas this meeting has heard all the heartrending particulars and details of the cruel massacre that took place near Kucheng on the 1st inst., confirmed by the Rev. H. S. Phillips, who was present, also by fr. Gregory, who was shortly in attendance, resolved that this meeting agrees in unanimously giving public expression to its feeling of horror and indignation that such a barbarous outrage should be perpetrated in a country with which the nationals of the victims are on friendly terms. It thus publicly declares its heartfelt sympathy with the friends of those who have perished. It must be made known to the British Government and the Government of the United States of America that no confidence will be felt at this port until the perpetrators of this crime as well as those who instigated it and are responsible for it are punished. We denounce the criminal negligence of the Chinese officials, who, in spite of repeated manifestations of hostility to foreigners, failed to take proper measures to put down the vegetarian movement. In our judgment the weakness of the Govern ments in the settlement of Chinese outrages in the past is largely responsible for the massacre of Thursday morning. It is absolutely neces sary for them to take strong measures to prevent the recurrence of such outrages in the future. | murdered in the distriot in one of the Under no circumstances should they be satisfied village feuds aud the magistrate went to inves with a money indemnity, however large." tigate the case and apprehend the murderer. The meeting voted that the resolutions be The latter belonged to the Vegetarian Society, forwarded direct to the two Governments.
LATER.
CONDITION OF THE WOUNDED
CHILDREN.
live.
SOLDIERS LOOTING. [SPECIAL TELEGRAM TO THE DAILY PRESS."
FOOCHOW, 8th August, 10.30 a.m.
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LONDON, 8th August, 1895. The Chinese Minister has had a protracted audience with Lord Salisbury concerning the Missionary massacre at Kucheng and a Cabinet Council was afterwards held in this connection.
THE CAUSE OF THE OUTBREAK.
The Right Rev. Bishop Bardon favours ns with the following:-Archdeacon Wolfe, in a letter dated 6th August, just received, says that the cause of the sudden attack is supposed to be as follows:- A man was
which at once came to the rescue of a member of their party and drove off the magistrate and his police. On this the magistrate sent to Foo- chow for help and the Viceroy ordered up about The baby and Mildred are hardly expected to 150 soldiers. The Vegetarians seeing this as- sembled in their thousands and determined to fight and resist the soldiers; but they decided first to kill aN the foreigners at Hwa-saug (a high mountainous region about 12 miles from K- A messenger from Archdeacon Wolfe at Kucheng, where all the missionaries were taking cheng arrived here this morning with a letter shelter from the dreadful heat of the plains), conveying the information that the Chinese s as they suspected the foreigners of having diers sent by the Chinese authorities to protect been the means of bringing up the soldiers the mission property at Kucheng have broken from Foochow. This is the reason given by into the late Mr. Stewart's house, broken open the magistrate, and it is the common belief of the boxes and trunks, and plundered them of the people. whatever valuables they contained.
A FEEBLE POLICY.
[SPECIAL TELEGRAM TO THE DAILY PRESS."
SHANGHAI, 8th August, 10 41 a.m. Sir Nicholas O'Conor's reply to the China Association is feeble. It expresses deep sym. athy with the relatives of the victims of the massacre and states that Consul Mansfield has been ordered to proceed to Kucheng under a military escort to investigate the affair, and that an Imperial proclamation will be issued forthwith
With reference to the Szechuan outrages, the Minister states that Acting Consul Tratman, who has been ordered to proceed to Chengtu to investigate the cause of the riots, represents both British and American interests, but that his duty is only to supply material for consideration at Peking.
SHANGHAT'S IDEA OF WHAT OUGHT TO BE DONE.
It is the opinion here that two hundred men of the Hongkong Regiment should be sent as a escort for Consul Mansfield
FOOCHOW, 7th August. The story of the children:On the 1st Augast, Herbert's birthday, the three eldest went carly to the hills to gather flowers. Hearing horns and drums they ran to see the procession, as they supposed it to be, and met the crowd. One mau seized Kathleen by the hair and beat her. The others ran away screaming. Kathleen got away and ran home. Saw her father enter her mother's room. This was the last seen of either of them. Kathleen hid under the bed. Mildred, unable to do so, lay upon the bed, and was at- tacked and wounded in the knee. Kathleen was not discovered. She heard a rushing sound and found the house was burning, dragged Mildred in the Kucheng attack, died at 3.20 p.in. today. out and went to the nursery, pulled the baby from under the body of the dead nurse, and carried out in safety one by one her two wounded brothers. Taking the four children one at a time she started for Miss Hartford's. Half way she met a native and inducing him after some trouble to help they reached the house.
ANOTHER VICTIM. SPECIAL TELEGRAM TO THE "DAILY PRESS."]
FOOCHOW, 10th August, 5.5 p.m. The Stewart baby, which was severoly wounded
The Archdeacon further adds that the native clergyman at Kucheng found out the intention of the Vegetarians to kill the foreigners the night before the murders and sent off a mes- senger to inform Mr. Stewart, but he probably lingered on the way, as he did not arrive in time It seems the Vegetarians to give warning, crept up the mountain during the night and waite 1 till daybreak to do their savage work,
THE ACTION OF THE BRITISH CONSUL.
When the first telegrams were received in Hongkong in reference to the Kncheng mas. sacre and it was stated that "the United States Cousul immediately saw the Viceroy, demanded a lannob, and sent the Marshal of the Consulate to the relief of the wounded," people asked if there was no British Consul at Foochow and if so what he was doing. The answer is supplied by a correspondent of the China Mail, who writes as follows:-
The first news of the massacre came to us on
Friday night in a hastily written letter of Mr. Phillips to the Rev Mr. Banister, of the Church Missionary Society, who was at Kuliang, a summer resort about nine miles from here. He went immediately to see Archdeacon Wolfe, who was also at Kuliang, and early on Saturday morn- ing they started down to Foochow to see Mr. Mansfield, the British Consul. They met him coming to Kuliang, and told him the contents of Mr. Phillips' letter, but he refused to go back with them. They might go down and do what they could, but he was going to Kuliang to spend two or three days. He told them be could do nothing then, but would write to the Viceroy. After reaching the house at which he was to spend his holidays, he wrote to the Viceroy making an appointment for Monday at 11 am. All this while five Englis' ladies were lying vic-dead at wa Sang. I say five, for Mr. Phillips' letter gave that number. The in- dignation of people at Kuliang, English and Americans alike, was very great on hearing of
REUTER'S TELEGRAMS.
LONDON, 5th August. The massacre of Missionaries at Kucheng of British subjects has aroused the deepest horror and anger in England.
Foocnow, 6th August. The survivors of the m ssacre who have been interviewed state that it was a premeditated and PUBLIC MEETING AT FOOCHOW. diabolical plot to get rid of the Missionaries and [SPECIAL TELEGRAM TO THE DAILY PRESS."|that no provocation was given. The victims
Fоoсноw,.7th August.
A meeting attended by the whole community was held.
Mr. R. R. Westall was chairman. The statements of Mr. Phillips and Dr. Gregory (P were read.) Rev G. B. Smyth
were asleep when attacked:
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The corpses and charred rem ins of the tims were buried at midnight yesterday.
Rumours are current of further riots nearer Foochów.
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