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Nove mber 13, 1905.]
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Lonely Knight Coronet Rose Blair Athol Cardiff
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MURDER OF MISSIONARIES NEAR CANTON.
(Written for the Weekly Press.) On October 28th there were murdered at Linchow, on the North River, Canton district of South China, four American missionaries and a little girl, daughter of one of them. [The victims' names are set out in the telegram published below.-Ed.]
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
There is a good deal of conflicting evidence with regard to the affair. It comes from the survivors, Dr. Machle and Miss Patterson, both medical missionaries, and from Chinese sources. First reports, from various Chinese, said that Dr. Machle had, on the morning of the massaore, insulted a joss that was being carried by a noisy procession past the Hospital.
The native magistru ́e states that Dr. Machle objected to the noise on behalf of his patients, and took away three small cannon (or Chinese bombs P). Dr. Machle himself avers that all he did was to remonstrate about the unauthorised erection of a matshed on some ground belonging to the mission.
A commission of enquiry, consisting of Chinese and Americans, is taking evidence.
A telegram to the Daily Press, dated Sha- meen, 3rd November said-In reply to your enquiry re Linchow massacre, I have made enquiries, and learn that the trouble originated through a remonstrance made by Dr. Machle when the joss procession was passing the Americau Hospital. The "music" and cracker- firing disturbed the patients, and Dr. Machle went out and asked the leaders to stop the noise while that neighbourhood,
Not unnaturally, the victions being American, there has been deduced a connection between the massacre and the boycott; but this is not he lieved to have been the case. Liuchow had not yet been seriously troubled with the boycott ques- tion. The trouble was purely a religious one, encouraged by the missionary's tactless conduct, the native prejudices being inflamed by the stale rumour that the foreign doctors killed patients in order to make medicine from their bodies. An articulated skeleton and a preserved fœtus subsequently found in the laboratory confirmed the natives in this ghastly mistake. The things were seized and exhibited, and wrought the mob to frenzy.
The mob grew angry, and acked the hos,ital. They set fire to the adjoining and other mission buildings.
The victims are as follows :--
Killed, five-
The hospitals and other mission buildings were set on fire, and the missionaries took to flight. They hid in a cave iu or near a native monastery; Dr. Machle tells how he got into a well and stood under water with only his face above it. He does not, apparently, know how the others were hidden. They were all (except Miss Patterson) dragged out and murdered, Gruesome details, many undoubtedly imagined, are given of the manner of their death; but other evidence is to the effect that there were none of the fiendish tortures of the 1900 affair. Death was mercifully speedy.
Mrs. Machle and daughter Reverend John R. Peale and Mr. Peale
Miss Eleanor Chestnut.
Wounded, two~-~
The fact that none of the French or Catholic missionaries were attacked appears to have prompted an American Baptist missionary at Canton into a grave indiscretion. He openly suggests that the Fathers were particeps criminis; that the actual murderers were Catholics; and that their pastors refused to interfere, although they know what was going on. Such statements are a disgrace to Chrintinsity; and have aroused great indig.
uratio.
Dr. E. C. Machle
Miss Elda G. Patterson,
These escaped after receiving severe wounds. I have heard nothing about Rev. R. F. Edwards and wife. They were probably at a distance, and not molested,
The French gunboat Vigilante loft morning.
this
The Callao is leaving this evening. The gunboat will not be able to reach the caue of the disturbance, as the river is too shallow.
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The nearest telegraph station is at Tinpak. two days' journey from Linchow.
Parties of enquiry have been despatched by both Governments to the place of the massacre,
The American Consul has returned from Hongkong, and has seat lengthy cablegrams to Peking and Washington.
Our Canton correspondeut writes, under date 2ud iust:-I cabled you this morning to the effect that two American Missionaries, two ladies and one child had been brutally murdered at Linchow on the North river. I have gathered the following particulars concerning this dastardly ontrage. It appears that on the 20th ultimo the people living in the street wherein is the American Missionary Hospital, were celebrating the feast of the God of Fire. A quantity of crackers were let off in the vicinity of the hospital building causing great annoyance to the patients who could not sleep.
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American Missionary, interfered with the pro ceedings on the ground that the noise wa annoying the patients in the hospital. The natives were greatly dissatisfied. While the crowd was discussing the matter with the doctor, it was found that one of the joss This caused the images had been thrown 1 n.
The bad people to become wild with anger. characters present, seizing this pretext, set fire to the hospital, the church, the mission house and several of the houses occupied by the native Christians. They massacred five of the foreign members of the mission. The authorities were unable to calm the people's anger. This news reached Canton two days ago. Viceroy Shum immediately dispatched two gunboats and a large force of troops, called the Sheung-Pi-Kwan soldiers, under the orders of Expectant Prefect Tsui-Cheung-Fui, to Linchow to restore order. An English and a French gunboat have also gone there to protect the Christians. The American Consul who was in Hongkong to recruit his health has immediately returned to Canton. It is said that the French Consul here has received a despatch from the Mission saying that the Catholics are quite safe."
ANOTHER WOUNDED.
Our correspondent adds (4th inst.) that a Chinese-American citizen recently returned from Honolulu, native of Linchow, was severely wounded in the melée. The American Consul- General here has not yet received any official despatch from Viceroy Shum regarding this massacre. Taotai Wen has called on the Consul several times and had lengthy interviews. The Taotai informed the consul, inter alia, that Viceroy Shum will shortly send the Consul a dispatch with full particulars. It is said that the victims were not killed in the hospital but that they were found in a cave on one of the neighbouring hills whither they had filed as soon as it was seen there was danger. The victims were dragged out of their hiding place The bodies were thrown and butchered.
the canal close by the hospital into and the heads exhibited on poles. It is also said that some members of the mob made speeches over the heads of their victims in one A boycott committee of the hospital halls. was recently established in Linohow a few days The only before this sad affair took place. U. S. Consul here, I am told, repeatedly warned the Viceroy of the danger of allowing this movement to spread, adding that in view of the excited
state the people were in, the slightest incident might osuse bloodshed. On whose shoulders will the responsibility fall ?
The
I telegraphed yesterday that the U. 8. gunboat Callan was to proceed to the neighbour- hood of Linshow; this was incorrect. gunboats at present here are: U.S.S. Callao and Monadnock; German, Elter and Tsingtau; English, Moorhen; French, Argus. The Argus is said to be leaving for Samshui aud the North river.
NOT A BOYCOTT AFFAIR.
The missionaries protested and requested the people to go and fire their crackers further away. The people who were already not too friendly with the missionaries on account of the boycott, got very angry and a considerable mob gathered together and completely surrounded the Hospital Building, A young boy threw a stone at the bouse, and the mob soon followed this bad example, shouting at the same time to the people to kill the flower-coloured devils (meaning Americans). The mob set fire to the hospital and the adjoining mission-house and brutally murdered two men and two women and one child. The women and child were stripped Our Canton correspondent writes:-The of their clothing and were hung up in a couspic details of the massacro, as given by the two nous place where they were left exposed. The members of the mission who escaped, are too French Missionaries of that district immedia horrible to be reported. The mob appears to tely sent a messenger to their Bishop here have shown the fiendish cruelty characteristic The French Consul of such Chinese fanatics. The actual details conveying the bad news. took immediate action to protect his country-will, I suppose. never be published. men there and dispatched the gunboat Argus this morning to the scene of the murder. The American Consul is investigating the affair.
I am informed by Quen Thotai that two Chinese gunboats have been dispatched to Lin- chow. Commodore Chew is on board one of them.
The
Our Canton correspondent, writing on the 3rd iust., says-No further particulars have reached here concerning this affair. French gunboat Vigilante left this morning; but I am informed that no vessels of the River. gunboat's size can reach Linchow.
The following is a translation of the Chinese version of the affair as published in one of the local papers-
The Linchow people are very superstitious and believe in their Gods. On the 28th the feast of the God of Fire was celebrated near the American Mission Hospital and the place was very crowded. The doctor of the hospital, an'
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DETAILS INDESCRIBABLE.
The Enquiry Commission is expected to start to-day. Wen Taotai, the Viceroy's deputy in foreign affairs, called at the American Consulate to discuss matters with Mr. Lay.
It appears that the origin of the affair had no connection with the boycott. Dr. Machle admits this, declaring emphatically that he had heard nothing of the boycott at Linchow. This slatement corroborates the local official's report.
Dr. Machle is a thorough Christian in this matter, taking a fair and impartial view of it.
China is still China. The Government has approved the suggestion of the Board of Commerce and has issued instructions to all provinces that in future any gentry or merchants selling concessions to foreigners or entering into any contrast with them will be treated as if they had sold Government property and punished severely.
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