I inclose herewith a clipping from the North China Daily News of the 29th
ultimo, giving a graphic account of the riot at Nanking. Mr. Nichols, an
American missionary, acted with great courage and saved the fine Methodist
hospital from destruction.
[Inclosure in No. 1317.]
Clipping from the North China Daily News of May 29,
1891.
I mentioned in my note of Monday the proposed departure of the ladies and
children from Nanking. Several warnings had come from different sources,
all from official friends, who by their high connection had every
opportunity to know the real extent of the danger, and who assured us
most solemnly that the riot would come off at the appointed time. These
friends urged us to send the women and children out of the city if we
would save them from injury. Such a step had not been suggested before
at any of our conferences. We feared the effect of such a course upon
the people. It might bear the appearance of flight and invite the very
calamity we desired to avoid; still, there seemed nothing else to do.
Ten days had passed since information of the state of affairs had been
sent to the consuls, and, although the American consul, Gen. Jones, was
exerting himself most earnestly in our behalf, the gunboat sent for (the
Palos) had not yet arrived. We are
differently situated, too, from any other foreign community on the
river. The nearest mission house is 3 miles from the steamer landing.
These houses are not situated in one quarter, but separated, some of
them by considerable distances. At the river, too, there are no hulks in
which we may take refuge in times of danger, the only hulk there being
wholly in charge of Chinamen. There was therefore no place to which the
ladies and children could be sent in case of a riot, and the warnings
being so distinct and weighty we did not dare to neglect them.
On Monday morniug all the women and children repaired to the landing and
took the Kiangyü for Shanghai. Several were quite
ill and in no fit state for traveling, but there was no other course to
take. There was considerable excitement at the landing when it was
noticed that many foreigners were leaving, and I overheard one man
saying to another, “There’s nothing left in the foreign houses, “they
sent it all aboard the boat.” I imagined there was a tone of sadness in
his voice as he spoke. Before the boat had left word came that the
Methodist Hospital was being looted, but we didn’t believe it; and
before the boat was out of sight another messenger came in hot haste
with the report that Mr. Ferguson’s house was being looted. We rode as
fast as mules and donkeys could take us and found that the reports were
all too true. There had been hardly any time for a report that the
foreigners were going to spread, for the movement had been decided upon
Sunday evening, and on Monday morning early, before they were fairly
off, the attack began as if by prearrangement at live different
places—the Roman Catholic Mission, the Methodist Episcopal Hospital, the
compound containing Mr. Ferguson’s house and the Methodist Girls’
School, the Presbyterian Mission, and a native house occupied by Messrs.
Saw and Hearnden.
Mr. Nichols had gone with his family to the west gate to see them safely
on the house boat, and returning met a messenger saying the hospital was
being demolished. Sending a man with a message to the yamên, he rushed
home and found the hospital already in possession of the mob, but forced
his way in and discovered the ringleader preparing to fire the building
and urging his followers to hasten the destruction of the place. Among
other things, he said: “They may take off my head, but I’m bound to
destroy this building.” Mr. Nichols caught him and gave him a severe
drubbing with a rattan cane, and, in spite of all efforts to rescue him,
dragged him out of the building, though in doing so he was plentifully
assaulted with brickbats and other missiles. As soon as the fellow was
released he drew a long knife and threatened dire vengeance but Mr.
Nichols pulled out a revolver and held the crowd at bay for what seemed
to be a full hour, when a mandarin and soldiers appeared. He then sprang
forward and caught the rascal again and held him, in spite of all
attacks, until the soldiers secured him. The official then gave him ‘a
most merciless beating, put him in a cangue, and sent him up. It is said
he will lose his head. Another young fellow was arrested and beaten, but
on Mr. Nichols’s intercession he was released. The leader is a native of
Nanking, a Mohammedan, and proprietor of a small store on one of the
chief thoroughfares of the city. He is known as a most desperate
character. At the same time an attack was being made at the Roman
Catholic Mission, and the fathers were just preparing for flight when
timely aid arrived and the mob was dispersed. Two of the priests,
however, had left in the morning by the Kiangyü.
Mr. Ferguson having been compelled to attend his wife and child (both
ill) on board the steamer, there was no foreigner left at his compound,
and the rioters for some time had their own way. They first broke into
the girls’ school, demolished doors, windows, and shutters, scattered
books, maps, and clothing about in search of treasure, it is presumed,
destroyed furniture, carried off what they liked, and set fire to the
fuel house. The flames communicated to the shutters of the second-story
windows, and the house in a few minutes would have been destroyed had
not a body of soldiers arrived and extinguished the flames. The rioters
broke into the young ladies’ home also, as well as into Mr. Ferguson’s
house,
[Page 404]
but were driven off
before much damage was done. They opened all the cisterns, however, as
they did at other places, looking for the bodies of children said to
have been killed.
Crowds collected at the other mission houses, but were scattered before
much mischief was done, and no serious attack was made where there were
foreigners in charge, except at the Catholic Mission. Several arrests
have been made, among them some soldiers, for looting. One of these,
captured by Mr. Ferguson, was ordered to be released by the mandarin,
because, as he said, “he is one of the Hunan men.” A strong guard kept
watch at each mission house all through the night. No further attacks
have been made to-day; but, strange to say, most of the soldiers have
been withdrawn to-night, and to-morrow is the day appointed for the
uprising. There are rumors of disaffection among the troops over the
arrest of some of their number. The general opinion among the people is
that the Ko-lao Society is at the bottom of the outbreak and the attack
on foreigners merely a cover to more ambitious designs. It is thought
that by embroiling the Government in a war with foreign powers they may
be able to make rebellion a success.
A gentleman just arrived from Fung-Yang reports an attempt made a few
days since by the White Lily Society to stir up trouble there. Some of
the best-informed officials in Nanking express the opinion that these
outbreaks are but the prelude to a general uprising, and that no
security should be felt because the present riots are quelled. In that
case the duty of foreign powers to keep a strong fleet on the Yangtse is
quite evident. As yet no foreign gunboat has put in an appearance
here.
May 26, Wednesday morning.—No trouble last night. All quiet at
present.
