[Inclosure in No. 1393.]
Mr Andrews to Mr
Denby.
Consulate of the United States,
Ichang, September 5,
1891.
Sir: I have the honor to advise you that,
arriving here last night at midnight, I found a most serious riot had
taken place on the 2d instant. The facts are about as follows:
On Tuesday, the 1st, a Chinaman came to the Roman Catholic Orphanage with
a child and stated that his wife was dying; that they were very poor and
could not take care of the child, which he stated was a girl, and begged
the favor of the fathers to leave the child with them. His story,
apparently correct, the Fathers acceded, received the child, and the
Chinaman left. Shortly after it was discovered the child was a boy, not
a girl as represented.
Wednesday morning early a man came to the orphanage, having been all
round the city beating a gong and crying that he had lost his son. The
Fathers told him of the child left with them Tuesday, the circumstances
connected with its receipt, and produced the child, which the man at
once claimed as his. Taking the child, he proceeded around to the front
of the orphanage, raised a big noise, and soon a crowd was
collected.
Count d’Arnoux received word at the custom-house and sent word at once to
the prefect (the taotai being absent) and the major-general of the
soldiers. They responded promptly and appeared on the scene, apparently
quieted the mob, and told the commissioner (Count d’Arnoux) there would
be no trouble. The commissioner left the orphanage about 11 o’clock,
going to the custom-house. At a quarter of 12 o’clock the mob
reassembled and attacked the American Church Mission, which is
immediately next to the orphanage. They had just finished a fine new
brick building, two stories, and having sixteen rooms. Mr. Sowerby, an
Englishman was
[Page 451]
in charge and
had only native Christians with him. His wife and family were away in
Hankow. They broke into his compound, and, finding Mr. S. in the garden,
attacked him. Urged by the gardener, Mr. S. took flight, was struck on
the head by stones, knocked down, but, not being seriously hurt,
regained his feet and finally reached the English consulate. The house
was fired and completely destroyed. The fence on two sides was of plank
and was torn down and carried off, and not so much as a foot of it was
left. Next the mob attacked the Roman Catholic Orphanage (French) and
set it on fire, driving out the one priest who was there and seven
Sisters. By good fortune they were able to get through the mob by the
assistance of some of the soldiers, reach the river, and were taken off
by boat from the steamer Paohua. By this time a
large number of Chinese huts between the orphanage and the custom-house
were fired and burning fiercely. A change of wind and three large trees
intervening saved the custom-house from the fire, but it was a narrow
escape.
Proceeding down the river, passing the English consulate, they fired a
house belonging to Capt. Cain, at the time vacant, destroyed utterly his
fine garden, and carried off everything but the hot bricks. Next was a
house belonging to the Church of Scotland Mission and occupied by Mr.
Cockburn. Mr. C. and family were away across the river for the day and
so escaped the mob. The house is looted and destroyed with all its
contents, as far as can be done without fire. The large Catholic college
and priest’s house next was attacked and burned, but without any loss of
life. Then, returning up the river to the custom-house, the mob made an
attack, but Commissioner d’Arnoux had eight foreigners of his staff
armed with rifles and bayonets and drove the mob back at the bayonet
point, pricking a number of them, but not firing on them. Night closed
on the scene with all the foreign houses in the place destroyed, the
custom-house and consulate alone being left. I have been carefully over
the ground since I got here, and I don’t think the loss will vary much
from 225,000 taels, putting the things in at an actual value. Still, no
steps have been taken as yet, and the claims may be very much
greater.
The Chinese soldier, as usual, was of no use, and charges are freely made
that soldiers with coats turned over were in the mob and assisted at the
burning. The godowns of the steamer companies are all in the hands of
Chinese, and by bribery and urging that the goods belong to Chinese the
godowns were spared. The leaders of the mob were well dressed and not
Ichang men. Rumors of further trouble are rife, but I do not believe in
it, as doubtless the leaders have left.
