AMONG THE REBEL CHINESE

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 179, 27 January 1912, Page 9

AMONG THE REBEL CHINESE

A WILY VICEROY. Sidelights of a highly interesting and vivid character are thrown on the situation in China by an account received from Cheng-tu, in the province of Szechuan, the heart of the trouble. The writer is a contributor to the West China Missionary News, and a resident of Cheng-tu. From the first the greatest uncertainty appears to have existed in most quarters as to what was the actual object of the Tong Chi Iluei, or "Railway Protection League," the nucleus, as it were, out of which the rebellion has grown. Foreigners in Cheng-tu were in doubt whether to believe the continued statements that foreigners were to be immune, or the distinctly hostile cartoons which appeared in the official organ of the newlyborn society. On the morning of September 6, however,' definite news of the league's plans reached the Viceroy through a student who came to the'Yamen (official residence), and under the semblance of a demoniac conveyed a book, containing the information, to his Excellency. The latter immediately communicated with the British Consul-Gen-eral, asking him at once to collect all the foreigners in Cheng-tu at the Canadian Hospital. This was done. On the following morning the Viceroy Chao telephoned to the leaders of the movement that he had received an important communication from Pekin about which he wished to consult with them privately. Six of the leaders who accepted the invitation fell into the trap, for they were no sooner assembled at the Yamen than they were seized and searched, important letters being discovered on their persona which further revealed the situation. A raid on the railway office and school revealed fur-" their important communications. Two other leaders were arrested in their houses.' The affair was conducted with such suddenness that the people at first were taken by surprise, but the Yamen was soon besieged by a crowd of students, together with thousands of the populace, clamoring for their leaders' release. The city gates were immediately closed, and the troops called out. Cavalry galloped through the streets, shrines were demolished ,arid thousands of men, women and children, with sticks of incense in one hand and "spirit tablets" of paper of the Emperor in the other, pressed towards the Yamen, weeping and wailing for the resoration of themost popular of the arrested conspirators. So formidable did appearances become that the soldiers protecting the Yamen were at length obliged to fire on the mob, and; twenty-six persona were killed. Their action cowed the populace, especially as it Was nW evident that the soldiers had determined to stand by the Viceroy, and by evening the mob was fairly in hand. All the next day, however, in the pouring rain, a desultory struggle was going on between the Viceroy's troops and the militia who had gathered outside the east and south gates of the city, and the plight of three missionaries, one of the them accompanied by his wife, who had accidentally been shut out of the city when the gates were closed, aroused considerable apprehension. They were finally hoisted over the city wall with ropes.

During the two days following a certain amount of everyday business was conducted in the city, but on Sunday an extraordinary panic swept over Chengtu, arising from some children, who, seeing some cavalry riding from the direction pf. the south gate, rushed through the streets crying, "They are coming! They are coming!" In a "moment the whole city was in an agony; shops and houses were bolted, and the streets were filled with terror-stricken people fleeing in all directions from the imagined enemy, \yho to have entered the city by three separate gatesi. Soldiers hurried to and fro, and a touch of comedy was added by the sight of men escaping from the barbers' hands, their hair hanging down and their eyes protuberant with fright. The panic subsided almost as quickly as it had arisen, and from September 10 onwards the city gates have been open for part of each day, and people with produce fo sell allowed to enter, while there has been no restriction whatever placed on people wishing to go out. Considerable fighting, nevertheless, lias taken place between Cheng-tu and Swang-liu-hsien, where several hundreds of the rebels were slain and a few soldiers wounded. Between Kienchow and the capital the road was blocked, and the wires all cut, but the troops succeeded in reopening the road and holding it.

At Hsiang-y ang-chang the Government troops were approached by a number of apparently friendly citizens, who invited them to join in a feast. The soldiers, suspecting nothing, were delighted, and stacked arms. In the midst of the feast the entertainers, who were rebels in disguise, rushed the rifles out and cut the troops to pieces. Only three men escaped. About 4 a.m. on September 14 the rebels succeeded in scaling the city wall at Peng-shien, and opened the gates to admit 2000 of their number. The official in charge of the city fled to the temple of Confucius and was found by his pursuers trying to conceal himself in a tank in the courtyard, his head alone showing above the water. He was dragged out, and offered the post of acting official under the T'ong Chi Huei, but as he refused to accept he was kept in close custody.