In a considerable number of periodicals I have seen the unfortunate case of Dr. Greig of this province referred to, and in them all were serious mistakes which should be corrected. In every instance it was declared that the outrage had been committed by the "bodyguard of the Governor-General of Manchuria," who had also "refused or neglected to publish the imperial proclamntion." How any one writing of this case, oven if but half a your in the country, could have been so utterly ignorant of the affairs of this province passes my comprehension. Ju Manchuria there is only one Governor-General, whose residence is in Moukden, and whose bodyguard, whatever its worth, had as much and as little to do with that case as the bodyguard of the King, say, of Siam. In each of the three provinces of Manchuria there is a Governor, always in Chinese styled the Tartar General. Probably the ar.ar General, a military official, was considered to be the same fas the Governor-General, a civil one. If any bodyguard was implicated therefore it was that of the Tartar General of Kirin.
ordinary cases " slip of this kind is of little consequence; in the present instance, when so much public attention has been Grawn to the Chinese authorities, it is a serious blunder.
Tt-so happened that our first meeting of the Presbytery in this city was cotemporary with the arrival of the telegram announcing the anti-foreign riots in Anhui. Soon after we heard the news it percolated down to the people, among whom it caused a com-notion such as I have not known for years. There was no word then of the Kolao Hui, and the disturbsuce was set down to the desire of the southern Chivese to drive against, the suspicions of our Governor. the foreigner out of China—for it was anti- General till he at last removed all trace of foreign, not anti-missionary. Curious doubt from his mind. On the day of their gossip and interested animosity kept the re-entrance into the city the Commander troubled waters simmering till at length sent me his card with a message to rest they came te the boiling po ud, for a lat ease for he would not only secure the time, by friends and foes everything else peace, but investigate, and punish the was east in the shade by this anti-oreign authors of the wild rumours and the pla-craze. When everybody's mind was tense cards affixed to the gate." Immediately "except that of the few foreigners ere, thereafter the imperial proclamation was who certainly kept quiet enough—and posted up all over the city in the name of. when the buzzing people were prepared for the Governor-General and the Taotai. anything, what next? Alittle hungry boy From that day the evil stories began to went up to a seller of confectionery on the die down and soon general peace prevailed. street, priced, took, mandate one wr two of his; Large numbers of people have since the biscuits, After eating he should pay, but deprecated the crosa fully of thuse who hotacash had he for the purpose. 'The could believe such mad' tales—probably angry seller fired off such a lot of expostul- they themselves being among the believers. ation and abuse that the boy set up @ how! j It was some time after all this that Dr. which attracted all the neighbourhood.; Greig was attacked by the Kirin soldiers, Standing close by was pencil-seller who! 1 have somewhere seen the name of the asked the cause of the hysterical cries. Viceroy of Chihli brought under suspicion The confectioner told him xnd at last said, in connexion with the anti-foreign iove-'But it doesn't matter, it is only "few ment and I think that it should be known cash after all!" But the pencil-seller out that it was he who brought our Governor-of kindness of heart said to the boy, "Never General to think aright on this question, mind, Pil give the cash, you cease erying and go home and with that he pai the money. The crying ceased and the boy turned to go.
The quick argus eyes of justice saw more than pity in the act of the pencil-seller, and from the other side of the street soldier why had watched the scene jumped across and seized the pencil-seller as " kidnapper. The amazed man was taken to the yamen despite his protest 3, and the accusation, expected by all the was made against him. Bein: fence the General, wh lieved the stories, deputed the neond: in charge of His ace ing child was laughed at as a cleverly conducted story and he was plied with questions to ascertain "the truth." He was beaten first lightly, then more severely, and leading ques 8 put to him that he might tell the kidnapper story.
How much did Mr. Ross give you? "How lung have you been employed by him?" ete.
length the mandarin in apparent pity said, "Why are you so stubborn? will you not just say that you were employed by Mr, Rose and save yourself this beating "How can I?" was the man's reply. I never spoke to Mr. Ross, we are utter strangers to each other. How can I say that? IfT did say this untrach would it not lead to far greater trouble As it was found that all sorts of arguments failed to elicit "the truth," the man was at last committed to prison, Next day the yaméx was invaded by about a thousand pencil-sellers to bail the man out. These, his fellows in trade, declared that this was a kind and good mau gentle in manner and decent in conduct, who could not possibly be guilty 0 the horrid crime imputed to hin, The numbers of the bailers weighed with th mandarin more than their arguments, and the man was set free. A young mandarin, friendly both to us and that examiner, expressed his wonder that " man like him was ignorant of foreigners'as for a moment even to seem to give credence to such stories. "What could do?" replied the judge, the Governor-General down every mandarin believed more or less in the kidnapping stories and what could L do? I could not stand alone." Several other attempts were made to get up charges against us by examining men accused of Kidnapping, but the charges all fell through.
All this, however, still kept up the excitement and every new charge of kidnapping increased the general uneasiness. While the city was in this state of fermentation the Governor-General and the Commander of the Forces were called to Port Arthur to meet the Viceruy of Chihli who went there to examine the forts. Among other subjects of conversation was the kidnapping scare. The Viceroy had to reason and' argue Joun Ross, Moukden, 15th December, 1891.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.