Our good deacon Sun told us a tale of oppression the other day, While on his way to preach the good news te some villagers 15 Ni from here be Tittle group of j Stopping to tw to them he learned they were afraid go home beewuse of serious disturbance, Sun bad no fear and marched on, arriving just when all over, Here isthe serly they poured out to him, Some time previous the kun s his yo yi to levy taxes. 'They were refused on the ground that when the Shantung im-Migrunts came first, the then official, also of Shantung, was kindly disposed' and ranted them a three years'
ax, However and his guecessor has none of ney. On their refusal akeadil was issued ordering them to pay by a certain day, Taking with them " copy of this order these wronzed settlers appealed Higher official whw favoured their and sent them home with relieved spirits. The under official hearing of this also paid a visit to his superior with the result that he won him over to his side, no doubt with promise of part of his unjustly expected in, Thereupon the poor settlers went Heian Fu and laid their case before the y seem to have made acme shaky statements, thereby damaging their cause. On being asked if he was the head man of the village their leader said no; he was only a friend deputed by the others to present therr case, "Indeed," said the Governor, throwing their petition in b face, "Ihave nothing to say to friends, and dismissed them. With heavy hearts th time they returned. Soon their Kuan heard of their disappointmer i rely oont his soldiers to extort the money from them. What did those brutes in human form do? Before entering the village they called at native place near and induced {all too easily) ves to juin them. Ina band prised the poor tung men and began their work of cruelty. Right and left they inflicted b ows on their victims,—old and young, man, woman and child. One poor woman had a stick run into her side. One old oan they hanged up by his two thumbs and beat him. lo was allowed to remain in this excruciation of 2gd., or ing position while they bargained with the piracy." Certainly there is any quantity others for money. Ten thousand cash was offered but they were told it was tuo little. No less than 40,000 was wrenched from huse poor people, people who a week or two before, when their crops were just and it is ai ripening, were on the verge of starvation out of their shops with every expression of ud had to be relieved by us, along with others. The headman was carried off to the yamen, Suu, after hearing this sad stay went off to the yrmén to see how the power prisoner fared, There he found him on a krag with x heavy chain on his neck, while his attendant lay by smoking opium. How he longed to help but what evuld a Shantang man do for his fellow? (We were relieved to learn afterwards that this man was released unhurt.)
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.