(enam 4 coRRESPOSDENT."
The columns of tha Daily News have contained references for many months to a Chinese secret sect. known us The Great Sword Society which 1 largely in the reports from northern Kiangeu less tha ago, and also in correspondence from in this province. Not much seems to be known about its origin, or headquarters, but its manifestations are an index of its nature. In Kiangsu will be remembered that it was the fvcu: of a little rebellion, which after the usual was eventually put down by large bodies of troops. In the case west of Linching, the original disturbance arose over a piece of ground bought by the Roman Catholics, on which was a temple that was torn down and replaced by a chapel. In the course of time there was enough friction over this to organise an attack on the chapel, which was destroyed, numerous villages containing Christians broken up, and a temple erected again in place of the chapel. For a long time the whole country side for hundreds of Zi was in alarm and disorder, but the ultimate concentration of several regiments resulted in a fight in which the number of killed was permanently represented by the letter.c, and slowly the ferment subsided. Later we began to hear of the same society as organising encampments in counties far to the enst of the scene of the former trouble, making great quantities of large swords, and using language highly threatening to all foreigners. This was about one year ago, but the excitement gradually died away, and was heard of no more. Some of the county magistrates had issued proclam: inst the society, some seized and imprisoned a few leaders, and some entirely ignored its minatory existence.
During the month of May the same kind of outbreak made its appearance in the province of Chibi, hundreds of fi from the scene of former a threatening 2 vil asta y Society.
n of the Lon For a period of six weeks this hamlet was either in x condition of siege, of wi centre of disturbance for a wide region lust_a deputy from Paotingfu. settled up the matter by punishing the relative of the imbecile" m: who had been allowed to make sll the trouble, by exacting guarantees from local headmen, ete., Unt "no repetition of it should' take place, the expenses incurred by the neces sity of defence bei by the Chinese, The wheat gain while all this took plice, that it was not a merely Inca! ebullition," Duri the early part of the cig there began to be talk on the part of the society in this region, here known by the termi, I Ho Oh'iian or © Fist of Publi¢ Harmony," who were alleged to be intending to act' out the motto of their flag: "Protect the Dynasty, Exterminate Fore Such threats have been hourd before, and no grent attention was paid to them, Uough asso often a day wns set for the from the Grand Cana the wf the Sth mo set for the occupation of the extensive foreign premises, but vigorous appeal to the Consul at Tientsingsund telegrams to the Governor of Shuntung from the Goveruur General of Chibli resulted in the coll of small forces from different quarters, nit to give puative to simateur rioters, especially as they ind, and no de although the for sex eacaper otherwise with a vilinge in which were veral Protestant Christi lucent county, ami about fifty wt, named, Pingywan. A was i without warning every Chri twas looted, some of the well-to-do losing heavily, and all alike having no grain, clothing, or furniture left them. The incompetent magistrate of the istrict, who, although repeatedly warned of the growth of this dangerous organisation taken no active steps to stop it, now sent arrest some of the pilingers, Ube result being a fight between-his men und the former, in which the yamen men were badly handled. The Governor at length sen cavalry to preserve order, and cally in October " considerable party of them came up on a large band of the Jo Ch'iian, and a battle ensued. At the outset the socie hind attracted followers by persuading them of their certain invulnerability lo weapons any kind, owing to the kind of the spirits of the. dead who were formally invoked to protect those who thus worshipped. But un the weeasion Unis fight about hundred "Boxers" were killed, and a much larger number wounded, the force being entirely dispersed. This was the same result which bad put cur end to the disturbances west of Lineh'ing, a year before and which aight have Leen thought certain to do the same again, For 10 was apparently the fact, but as soon as it became evident the Manca Governor of Shantung to the ry, send was hostile to these who attacked them, the whole situation was completely re-'The animus at the Governor was shown' by his degradation of the chih/u controlling the prefecture in which the fight took place, by the recall of the troops, 1 by sending the head constable who had conducted the arrests of rioters in elisi.s to the provincial capital, where he was trented as if he were the only real culprit, being beaten at one time two thousand blows, the evident intention being to kill him,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.