We have heard most disturbing news from Taian city. It seems that the Rev. Mr. Brooks, of the English Church fission of Pfngyin, went to Taian to spend the Christnnas with friends in T'xinn and was returning to Péingyin which is perhaps 180 li west of when, about forty from his destination, he was attacked some thirty men said to belong to the "Great Knife Society " and carried off to a neighbouring village and thence to another place, aiter which his whereabouts were lost track of. The latest report which came to T'sian through a native Christian was to the effect that Mr. Brooks was brutally murdered on Sxturday the 29th of December at 8 pin. We can only hope that this latter report is not true. Of course we shall soon have authoritative information as to the facts of the case. Tt is unfortunately merely a question of fact and not at all a question of possibility or even of probability for it is just such shocking atrocities that the whole situation in Shantung has been steadily leading up to for a fall year.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.