Still a Captive Enduring Bi Ravages. of Bandits Near St suiyuan: Organized Attack om Missions The following letter to the Belgian Missi headquarters in Shanghai, telic of 1 he horrors of organized. Vanditry. en. northern Shanei, Church property end the lives of Christians are not worth @ moment's purchase.
Kueihuating, Shansi, Mar: 14; Father De Clippele has now been the hands of bandits for two months, and for three weeks we have been without news of him. It is known vaguely that the Drigands who are detaining him ate ata spot some 200 li west of the city of cou, but the authorities themselves have no. other details.
Formerly comparative calm reigned in the plain of T'oumet but two battalions of soldiers in one prt of the province have disbanded themselves. These were the followers of the commandant Sou Vu-song and Tehao Yuduo. These two notorious bandits were enrolled in the army last year following the abduction of Father. Van Pract and ostensibly Uhey occupied several Wiles ax police but secretly" have zone about in little bands, especially at nights, and have pills the country. The horses anc property which they have stolen on payments of money were restored the chief. The new Tuchun made them understand that they would receive little or nothing from him and the band crossed over the Yellow organize a campaign of open bandi-River with thee ames tu order Following all these events on middle of the party.. Some say that his condition is" serious while others state that be is in fairly good health.
Black Outlook for, Missions:
On the 11th instant one of the bands attempted to cause a. panic about six miles from the city of [Bleue where the gates had already dak: 8 precautionary Many of the villages. to of that city were vacated by the majority of inhabitants. who have taken refuge either in the city or in the mountains. Many Chris-tans arrived from Yongchengyw and it is more than probable that the villages situated to the cast of 'T'oumet will have to endure a third visit from bandits and that the on-fortified churches in this part of the parish wil be pillaged and burnt their turn, 'The soldiers, it is said, are on their track and are ' keeping a respectful distance, Its true that it is more than a question of a military march fon Jehol and one must observe that the' brigands, thanks to the number of horses which they have acquired' in the course of their raids, move about with extraordinary rapidity. sion at Siao-Noor.
The Fathers occopying this station quickly put themselves in communication with their colleagues who were able to send assistance,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.