Terrible Tale of Savagery From Our Own Correspondent, Fakumen, Man., Nov. 20.
There is a serious change for the worse in the conditions of life in some of the larger centres of Manchuria, An attack by robbers on the missionaries of the Irish Presbyterian Church took place in Changchun, the like of which has not occurred before in our community. On the night of Nov. 13, the house of Rev. W. H. Gillespie was raided for the fifth time within 16 days. The house, with the Women's Hospital, Church compound and other mission buildings, is situated near the Japanese Consulate in a rather isolated suburb of Changchun. On. this occasion some half dozen robbers over-powered the servant, obtained possession of the kitchen key and stealthily approached Mr. Gillespic's bedroom, A voice outside the bedroom, saying there were thieves in the house, awoke Mr. Gillespie. It was probably a ruse on the part of one of the desperadoes, with a view to getting the missionary to open his locked bedroom door. For it was this room they were bent on entering.
Tae Russ, Succeens.
When the door was opened, a severe scuffle occurred, in the course of which a chopper was used to fell Mr. Gillespie, first with the blunt edge and then with the sharp edge. One of the ruffians attempted with his fingers and nails to gouge out the missionary's right When the sufferer fainted ea their hands, they left him for dead and decamped with such articles as they could seize, making towards the Japanese settlement.
Fortunately the mission doctor, Dr. R. J. Gordon, who lives some distance away, was at home. Dr.- Naim, of Mukden Medical College, was wired for. On the 17th, Dr. Neville, eye specialist of Mukden Medical College, removed the patient's right eye and tre-plimed two skull fractures, the operations under chloroform lasting four or five hours. It was believed that Mr. Gillespie, although not then out of danger, might make good recovery.
Three of the burglars have been captured. (Mr. Gillespie's death has since been reported.—Ed.)
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.