Catholic, Father Carried Off in Shansi: Outlaws' Campaign Against the Church: A Band of Long Standin; Their. Destruction an Easy Matter Peking, Feb: 3. wary 21 the Rev. Father De Clippele, a Belgian Missionary {from Scheut, stationed in the diocese, of Si was captured by, bandits, Father De Clippele belongs to the Chilawusuhao Mission, not far from Tocheng.
After having celebrated mass in neighbouring parish about eight miles from his headquarters, Father De Clippele was on his way home when some 30 men, dressed in military uniform and rather poorly med, suddenly appeared and made im a prisoner. The bandits took him. back to the mission he had just left, and informed him that he would not be released until a ransom had been paid. A Chinese hostage from that place was also taken into captivity but was released next day. fon payment of $1,000, Mission and, Church Looted houses belonging to Catholics in the Kuyanghsien district, leaving nothing behind them, not even any of the grain which the poor people had saved for their sustenance during the winter months, The gang also looted two churches on' the western side of the parish. Sankai iwas the third place they pillaged. During these raids the bandits proclaimed their desire to punish the Catholics whose principles are opposed to lawless methods, 'On January 26 Catholic students and schoolboys of the village of Yungehengyu, situated 12 miles north of Chilawusuhao, arrived at Kueihua, having fled in' terror from their homes. They were in a pitiful plight, having travelled 40 miles fon donkeys in extremely cold weather. They had not slept or eaten for two days. A number of orphan girls were given shelter in. the fortified church at Chabanor, Five days later the bandits looted the mission residence, the church land the vestry at Sankai, ident priest, a Chinese received a warning at the ment and was able to remove to a safe place chinese nuns and the children of the orphanage. Hi ig done so he hid himself in haystack in the yard of his residence. The bandits broke down the doors of the residence and the having looted those two buildings passed into the orphanage and then through the village carrying off a large amount of loot and destroying many things which they would not carry. After the bandits had departed the Chinese priest emerged from his hiding place and led with the nuns and the orphans to Tocheng.
Meanwhile the other missionaries in the locality had taken refuge in the principal fortified places, Special Fury with Church nce then thexe bandits have been terrifying the district, riding ly from one place to another, taking. the captive priest with" them. Missionaries, converts and churches seem to be their principal prey. A fortnight ago they burned 110
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