Page:The Chinese Empire. A General & Missionary Survey.djvu/342

268 In consequence of the bad harvest, gangs of men, both Miao and Chinese, went about plundering, and one of these gangs attacked the sub-district city of Kaili on the night of November 14, setting fire to the town, and killing two military officials, and severely wounding the sub-district magistrate. For such an outrage some one had to suffer, and when the higher civil and military authorities came upon the scenes the Christians were accused. Thirty-two men who were regarded as Christians, though they were only recognised by the Church as inquirers, were put to death, some of them having been tortured until they confessed themselves as rebels, while three or four hundred families were blackmailed and plundered. Subsequently, when the missionaries returned to the province in 1901, this matter was carefully investigated, and the Chinese authorities admitted that the Christians were entirely free from blame. While the plundered families were indemnified and a proclamation put out exonerating the Christians, no one was tried for the murder of the thirty-two innocent men; and as it was not for the missionaries to ask for vengeance, they had to be satisfied with the vindication of the innocence of the Christians.

In June 1904 the work among these Miao was taken in charge by Mr. C. Chenery, who was in many ways eminently fitted for it, but, unfortunately, in less than twelve months he was accidentally drowned, and was buried by the side of Mr. Fleming and the Miao evangelist. That work is now in charge of Mr. R. Williams.

The encouraging and successful work among the Miao at Anshuen Fu, to which reference has already been made, far surpassed in results what had been expected from the special efforts made to reach them. The goodwill and confidence of many had been gained through medical help received from Mr. Adam, and in a remarkable way the interest shown by these people spread to more distant communities, and there are now thousands of these aborigines around that district who call themselves Christians. Many of these, however, are very ignorant, and are being