Lessons from the Elsie Sigel Murder
A horrible crime was the murder of Elsie Sigel, granddaughter of General Sigel, of Civil-War fame. Miss Sigel was doing mission work for Chinese, and seemingly fell in love with two of them, and was killed by one in jealousy. Pacific Coast papers are using the incident to prejudice Americans against all Chinese. The awful incident has its lessons, but there is no reason for a propaganda of hatred or war against a race. Horrible and revolting as is the crime, it is not as bad as some crimes committed in America by Americans, in which every loathsome trait of brutality, bestiality, and devilishness has been manifest. Let us say: (1) The Chinese in America are not fair representatives of the race; they are generally the scum of the coast cities of China. (2) No young woman, married or single, ought to be doing missionary work alone for Chinese men or Oriental men of any nation or race. Eastern ideals of womanhood are not Western. Women may work with their husbands, but not alone. We believe that those of experience in Oriental lands will bear us out in this. The same principles may be worthy of study in our American city missions. Sentimental, tho innocent, girls should do their mission work under wise, experienced, discreet, tho sympathetic, supervision.