He was questioned by the Mandarin and then was to be marched to the town of Kou-ching-hien but was unable to walk. A wealthy old pagan volunteered to pay for a litter to carry him. John Gabriel thanked him and after his death, he appear in a vision to the man. offering him a ladder to heaven. The old man took instructions and 3 days after his Baptism died a peaceful and happy death.
At his new prison, he was questioned by the military mandarin, but refused to talk about other missionaries or Christians and so was beaten with Bamboo rods. The civil mandarin also tried to make him apostatize and tread on the cross and his refusal was rewarded with beatings on the face with a leather strap.
His next prison was 14 miles away by boat with no food. Here for 10 days he was daily questioned, beaten, hung by the thumbs and made to kneel on chains for 4 hours at a time.
After 1 month, he was sent to his 3rd prison at Wu-chang, the capital, over 100 miles away, He and 12 faithful Catholics were marched there with chains on their legs, hands and necks. They were thrown into an overcrowded prison with the most hardened criminals and were further tortured by the prison guards. They were always chained even at night, so that Fr. Perboyre lost a finger and part of one foot from putrefaction. He showed the greatest pat¬ience and spent all his time in praying.
During several months of these daily trials and beatings and tortures, several of the Christians finally apostatized, stamped on the cross and pulled out the hair of Fr. Perboyre. One faithful catechist. Stanislaus Teng, publicly went to confession and was absolved; he died 3 days later from the tortures. Another faithful Christian boldly picked up some of the hair that had been torn from Fr. Perboyre's head and put it in his pocket as a relic. A Christian virgin, Anna Kao, was questioned about matters of purity; she loudly and vehemently dedlared that not only were such things forbidden and never committed, but they never so much as mentioned such things. Even the mandarin was shamed
by her answers and this question was never brought up again.
At his new prison, he was questioned by the military mandarin, but refused to talk about other missionaries or Christians and so was beaten with Bamboo rods. The civil mandarin also tried to make him apostatize and tread on the cross and his refusal was rewarded with beatings on the face with a leather strap.
His next prison was 14 miles away by boat with no food. Here for 10 days he was daily questioned, beaten, hung by the thumbs and made to kneel on chains for 4 hours at a time.
After 1 month, he was sent to his 3rd prison at Wu-chang, the capital, over 100 miles away, He and 12 faithful Catholics were marched there with chains on their legs, hands and necks. They were thrown into an overcrowded prison with the most hardened criminals and were further tortured by the prison guards. They were always chained even at night, so that Fr. Perboyre lost a finger and part of one foot from putrefaction. He showed the greatest pat¬ience and spent all his time in praying.
During several months of these daily trials and beatings and tortures, several of the Christians finally apostatized, stamped on the cross and pulled out the hair of Fr. Perboyre. One faithful catechist. Stanislaus Teng, publicly went to confession and was absolved; he died 3 days later from the tortures. Another faithful Christian boldly picked up some of the hair that had been torn from Fr. Perboyre's head and put it in his pocket as a relic. A Christian virgin, Anna Kao, was questioned about matters of purity; she loudly and vehemently dedlared that not only were such things forbidden and never committed, but they never so much as mentioned such things. Even the mandarin was shamed
by her answers and this question was never brought up again.
