Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1900-07-10

word as he received them. He conclud-
ed by asking the cooperation of the
allied powers IN furthering the success
of his mission and said emphatically
that be depended upon them.
STORY OF THE MASSACRE.
The Shanghai correspondent Of the
London Daily Mail sent his paper the
following account of the butcheTy IN
Pekin.
AT six clock in the evening Of July
6, fire was opened with artillery upon
the British legation, where the foreign
ers We're concentrated. For two hours
the walls were battered with shot and
shell and huge breaches made IN them.
Then a general advance was ordered
and the Chinese infantry volleying con
stsntly, moved toward the gaps. The
FIRE Of the defenders, however, was so
accurate and steady that hordes Of
Chinese soldiers and Boxers broke and
fed in the widest confusion leaving
large numbers Of dead and wounded
around the legation. They could not be
rallied until they were out Of rifle range
of the foreigners.
Then Prince Tuan, making a desper-
ate appeal, induced them TO stand and
return to the attack Artillery fire was
then resumed and ut the middle watch
a second attack was attempted. But
before the attackers could accomplish
their object they were met by Prince
Ching and Gen. Wang Wen Shao with
their troops, who were going TO
the aid OF the foreigners. A desperate
battle ensued between the various forces
of Chinese and Manchus.
Unfortunately, many Of Prince
Ching's troops deserted 70 Prince Tuan-
Prince Ching fell and was supposed 20
have been killed, but, as the search Tor
his body was unsuccessful, it Is now
believed that he was only wounded and
was carried of and secreted by his faith
full retainers.
Gen. Wang Wen 5hao although gray
haired and 20 years old, vahantly led
his troops in person. He was killed and
his force. which was completely outnum-
bered was routed. Throughout the
night repeated attacks were made on the
legation, but they were invariably re-
pulsed with heavy loss. Toword the end
of the third watch, about a. ~, the
allies had partically defeated the besieg
ers, who where wavering and gradually
with drawing. But Just then Gen.
Tung Fuh Slang arrived from the
vicinity of Tien Tsin with large force
of Kan-Su braves By this time the
walls Of the legation had been battered
down and most of the buildings were IN
ruins. Most of tie allies had fallen at
their posts, and the small band that was
left took refuge in the wrecked build
iuga, which they endeavered hastily 20
fortify. Upon them the ire OF the
Chinese artillery was now directed
Toward sunrise ii was evident that the
ammunition of the allies vera running
out and, at o'clock, as the advances
of the Chinese in force failed TO drew
response, a rush was determined upon.
Thus, standing together, as the sun
rose, the little remaining band, all Euro
peans, met death stubbornly. There
was a desperate hand to hand encounter.
The Chinese lost heavily, but as one man
fell, others advanced, and finally, over
come by Overwhelming odds, every one
of the Europeans remaining was put to
the sword in the most atrocious man
ner
PEKIN'S MURDER SPOT.
When the detachments of the various
nationalities reached Pekin at the
urgent summons Of their Am bassadors
on the illfated June I, they marched TO
Legation street. This runs parallel with
the wall separating the Tartar from the
Chinese City, and at a distance of about
two hundred and fifty yards from ii. 1t
lies inside the Tartar City, 10 the south
east Of the Imperial City. Its buildings
are easily commanded by the towering
wall. which is fifty feet high and forty
feet broad at the top. The legations for
the most part consisted of small com-
pounds each surrounded by low brick
wall and containing number Of separ-
ate buildings for the Minister, his staff
and household
Intersecting Legation street is a canal.
On the north side of this stood the
Spsnieh, the japanese, the French and
the Italian legations, and on the south
side the German legation. On the
other side of the canal was the United
States legation, almost facing the
Russian legation. A couple of yards
distant from Legation street but open
ing on to the canal, were the British
legation Among the legation com
pounds were interspersed Chinese tene-
ments, European buildings, such as the
Hougkong and Shanghai Bank, the
Peking Club, the European Hotel Kept
by Frencbman, and one or two Europe
an shops. At the back of the French
legation, adjoining the new Austrian
legation, was the large compound OF the
Imperial Maritime Customs, with Sir
Robert Hart's residence, and those OF
the chief European employees OF his
administration The street runs for
about balf or two thirds of a mile.
On previous occasions when it was
found necessary TO introduce legation
guards into Peling for the protection Of
the Ambassadors n scheme of common
defense was drawn up, so that the
different detachments cent up by the
Powers might cooperate. twas agreed
in case of necessity 70 make the British
compound as the largest and most de-
fenaible the International stronghold.
When the British army entered Peking
VIGOROUSLY in 1860 they occupied the
compound which was formely the
palace of a Chinese Prince. It's sgrounds
os an acre and half We're enclosed with
fairly strong wall, and the canal along
one side formed kind OF moat. Since
1861 when it was leased to the British
by the Chinese, modern buildings have
been erected within the enclosure for
The large European staff. the members
OF the Consular service, as well as separ-
ate onthouses for the Chinese attendants
and servants The buildings included
the Ministers house, the chancellery,
an armory, dispensary and fire
station This was the place chosen for
the place Of refuge in the case of an up
rising in the citp.
Probably some extra stores were pro
vided but ii was never anticipated that
the imperial authorities would iustigate
or support with soldiers an organized
attack upon the foreign settlement, and
when the crisis came suddenly, with
Prince Tuan as chief sssailant, the
means to repel an assault or sustain n
siege must have been badly inadequate.
Ammunition and artillery supplies
were scanty. The legation guards,
numbering in all 430 had at the outside
$50 rounds apieceand half a dozen quick
firing guns No reserve stores at the
legation nave been mentioned, and the
desperate fighting would soon exhaust
the 1neager supply As for provisions.
the destruction of all the legations
except two quickly drove into the Brit
ism compound the foreigners of all
nationalities IL is computed there
would be at least 900 mouths TO feed
Behind the British compound lies the
Mongol market, an unsheltered spot,
where in ordinary times frozen sheep
are sold, brought IN from Mongolia by
the ten thousand camels which enter
and leave Peking in the course of the 24
hours
With the Boxers - however, in pos
session of the roads leading to the capital
nv, +bn north aarr anl aouth the rail