The Topeka state journal., 1900-07-04

and the Port twelve miles from Taku
on June 2S. There was little or no op-
position. Two blue jackets were in
jured by an exp1osion,and many Chinese
were killed The river is practically
clear from Taku to Tien Tsin, with the
exception of few sunlxen towboats and
In the second attack on the east
arsenal on June 27, the Russians were
required to retire for reinforcements. A
force of British, one company of Ger
mans and thirty Americans then en-
gagged the enemy, who with four guns
made determined resistance until the
whole allied force supported the artil-
lery. The allies advanced and stormed
the west end OF the arsenal. Fifty
Chinese were killed and the remainder
retired. Lack of cavalry prevented the
capture of the whole force. As soon as
the allies had occupied the arsenal nf-
teen hundred imperial troops made a
flank attack from the city. The British
and Russians soon drove them back.
The British casualties number killed
and 81 wounded. The Americans had
only one wounded. the Germans two
killed and five wounded, While the Rus-
slams lost seventeen killed and wounded.
FOREIGNERS ORDERED OUT.
Chee Foo, July At is reported that
all foreigners have been ordered out
of Tien Tsin. The situation is consid-
cred desperate. The Chinese are push
ing their rentrenchments under the walls
The railway between Tien Tsin and Lu
Tai is in the hands of the Chinese.
PROBABLY ALL DEAD.
London, July 4.-Couriers who arrived
at the seats of government of the south
ern viceroys from their agencies in Pc
kin give vivid but fragmentary pictures
OF what is being enacted in the capital
These courierS seemingly left Pekin
day or two later than the messenger OF
Sir Robert Hart, the inspector general
of customs, who started on the night or
June "a.
They report that the heads of some of
the captured legation guards were being
borne through the streets at the tops of
spears, followed by Zealots chanting
''Tapi Yang Kuei Use Tapi, Tapi-" (Kill
the foreign devils, kill, kill. The citys
millions have been reused to patriotic
fervor, breaking out into the widest
excess, while over half the city could be
heard fighting around the legations.
Sir Robert Hart's runner, who was in
terviewed by the correspondent of the
Associated Press at Shanghai, supple
mented the tragic sentences of the dis
patch he bore by narrative OF some
| things he saw. He says the foreigners
were making a last stand in the exten-
! sive buildings and enclosures of the
| British legation. They had many dead
and wounded. Among them were some
women and children. All were short OF
| food, even Of the commonest necessar-
| les. The women were starving as they
gave a part of their small allowance to
| the children. The foreigners, neverthe-
| less, We're holding out under a terrible
fire upheld by the hourly expectation OF
| relief They knew they would not be
abandoned and that the armies of their
| governments were advancing. Some
/ times they thought they could hear ar
| tillery in action beyond the wall.
| They were unable to return the fire
| of the Chinese, except at moments when
| an assault seemed imminent. Then the
] machine guns and repeating rifles tore
| the storming parties to pieces. The mes
4 sen ger expressed the belief that II would
! be impossible for the foreigners to re-
| sist much longer as the Chinese were
| preparing to batter down the walls of
the court yard and the defenders am
| munition was running low. Orders were
| given by Prince Tuan. the messenger
says that since some had been killed.
not one other foreigner should be left
| alive. The Chinese soldiers were ex-
| horted to sacrifice their lives without
| hesitation, il so doing they could help
| exterminate the wang Kuei Use"
| Extreme precautions had been taken
! to prevent the foreigners from COM
| municating with any one outside the
| city, and a number of runners who had
| been sent out were killed by the Chi
/ nese. This messenger succeeded in get
! ting through by smearing his face and
clothes with blood and joining in the
outcrieS against the'fOreiSn devils" He
passed the remains of foreigners of Ad-
mira1 SeymourS 8 force who had been
| killed between Lang Fang and Lo Flu.
| Their bodies had been cut to pieces and
the heads carried at the ends of bam-
| boos
A large army of Manchu Chinese inn
perial troops, with 20 guns, is reported
| to be advancing in the direction of Tien
| Tsin. Reliance is placed in Shanghai on
| most of the statements made by the
| messenger. as he is known to be faith
full to foreigners
The consular body at Shanghai is of
| the opinion that the food and ammuni-
| tion of the besieged legation forces at
| Pekin having become exhausted they
must be dead or imprisoned and that it
would be futile to make desperate eff
forts for their relief with an inadequate
force. 1t is regarded at Shanghai as ap-
| palling that nothing is being done for
the relief of the besieged foreigners and
| that they should be abandoned to a llor-
rible fate.
The inability of 1000 men-the latest
estimate of the number landed-to ad-
| vance, is explained by the statement
| that the Chinese army between Tien
| Tsin and Pekin has been heavily REIN
forced, and that it has abundant artil-
lery and numerous cavalry, giving it
| large advantages over the allies. Re
| connoitering parties run a great hazard
| of being surrounded, captured, and pro-
| bably executed by torture. A long de-
lay seems certain before an effective ad-
| vance can be made.
0Hv nF an