The National tribune., 1900-10-18
A VICARIOUS
SACRIFICE.
How Baron Won Ketteler's Death
Saved the Foreigners at Peking.
MISSIONARY ENGINEER.
The Climax of Chinese Treachery and the
Hurry of Preparations for Defense.
Special correspondence to THE NATIONAL rRrnuSE


The Young Baroness Won Ketteler wa:
probably the most unhappy person of al
the number who endured the trials ant
hardships of the siege. Certainly she wa:
the one most sympathized with. Wives
whose husbands were shot down by the
enemy, mothers who watched their babes
die for lack of good air and nutritious
food, hearts broken by their own grief
throbbed with sorrow for the woman
whose husbands life was offered a vicari-
Gus sacrifice for all the foreigners in Pc,
king. There are those whro will contest
this statement, there are diplomats who
will emphatically deny it; but the fact re-
mains that the great body of foreigners
in Peking never question but that Baron
Won Ketteier's death was the final saliva
ton of all.
On, June 10, at 4 p. m., the Tsung Ii
Yamen informed the foreign Ministers by
letter that they would be expected to leave
Picking within "a hours under protection
of Chinese soldiers. Baron Won ketteler
was the only Minister who did not think
this request an evidence of Chinese en-
iightenment and understanding of Inter
national courtesy. tThe French Minister,
Sir Claude Macdonald and Minister Con-
ger were all in favor of going, but Baron
Won Ketteler, more suspicious Of Chinese
treachery and diplomacy, saw massacre for
all outside the city gates, in a country
swarning with red-handed Boxers and un-
certain soldiery.
He remarked at dinner that night: 81
may be nervous or overw0rked, or some
thing, but ! am apprehensiYe Of evil if we
leave the city"
MURDER OF BARON yoN KETTELER.
The following morning, June 20, he
arose, determined to enter protest to the
Tsung Ii Yamen. A brave man always, he
started on his errand, accompanied only
by his Interpreter, Mr.. Cordes. They rode
in the sedan chairs used by all Ministers
when calling upon Chinese officials. Be
fore leaving his home, about 10 a. m, he
bade his wife, to whom he was most de-
yotedly attached, a first and then a sec
ond farewell, saying as he did SO:
do not worry. If l am gone long you
may be sure that l am succeeding and
that the officials are listening to me-"
But the Baron did not reach the Yamen,
for when only two-thirds of the way there
he was shot down by the Chinese I'M
perial troops who were to form the prom
ised escort to Tien Tsin. Mr.. Cordes
was shot in the leg. Nevertheless, he ran
forward, looked into Baron Won Ketteler's
chair and saw that he was quite dead, a
CHASTITY bullet wound in his head. Mr..
Cordes than turned, followed by a shower
of bullets. He fed down a small side
street. The people along the narrow
street refused to reply to his questions as
to the exact location of the American
Methodist Episcopal Mission, which he
knew was somewhere in that neighbor-
hood. Finally he met an old bread ped
dler, who. not daring to stop in converse
tion with him, but who in his street calls
sang the direction in which NJ. Cordes
was to turn. Mr.. Cordes turned north in
stead of south. The old fellow sang
"south" again. Mr.. Cordes, almost dead
andsgiven out, turned south, ran a short
distance, and fell fainting at the north
east barricade of the Methodist Episcopal
Mission, where were gathered all the
American missionaries of Peking and
Lung Chou, ever 40 in number. News of
:hhe brutal murder of the German Minister
ran like wildfre over the entire foreign
community. The missionaries who were
endeavOring to stihe their fears and pack
small trunks, as commanded by Minister
COnger, for the afternoons start to Tien
Tsin, then gathered few things into the
smallest compass possible; some took
steamer trunks, some hand bundles; moth
ers took baby food. Capt. Hall, in charge
of the 20 United States marines sent by
Minister Conger for defense, ordered all to
march to the American Legation, the ma
tive Chinese refugees to follow in the
rear.
GATHERING AT THE LEGATION.
What a march, out through their own
barricades thrown up by Mr.. Francis
GamewelI, of the Methodist Episcopal
Mission, the man who by his skill in for
tifying became the great man of the siege
later; down Haut-aMeu street, almost to
the Great Haut-a-Aleu Gate, over whose
second-story balustrade hung a thousand
Chinese soldiers, the long procession of
men, women, children and babies, nurses,
servants and 600 native Christians moved.
Fifty foreign guards stood motioniess by
the roadside. No one spoke. All felt the
intensity of the situation. The hands that
fired on the German Minister might
at any moment fire on the helpless mortals
moving below them.
But the American Legation, a distance
of half a mile, was reached in safety;
thence all removed to the British Lega-
tion, and that afternoon of June 20. at
p. m, which was TO have seen a train
of Loco carts full Of half-armed men, help
less women and babies, insufficiently
guarded by 400 marines, found almost
every foreigner in Peking safe in the Brit
ish Legation, the native Christians in the
palace Of the fourth hereditary Prince and
guarded by the brave japanese CThis pal
ace, being just opposite the British Lega-
ton and its owner having fled)
FORTTYING THE LEGATIONS.
The missionaries had been throwing up
intrencnments, digging bitches and build
ing walls, barb-wire fences, making loop
holes for two weeks; in fact had made
an excellent fort of the Methodist -Episco-
pal Mission property, but not one foot of
sod had been turned up for defense in any
Legation of the optimistic Ministers. But
o'clock found foreigners and native con
verts, under command of Mr.. GameweIl.
into whose hands Sir Claude Macdonald
gave the entire work of fortifying,