The Honolulu republican. [volume] (Honolulu, T.H.) 1900-1902, 1900-08-16
GUILDS STORY Of
THE TlEHTah Fight.
Little Miss Ragsdale
Describes the Seige
and Rescue.
SIZE HELPED CARE FOR WOUNDED.
SAW A SHELL DESTROY THE
CORNER OF A HOUSE
NEAR HER.
Tells About Jim Watts, the Hero of
Tientsin Who Made the Wonder
full Ride For Rein
forcements.

Ragsdale. Earl. the elder, is fifteer
years old, while his sister, Effie. is thir
teen years OF age. They were in Tien-
tsin through all the days when II
seemed probable that no white person
would escape theEefrom with his life
and now they have returned to thi:
country, on their way to their home in
Santa Rosa. for safety. They came
alone; their fatkey must remain at his
post, and the mother chose to stay
and share any danger that might come
to him.
The boy, Earl, is fine, manly fell
low, unusually large for his age, and
he feels that the latter fact brought
him goor fortune.
Il was in luck" he said; my size
enabled me to volunteer as nineteen
years old-false pretences, you know
and so l carried a gun and did some
shooting with the rest in defense af
tAC OAlCl anu CAl1uI
The girl Effiie, is a brown-haired.
bblu-eyed maiden, and loquacious, as
her sex gives her the right to be. She
talks very graphically of her expert
ences, and tells with manifest pride
how fragment of shell struck her.
tearing her stocking and slightly
scratching her leg.
We have lived in Tien-tsin two and
one-half years." they said. During
all OF that time, but especially since
last November, we were warned by
the Chinese servants, who were friend
iy, that a movement was on foot to an
initiate the whites. We thought moth
ing OF 1t. Everybody said: oh. let
them come on; we will drive them out
easily enough; but everybody was too
sure.
"On June 9Th our Chinese servants
said the Boxers would attack the Eu-
ropean concession in town that night
and most of the whites sat I'M All
night The Boxers did not come then.
put the scare was kept up until two
Chinese missions We're burned on June
i4th. On the next day our servants
left US, and then everybody believed
that serious trouble was right at hand
1t came that very night. About
hldnight there was rafting and
banging at our gate, and the marine
VINO was there called to US that we
must go to Gordon Hall-a large stone
once, as the Boxers were
upon us. 1t was terrible sight that
we then looked upon from our win
lows. The French concession was en-
Ire. and so was the native village
across from the station. At the latter.
Russian troops were fighting the Box
su
We dressed as hurriedly as we
night and went to the hall. but nobody
vas there. and. as the alarm bell had
lot been rung, the doors were locked.
While We were huddled together.
listening to the sounds of battle. some
me ran by and shouted: The Boxers
NE coming over the river on the Ger
nan bund.' This was just two Streets
rom US, and IL ever you saw scared
'eople, they were there. You see. this
vas before we got used to being scared.
later we were so accustomed to ii that
We did not mind 1t so much. 1t was
! terrible scene-musketry volleying.i
ickshaws loaded with household goods
lurrying to the hall, men running,
women screaming, everybody expecting
o be killed.
AT 3 O'Clock the battling ceased for
. time, and we went home, but return-sI
d to the hall for the night
The men were on guard. most of the
romen were crying and all Of the bail
lies werehowling. But the battle was
lot resumed. The next day we went.
lome for little while, but we did not |
tay long. 4
I'VE were sitting on the veranda
aortly after tifin. when. about 8 1
o'clock, heard the queerest noise ever /
heard "-Efie Is telling the story nowi
lit was for all the world as IL great
zig whistle were flying through the air. |
hen the whistling stopped. there was
crash and saw the corner Of al
loase quite near us go flying some-gt
There. Then my father came and said !
/ was q she'll that struck quite near |
IS; that we were being fired upon from |
he Chinese viceroy's fort, and must |
Jury to Gordon Hall. We didn't stopsl
0 get thing. ] ran about all the
ray.
Shrinking. Mortified and half-sx-j
Getting that some shell might find them l
o this bfaekness. the women and chill |
rem remained in cellar during all of
he long. fearful hours while the shells
Tere flying about the hall. We could /
ear vague sounds of turmoil above
ut all we could do was to wait in .hass
loom and hope for the best The
helling lasted through much OF two
avs. and we were kept in the dun
con during this time
THE hero OF Tien-tsin was a young |,
aan named James Watts On June
Sth. while the battle was on and shells |
rere whistling about US. he. with three
'ossacks. started to carry a message to |
he Admirals at Taku. The message
sad: 'SheIled continually. Ammuni-
Iou aou sutRftso 6cteaHk SAofl oSu1
clip at once or all lost He was chas-
q by the Boxers and narrowly escap-
d. but finally reached the Admirals.
FER being on horseback from In the
vening till in the morning. going !
trough two Chinese camps and several I
iIIAgea where he would have been
HE'D if he had been seen When he
stunned. ON June I'D. with $50 Ameri-
N oo1di8s ana = company ofsWelsh