The evening times., 1900-07-13

First DcpEedntiOns OF the Fanatics
NEW YORK. July 13.-Charles c. Stelle,
OF No. ~ ST. Joha's Place. Brooklyn, has
just received letter dated May 81. from
MS brother the Rev. William b. Stelle,
who was living in Pekin. China. The let
ter fellows:
Il merely send you this note at this
time. and intend TO follow it with a letter
concerning an expedition among the Box
ers which | made two weeks ago. l have
been on the point OF writing for ten days,
but have been delayed to prepare to
preach in English which did last Sunday,
and second. in order to go to the Hills
for the summer. for which place our plans
were made to start on Wednesday last OF
the facts OF this week you probably knew
through cablegrams all the general setting.
Pekin is in dangerous condition-how
dangerous We do not or cannot know at
present On Monday night We first heard
Of the tearing up 0: the railroad en- the
PaotingFu line. and now on the track
line to Tientsin. Of the burning OF the
station at Tang-Tai. the first station out OF
Pekin, a junction of the Pao-Fu line
The attack on the Belgian engineers
who came 70 the city for safety, since no
one was killed. was only Of a piece with
news which has been fast making for
month or more. On Sunday. for instance.
1 heard Of the wholesale slaughter o..
eleven out of thirteen Christian families
IN a little village only three miles from
" nr 4
the toughest experience of our first trim
Tuesday, too. news OF an ominous charac-
ter came in fast. For instance. we heard
that the Pekin station just outside of the
city was about TO be attacked, or possibly
was attacked. and in flames. and that
then the Boxers were coming direct to the
city. or course we have had special Chi
nese soldiers duaTtered outside OF our door
about ten Of therl-for a fortnight But
the question all along and at this moment
is how much can the Chinese soldier and
army be trusted? II is more or less honey
eombed with Boxers. we know, but how
much. that is the question.
Some OF the missionaries were more
fearful of quick, bad business than others.
One of them wrote Dr. Reid nhe Rev.
hilbert Reid, and wanted us TO come over
and join their forces at the Americ n
Board The plea was for the sake of Mrs.
Reid and baby. All this did not seem wise
at that juncture. We did not want 10 %
anything to increase the fear of our CHI
nese servants. AS it was, the nuIse ard
cock cleared out of the compourd last
night through fear of attack but Inv
came back this morning. Dr. Reid and |
We're both agreed that we ought not at
thls iuncture make any such move We
accordingly quieted down, being sure that
We were IN touch with the very most mat
was known within the city by reason CT
u-ff h.
legations, and with Sir Robert Hart head
OF the maritime customs. DR. Reid and his
ehief Chinese assistant and | divided the
night into watches. and quietly waited.
On Monday night, when the news Of de-
struction Of the railroad first came to the
city and the Belgians ran IN for refuge,
there was high excitement but a k,rdl-
rain did very much to dissipate crowds ana
dangerous feeling Last night also
thunderstorm about bedtime helped greatly
10 Keep the peace. and the night pas.,d
without any disturbance. To ay the mn g.
ters IN all the legations are exceedingly
anxious. and tension among all . Erow
The conditions is tight. The Chinese. o.
course. are hlied with all kinds Of false
rumors- mostly at present pointing TO t.e
speedy massacre Of all foreigners and then
Chinese Christians
say the Chinese-that. the people. OF
course, the officials say We are all per.
lecuy SAFE, and that they are controlling
kHalrs- The question is a double ona First
whether they want 10 control them se tban
cay Tor cur protection and are doing their
utmost teven in that case there NAV ne
more Boxers among the troops then they
thlnk, and their ability to put down the
aHalr IS less than they think: second. be-
Cause OF the peculiar snarl into which the
Government has got itself in its ignorance
10 ulua-ccnseryatives IL may be that the (.
Government really does not want the fo-
eIsh soIolers TO come in. and are really /
PLAYING double and deceiving game /
We were very much in hopes the for. /
eIsh troops could arrive today to relieve
tne excessive tension II is unwise how
ever Tor small number to come For
with small number the Chinese soldiers
around the station and posted between tho !
station and the city certainly could not h.
trusted not 10 attempt bad business. When
troops and foreign marines will get iuta
the city, you viii probably know as soon
as we. II 500 foreign troops get into tha
city. the whole affair will be over. 50 -.
as present safety is concerned II the.
attempt TO come and are prevented or is
any panic arises in the city before the for
eign troops are here. Il may go hard vii,
an OF US. Al present, DR.. Reid and / ar.
being very careful We are both well arm
ed We have no place to escape TO if mat
terS go bad. We shall. of course endeayor
to 90 70 the English Mission near here ana
stand with Mr.. Allen-the Bishop CRisbo, |
ScGtt). Is aWay-if we can before matters
get TO be worse. We live in frame ar1 /
paper houses. and in one sense could mako |
itue longer stand from within their
brick houses Still, any house can be Ga.
silly fired, and II a mob comes il will no a
big one. and there is practically little dir
ference in the defence. We are particu-
isrly anxious not to do anything to alarm
the Chinese about us-servants and neigh
bors-and so spread the con1agration.
The Presbyterian Mission is in the
northern part OF the city. Most of ne
missions are situated. so far as defence is
concerned. no more safely than we In
the Presbyterian Mission there is one man
DR. Wharry-and four or five women bur
even the legations will have their charge
fully exposed. II the Chinese Government
when means police force. etc either does |
not want 10 protect us or is powerless
then We are all in exactly the same box.
The Chinese yesterday certainly did
good work with their soldiers in carving
me railway and keeping c7sn the ccm-
munication. and this mornings edict from
the Throne was also encouraging. II of !
course, would have been infinitely better If
the foreign Governments. seeing plainIy
the trend of this movement for months |
had acted sooner and had troops In Pekin
at this time sufficient to protect the lega-
tlnnS II the locations