Mesa free press., 1900-08-31
HAND.TO.HAND FIGHT
Stones and Swords Against Three Re.
vOIyers. Plundered.

San Francisco.-A number of refu-
gees have arrived here from China on
the steamer Hongkong Maru. Among
them are DR.. P. G. Leslie of Montreal,
Dr. G. Fl. Denman from Siam, Mrs. L.
Durstler from Japan and DR.. and Mrs.
Malcolm and two children, Mrs w.
Mcclure and three children. Mrs. F.
w. Partch and child, DIR. and Mrs. J.
E. Skinner and two children and pr.
H. G. Welpton from China. DR.. Les
lie, who has no less than fifteen
wounds, on his body as result of his
encounter with the Chinese, tells the
following story:
when the news was received from
the north by special messenger that
the various Consols had ordered all
their people out of China Immediately,
the following party started from the
mission in Honan: Mr. and Mrs. NJ M.
Mckenzie and child, Mr.. and Mrs. j.
Goforth and four children, j. Griffith,
T. G. Hood. Miss M. J. Mcintosh, Miss
DR.. J. J. Dow, Miss M. A. Pyke, Mr..
and Mrs. J. A. Simmon and child, Mr..
and Mrs. R. A. Mitchell DR.. and Mrs.
P. G. Leslie, and three American en-
gineers, Messrs. Jameson, Reid, and
Fisher, and myself.
"About the tenth day of our journey,
we were suddenly attacked by two or
three hundred yelling Chinese robbers.
The day before a part of our little
force had gone from us originally with
the intention of securing military eS-
cort from some of the local Chinese
officials. Those who had left us were
Mr.. and Mrs J. A. Simmons, with their
little child, Mr.. and Mrs. r. A. Mitchell
and the three American engineers. Out
of the eleven left there were only five
men, and among us five there were
only three revolvers.
'"The two or three hundred Chinese
at first made furious attack upon us.
bringing our carts to a standstill and
completely surrounding us. They
pelted us with bricks and stones and
anything they could lay their hands :
on, at the same time slashing away
with their swords, those who were
thus armed, and yelling all the time
as so many maniacs. We brought our
three revolvers into play and fought
like demons to protect the women and
children
IT had one revolver in my right
hand. Tt was a siX-sloOter. / wanted
every shot to tell. Those who had the
other revolvers laid several Chinese
low in death before their weapons
were knocked out of their hands by
stones and sword cuts. I killed two
Chinese myself, that is, believe they
must have afterwards died from the
wounds I inflicted. But my active
fighting was soon brought to a close
by vicious sword slash by an infurs
lated Chinese whom I had wounded.
He cut me across the right wrist,
knocking the pistol from my grasp
and rendering the arm powerless.
"Most fortunately for our hard
pressed party, just as things were be-
ginning to look hopeless for us, some
of the Chinese pounced upon our valu-
ables. 1t was now evident that they
valued our belongings more than our
heads. They. fell to fighting among
themselves and robbed us of every
thing we had-money, personal belong
ings and all, even going so far as to
tear off the skirts of the women and
cut the buttons off our clothes with
their swords.
ri have fifteen wounds as a result
of my encounter with the Chinese. My
whole body bears souvenirs of the
fight. I don't know if I will ever be
able to use my right hand again. I'm
going home to Montreal now with nv
wife. Fortunately, my wife received
no serious injuries. a few bruises, that
is all; and the other ladies also hap
PLY escaped without injury"