The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-08-23
WICHITAH A HERO
Calvin Pearl Titus of This City
First Man on Pekin'S Walls.
FAME, NOW WORLDWIDE
Used to March With Salvation
Army on Douglas Avenue.

%
morning, a frail. quiet. blonde young
man walked into No. sl3 East Douglas
avenue, Wichita, gave his name, strip
ped. signed up and became soldier.
On August Is, 1860. that same boy,
among $1,000 eager soldiers. Of all the
flower Of EnglanFs. Japan's, Russia's
and Americas military, was the first man
on the top Of the wall Of Pekin.
Fortune is democratic in her choosing,
and loves to touch the humble with
greatness.
a year and half ago young Titus
followed in the rear Of that faithful little
band Of Salvationists which nightly
marches down Douglas avenue, while the
brother Of General Chaffee pounds the
resonant bass drum.
He took his place in the nightly circle,
dropped his hat on the ground and sang,
with the others, while the meager con-
tributions ratified on the drum head
HIS field was an humble one; he was a
soldier in spirited war against Satan.
Last night the cables of the world
flashed his name and his history and his
NdlDT from Cdpltal TO capital
Titus was reared by William Lee, cap
tain Of the Salvation Army here former
". now Of Spokane, Washington, and
came here with him. Lee last night at
Spokane gave out part Of the last letter
he had received from his ward, then in
the Philippines. in which Titus wrote:
''The trouble is bad in China, so we may
have a good time but this regiment
knows only one way to go-that is for
ward"
On August Is the allied forces reached
Pekin. On one side Of the city attacked
the Japanese and the Russian: on the
other assaulted the English and Ameri-
cans. Every army was striving to outdo
the other; every soldier was seeking TO
suTpass the other. Before the English
ard Americans stood vast wall. The
frs; man to i>1G a ropes end on its top
and to Chamber hand over hand to the
ton and plant an American flag there
was the Wichita boy
He went knowing that death was tie
almost certain portion Of the first man
up; but he did not think Of that but only
tha- the Stars and Stripes should he
first Two armies of the great world
only twenty summers, who from a CITY
not yet a half century old unfurled with
defiance the flag Of civilization in the
ancient capital of the Oldest monarchy
on earth. monarchy grounded in 4CoO
years of absolutism.
April ;, 1899, was a dreary day in wich-
tia. The town was still benumbed from
having passed through the commissions Of
a. hotly contested mayoralty election.
Election day had been cloudy, and the
next day, April 8, when II was settled
that Ross had beaten Tapp and both
sides were claiming that the atmosphere
of election day had been against them,
st began to drizZle. Lieutenant John T
Haines. Of the Fifth u. s. cavalry had
opened up a recruiting headquarters at
513 East Douglas Eighteen young men
came dripping into the recruiting station
that day. Eight of them were rejected.
Ten OF them were found sound in limb
end eye and lung. Those ten were Roy
/. Smith. James r. Houston, Charles A
Fulkers0n. John r. Heath. James z.
Long, Jack HASTE, Robert c. Williams.
Calvin p Titus, Thomas r Pearce and
Frank Green.
Young Titus was examined by DR..
Slusher of Kansas City and DR. Shuts
and Corporal Dennison. He gave in his
fun name, Calvin Pearl Titus. his age
at 49, years, said he had during the
Spanish war served in the First Yer
mont infantry, from which he was dis
charged November . 1905. He gave his
birthplace as Vinton, Iowa.
In the next few days boys who had en-
listed at other places in Kansas came
pouring into Wichita. One restaurant
served Coo sandwiches Young Titus mix
ed with the other boys, and was finally
assigned TO Company 2, Fourteenth
United States infantry. He went with
the rest TO san Francisco and then to
the Philippines, then to China, where he !
has made such q name for himself
After he had mounted the wall he was |
wounded in the neck slightly.
Captain Handley Of the Salvation Army /
said last evening: y remember Titus /
wei. He was a member Of the Salvation /
Army He was a fine musician. playing /
the cornet. He and Captain Lee came /
To Wichita about six years ago from
Oklahoma. Titus was in knee pants. [
think he Is now about Il years old. Titus /
was an orphan. When Lee quit the Sal /
walton Army and went into the Metho- |
dist church Titus went in with him II |
tus was about 3 feet Z inches tall a 4
slight-built fran lad, and weighed about /
l25 pounds He was Of blonde complex |
ion and wore. Of course. a smooth face"
Captain Handley had not heard % /
young Titus exploit until a reporter for /
the Eagle called on him. The Salvation /
Army members were not apparently very
much interested in the elevation OF a for /
mer member and # they knew q Il. did /
not show elation.
Mr.. r. W Daniels. the North Main
street merchant, who was well acquaint- /
ed with Titus. and az whose home Titus I
stayed for some time. was seen last night (
by a reporter for the Eag,e. To him Mr. /
Daniels said:
''Yes. 1 knew the young man quite well /
He stayed at our home for some time. /
and while here acted 4 perfect gentle /
man. was not surprised 10 hear of his /
being a the front, for he loved the ser
vice and did not seem content while !
here. When he enlisted the last time /
Captain Lee was away. but il was al /
tight with him and I went 10 the recruit 4
ne station with Titus. and through nv
statement he was enlisted. Titus was de- /
lighted to think he was going TO see for !
1gn service"
WAS he much % n musician
YES. sir. He could play anything. and |
az the instruments that he did p,ay his /
music was very fine. Il was his delight 1