Bryan morning eagle. [volume] (Bryan, Tex.) 1898-1909, 1900-10-06
THE SIEGE OF PEKIN.
Dr.. Martin Tells How Brave Men
and Women Fought.
PRAISED.
Women Requested 10 he Shot should
Rescue fail--A Mother Planned
10 Kill Her Children 10 Save
Them from the Chinese.

New York. Oct. 1.-The New York
Times has received communication
from the Rev. DR.. William Alexander
Martin. the aged president Of the new
imperial university Of China. reciting
the story Of the seige and fall Of Pekin
A. he saw IL. DIR. Martin first went 70
China as Presbyterian missionary 20
Hing Pc half n century ago aud IL wide
ly known A. the author Of many books
dealing with China His communion
ton In part is ~ follows:
THE rescue was the work Of christeu.
dom. aided by Japan which deserves %
b. admitted into that bonored brother.
hood. The British troops were the first
10 enter. coming In by the water gate
under portion Of the wall held by our
legation guard.
The first visible sign Of our great
danger was the burning Of churches.
missions and legations in exposed
places. The enemy even set fire %
Chinese shops filled with foreign goods.
part from hatred 10 foreign products.
but chiefly in the hope that the flames.
driving by a south wind. might reach
the foreign quarter. A tower Of the
great front was consumed on that &C.
casion.
"On the day after our flight they set
fire % two imperial buildings adjoining
the British legation believing that the
flames would overleap the wall aud 80
they woCld have done had not our peo-
pie repel.eI them by tearing down out
lying structures and by pouring on floods
Of water How frghtful % hear the
fire alarm when IL meant a bloodthirsty
enemy at the door. 50 imminent was
our peril that even women and children
passed buckets from hand 20 hand.
zone Of the imperial buildings thus
destroyed was a grand coach stand for
tire Ta.ace. And this was the Houlen
hcademy-the focus Of learning and
the summit % the whole literary sys.
tem-its priceless library. largely in
manuscripts. was reduced % ashes OF
trodden under foot Nothing shows IN,
bitterness q the determination 10 dc,
stroy as like the sacrifice Of such u mon.
ument.
AT short intervals every night and
often through the day were subjected Il
fusillade from many thousands Of RI
fies. the soldiers taking no aim. hut fir
ing upward In expectation Of some shot.
falling on our heads. Needless 70 say
few took effect The same is true Of tn,
b1mhardment In which hundreds Of
shells burst IN midair. Still, In sortie,
ana In conflicts at critical points ouI
losses were very heavy.
"Not only were our men az their post
Of danger night and day, but the wo
men were equally diligent and equally
brave. They made sand bags In gr.a
numbers lover i0,OOpl using curtains Of
silk and satin as well as other costly
materials. The sand bags were used {,
i str ngthen our defenses. many Of then
serving for parapcts on house tops.
THE cheerfulness u our ladies' di,
much 10 encourage the men. All knew
! that the enemy would give no quartz
and that women falling into their hand
would suffer fate worse than death
Young women requested their friend
IN that event 20 shoot them. and a moth
or u xix children resolved 90 shoot he
{ children aud then TO xii herself. Steri
necessity admits no argument. Durin
an attack one woman broke down an
went into mysteries aud one more wen
mad. These were solitary instances O
. weakness"