Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1900-08-30

in like tidal wave. There were Brit
ish officers, naval and military. soldiers
and sailors with a good sprinkling of
sikhs, but principally Chinese. In a
Ewinkling all was pandemonium. The
Chinese knew where the best treasure
was to be found and the soldiers fol-
lowed them. Two forces collided in
the gateway, a rush line Of Chinese
struggling to enter and another line
fighting TO get out with great armfuls
of loot, while an occasional soldier
went through the crowd like one of the
Broadway squad. Tien Tsin expert
encd a sweeping redistribution OF
wealth., but on the old scheme OF prizes
to the strongest.
The footing dourished for three days.
On the first day 1t was entirely unre-
strained. Many white people accuni-
ulated stacks of goods by simply stand
ing at their gates and holding UP the
best laden Chinese from the endless
procession that flowed out. Pack
horses, carts, rickshaws, coolies loaded
with trunks and sacks and piled with
loose silks, furs and bronzes, crowded
all the roads leading down to the set
Element. English officers rode with
their
1.orses Concealed Under Dry Goods
and soldiers slung bundles on their
bayonets.
On the second day conference OF
commanding officers decided to adopt
represslVe measures. The comnelu-
ers, excepting the rench, empowered
the british, who were doing provost
duty to seize all loot. This order the
BRUSH attempted TO execute by hold
ing up the looters as they entered the
foreign towns. They took all bundles
ana reported the names or claimants
for future inquiry. Naturally this stcp
provoked grumbling, especially among
the solaleIS OF other narionautles. Cap
tain Bailey, the provost general mar
shai a Dig-bodied, Dig-voiced English
man, explained that the prohibition
was designed to restrain civilians from
getting the spoils which should go to
the men who did the fighting. The
The ofticial statement is that all seized
loot will be sold, the proceeds to be
divided among the soldiers as prize
money, but soldiers, wise through for-
mer campaigns, comment skeptically.
The Japanese, as far as casual OBJ
servation showed, did the least footing
because OF the admirable discipline
under which their soldiers are held.
The Americans had all to themselves
one large arsenal, which was occupied
on entering the city. 1t contained not
only cannon, but fine store or small
arms, swords
OF Curious and Rich Pattern
rifles of various makes, with stands Of
the long two-man guns, which are
simply giant rifles, throwing ball
which from the report and whistle,
the soldiers in the fight judged to be
one Founders. Munitions of war were
not the only contents of the arsenal.
High officers had lived there, and in
their fight had left stacks of clothing
and other articles of great value. All
this stuff is to be sold or shipped to
Washington as spoils OF war.
On the third day of the occupation
a more effective method was followed
by compelling looters to give up their
loads al the city gate. But even this
measure did not prevent the loss OF
much gold and silver. Civilians from
the concession made a general raid on
the salt commissioners treasure, ana
many succeeded in smuggling loads of
silver bars through to the settlement.
The Americans Seized
nearly a million taels worth of prec-
ious metals, which is piled up in the
marine barracks.
To-day the walled city looks as
though a tornado had struck ID.
Enough valuable property has been de-
stroyed to stock big city, and enough
has been seized to give every soldier
a considerable sum, if the distribution
is honestly administered.