Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1900-07-16

correspondent of the Daily Mail adds
certain details of affairs at Pekin on
June 18th. According to his story the
members of the legation made daily
sorties, sometimes by night and SO sue
cesfully as to compel the Chinese TO re-
treat from the immediate vicinity.
These reverses had disheartening eff
feet upon the Chinese and there soon
began to be open signs of disatfection,
followed by desertions to Prince Ching S
army, which was endeayoring to CO.
operate with the beseiged. Ultimately
Prince Tuan decided to make night
attack in three powerful columns.
At six o'clock in the evening of July
9th, says the correspondent, fire was
opened with artillery upon the British
legation, where the foreigners were
concentrated For two hours the walls
were battered with shot and shell and
huge breaches were made in them.
Then a general advance was ordered
and the Chinese infantry, volleying
constantly, moved toward the gaps. The
fire OF the defenders, however, was so
accurate and steady that hordes of Chi
nese soldiers and Boxers broke and
fed in the widest confusion. leaving
large number Of dead and wounded
around the legation. They could not
be rallied until they were out of the
rifle range of the foreigners.
Then Prince Tuan, making a des-
perate appeal, induced them to stand
and return to the work. Artillery fire
was then resumed and at the middle
watch second attack was attempted
But before the attackers could accom-
plish their object they were met by
Prince Ching and Gen. Wang Wen
Shao with their troops, who were going
to the aid of the foreigners. A des-
perate battle ensued between the va
rious forces Of Chinese and Manchus.
Unfortunately, many Of Prince
Ching's troops deserted to Prince Tuan.
Prince Ching fell and was supposed to
have been killed, but as the search for
his body was unsuccessful, it is now
believed that he was only wounded and
was carried off and secreted by his
faithful retainers.
Gen, Vans, Wen Shao, although
gray-haired and 20 years old, valiantly
led his troops in person. He was kill
ed and his forces, which were COM
pletely outnumbered, were routed
f"Throughout the night repeated at
5tacks were made on the legation, but
they were invariably repulsed with
heavy loss. Toward the end of the
third watch, about a. M, the alnes
had practically defeated the besiegers,
who were. wavering and gradually
withdrawing. But just then Gen. Tung
Fuh Slang arrived from the vicinity of
Tlen Tsin with a large force of Kan
Su braves. BY this time the walls of
the legation had been battered down
and most of the buildings were in
ruins. Many of the allies had fallen at
tnelr posts and the small band that
was left took refuge in the wrecked
buildings, which they endeavored hast
lily to fortify
Upon them the fire of the Chinese
artillery was now directed. Toward
sunrise it was evident that the ammu-
milton of the allies was running out,
and at o'clock, as the advances of the
Chinese in force failed to draw a re-
Spouse, a rush was determined upon.
Thus, standing together, as the sun
rose the little remaining band, all
Europeans, met death Stubbornly
There was desperate hand to hand
encounter The Chinese lost heavily,
but as one man fell, others advanced
and finally overcome by overwhelming
odds, every one of the Europeans re-
manning was put to the sword in the
most atrocious manner"
The Shanghai correspondent of the
Daily Express on the alleged author
ity of couriers who brought the story,
gives a very lsensatfonai account. He
says:
'Maddened with hunger, after hav-
ing been without food for many days,
the members of the legation and the
guards, made sortie on the night of
June 80, and killed two hundred
Chinese in AN unexpected attack. Gen.
Tung Fuh Slang, enraged over the loss
of so many men, brought up heavy
guns, and Prince. Tuan gave the order
that every foreigner must be destroy
sd. His words were: Destroy every
foreign vistage and make China a
! sealed book to all western powers
Prince Tuan had previously discov-
cred that Prince Ching was supplying
the foreigners with ammunition. He
therefore ordered Gen. Tung Fuh Slang
to fire on Prince Ching's troops, and it
is reported that Ching was killed or
seriously wounded.
In the final attempt to cut their way
through 1.-THE slegationers formed a
square, with the women and children in
the CENTER When the Boxers realized
that they were being attacked, they
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