New-York tribune., 1900-07-04
FIGHTING FOR THEIR LIVES
RUNNERS TELL OF THE RESISTANCE OF
THE DOOMED LEGATIONS AT PEKING.


THE DOOMED LEGATIONS AT PEKING.
London, July 4.-Couriers who are arriving at
the seats Of government of the southern Vice
roys from their agents in Peking give vivid but
fragmentary pictures of what is being enacted
in the capital These couriers seemingly left
Peking a day or two later than the messenger
OF Sir Robert Hart, the Inspector General of
Customs who started on the night Of June "a.
They report that the heads of some of the capt
ured Legation guards were being borne through
the streets at the top of spears followed by
zealots chanting "Tapi yang kuei TIE; tapi,
tapi"' C'Kin the foreign devils: kill, kll!'D
The citys millions had been reused to patri-
otto fervor breaking out into the widest ex-
eesses while over half the city could be heard
the fighting around the legations.
LAST STAND OF THE LEGATIONS
Sir Robert Hart's runner, who inter
viewed by the correspondent of The Express"
at Shanghai supplements the tragic sentences
of the dispatch .he bore by a narrative of some
things he saw He says the foreigners were
making last stand in the extensive buildings
and Enclosures of the British Legation. They
had many dead and wounded. Among them
were some women and children. All were short
Of food. even of the commonest necessaries. The
women were starving, they gave part of
their small allowance to the children. The for
eigners, nevertheless. were holding out under a
terrific fire. upheld by the hourly expectation of
relief. They knew they would not be aban-
doned and that the armies Of their governments
were advancing Sometimes they thought they
could hear artillery in action beyond the wall
They were unable to return the fire of the
Chinese except at moments when an assault
seemed imminent. Then the machine guns and
repeating rifles tore the storrning parties to
pieces.
The messenger expressed belief that II would
be impossible for the foreigners to resist much
longer as the Chinese were preparing to batter
down the walls of the courtyard and their am
munition was running low.
Orders were given by Prince Tuan, the
messenger says, that since some had been
killed not one other foreigner should be left
alive. The Chinese soldiers were exhorted to
sacrifice their lives without hesitation if by so
doing they could help exterminate the Wang
kuei tie" Extreme precautions had been taken
TO prevent the foreigners from communicating
with any outside the city. and number of
runners who had been sent out We're killed by
the Chinese. This messenger succeeded in get
ting through by smeating his face and clothes
with blood and joining in the outcries against
the devils" He passed the bodies Of foreigners
Of Admiral Seymour's force, who had been
killed between Lang-Fang and Lo-Fu. Their
bodies had been cut in pieces and their heac-
were carried at the ends Of bamboos.
ARMY ADVANCING ON TIEN-TsIN
A large army of Manchu Chinese Imperial
troops. with seventy guns, is reported to be ad-
vancing in the direction of Tien-Tsin
Reliance is placed in Shanghai on most of the
statements made by the messenger, as he is
known to be faithful to the foreigners.
The consular body Shanghai is Of the opin-
ion that the food and ammunition of the be-
sieged legation forces at Peking having become
exhausted they must be dead or imprisoned, and
that it would be futile to make a desperate
effort for their relief with an inadequate force.
1t is regarded a Shanghai as appalling that
nothing is being done for the relief of the be-
sieged foreigners. and that they should be aban-
doned to a horrible fate. The inability of 1000
men-the latest estimate of the number landed
to advance is explained by the statement that
the Chinese army between Tien-Tsn and Peking
has been heavily reinforced-that is, abundant
artillery and numerous cavalry-giving 1t large
advantage over the allies. Reconnoitring
parties run a great hazard of being surrounded.
captured and probably executed by torture.
long delay seems certain before an effective ad-
vance can be made.
Severe fighting. according to vague reports.
continues around Tien-Tsin.
Various accounts of the murder of Baron Won
Ketteler reach Shanghai The correspondent Of
..The Express says that Prince Tuan, who is
the dictator at the capital. -re1 by means OF a
tran 10 induce the Ministers to leave the lega-
tions so that they might be massacred by
fanatics. thus evading Governmental response
bilitv for their death The American. British
French and Russian Ministers suspected plot
and refused 10 leave the legations. Baron Won
Ketteler however. accepted the invitation. and
left the German legation with d small escort Of
German marines Opposite the Foreign Office