The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-07-04

N~
hal correspondent of the Times telegraph
ing on Monday says: The edict issued at
Picking on June rs amounts of an open
challenge to the powers. and practically
declares war. 1t commands the provinces
to enroll the Boxers and troops to assist
TO expel the foreigners"
LONDON. July 4. 2:SO a. ~m.-Couriers
who are arriving at the seats of govern
ment Of the southern viceroys from their
agents in Picking give vivid but fragment
airy pictures of what is being enacted in
the capital. These couriers seemingly left
Picking a day. or two later than the mes
senger OF Sir Robert Hart. the Inspector
general of customs. who started on the
night of June "a hey report that the
heads of some of the captured legation
guards were being borne through the
streets at the top of spears. followed by
zealots chanting '.Tapi yang kuei tse! tapi,
tapi.'' c'KfH the foreign devils. kill. killl')
The city's millions have been reused to
patriotic fervor. breaking out into the wild
est excuses. while over half the city could
be heard fighting around the legations.
Sir Robert Harris runner. who was in
terviewed by the correspondent of the Ex-
press at Shanghai. supplemented the tragic
sentences of the dispatch he bore by a
narrative Of some things he saw. He says
the foreigners were making a last stand in
the British legation. They had many dead
and wounded. Among them were some
food. even of the commonest necessaries.
The women were starving, as they gave a
part of their small allowance to the chill
dren. The foreigners nevertheless were
holding out under a terrible fire, upheld
by tie hourly expectation of relief. They
knew they would not be abandoned 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 ma
chine guns and repeating rifles tore the
storming parties to pieces. The messenger
expressed the belief that it would be i'm
possible for the foreigners to resist much
longer, as the Chinese were preparing to
batter down the walls OF the courtyard
and their ammunition was running low.
Orders were given by Prince Tuan, the
messenger says. that since some had been
killed. not one 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 kuesi tse."
HOW THE RUNNER ESCAPED.
Extreme precautions had been taken to
prevent the foreigners from communicate
ing with any one outside the city and a
number of runners who had been sent out
were killed by the Chinese. This messen-
ger succeeded in getting through by smear
ing his face and clothes with blood and
joining in the outcries against the devils"
He passed the remains OF foreigners of
Admiral Seymour's force who had been
killed between Lang-Fang and LOU.
Their bodies had been cut to pieces and
their heads were carried at the ends of
banboes.
A large army of Manchu Chinese i'm
perial troops, with twenty guns. is reported
to be advancing in the direction Of Tien-
Tsin. Reliance is placed in Shanghai. on
most of the statements as made by the
messenger. as he is known to be faithful
to the foreigners.
The consular body at Shanghai is of opin-
Ion that the food and ammunition of the
besieged legation forces at Picking having
become exhausted the 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
at Shanghai as appalling that nothing is
being done for the relief Of the besieged
foreigners. and IL seems horrible that they
should be abandoned to their fate. The in
ability CT 1900 men. the latest estimate of
the number landed. to advance is explained
by the statement that the Chinese army
between Tien-Tsin n Picking has been
heavily reinforced and that 1t has abundant
artillery and numerous cavalry. giving Ii
large advantages over the allies. Recon-
noitering parties run a great hazard of be-
ing surrounded, captured or executed. a
long delay seems certain before an effective
ADVANCE can be made. Severe fighting. ac-
cording 10 vague reports. continues around
Tien-Tsin.
Won KETTELER'S MURDER.
Various accounts OF the murder OF Baron
Won Ketteier reach Shanghai. The CORE
spondent OF the Express says that Primes
Tuan. who is the dictator at the capital.
tried by means OF a trap TO induce the min
listers 10 leave the legations so that they
might be massacred by fanatics. thus
evading governmental responsibility for
their death. The American, British. French
and Russian ministers suspected a plot and
refused TO leave the legations. Baron Won
Ketteier. however. accepted the invitation
and left the German legation with a small
~4corf az German marlnas 0nnos;t. -