The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1900-11-21
The LOOTINC
OF ten TSIN.
MI. Hoover Tells a Rather Re-.
maTkabIe Story About Il.
BIG CHANCE TO MAKE MONEY.
For $4,000 ln Gold $25O,000 Worth Of
Silver Could Have Been Bought : Bullion
Too Heavy TO Carry.
BIG CHANCE TO MAKE MONEY.

New York. Nov. 21.-To the stories of
the fortunes In silver and furs and cost
ly goods that were 10 be had for the
seizing at the great loot of Tien-Tsin,
when the allied troops sacked that opu-
lent Chinese city, in August must be add
ed the account OF III. c. Hoover, chief
engineer of the coal mines of the prov
ince of Chilli, who arrived on the Um-
bria Monday.
Mr.. Hoover. who has lived I'm Tien-Tsin
for two years saw the plundering OF
that city, and declares that when II came
time to move on Pekin $2p 900 In gold
could have purchased $4,000 In silver
bars, which were too heavy for the SOL
diers to carry.
with our soldiers themselves. said
Mr.. Hoover Monday. mo one could find
fault. They gave us Americans whatever
little glory we got out OF this business.
They took no part i'm the atrocities which
disgraced other troops They were gem
tiemen, officers and privates.
DID A LITTLE LooTING.
'It is true they did little looting, but
as every one was looting they cannot be
much blamed for that. The United States
government got about three-quarters OF
a million dollars out OF the loot OF Tien-
Tsin. The money was sent 10 the secre-
tary OF the treasury. l saw the draft my
self II was the proceeds of the loot OF
the salt works treasury.
TIE American civilians OF Tien-Tsin
knew where this treasury was, and told
our officers. At first they did not seem
TO think II of Importance. Others began
To rob IL, however, and carry away the
silver bars. One man got $4,000 out OF 1t.
Then the officers thought II time to in
terfere. and they took possession of the
treasury. The bullion was shipped to
Shanghai and a draft for the amount
sent 10 the secretary of the treasury at
Washington.
II do not know what has become Of the
money. There was no system at the time
II was taken; everybody was taking care
OF his own-that is, that which he had IN
his possession.
THE soldiers had taken big bars OF sill
yer, and when the order came to move on
to Pekin there was CONSERVATION i'm the
camp. Each soldier had about seventy
pounds OF silver. They could not carry
this with them on the march, so they
tried to dispose of II for something nego-
table.
You could have bought $250,000 worth
OF silver then for $4,000 in gold
AS many as ten soldiers came 10 my
house before the army set out trying to
sell silver. l do not know what became
OF the metal eventually.
HUMILIATING FOR AMERICANS.
'Tt has been very humiliating for AM
orleans In China to find that they could
not depend on their government I'm a
crisis" continued Mr.. Hoover. Eighteen
months ago II was loudly proclaimed that
Secretary Hay had scored a diplomatic
triumph and had obtained the open
door in China. On that assurance many
Americans like myself put their money in
Ina. We felt that we would have a
strong government behind us and that We
would be secure.
This iuea remained with us while
there was peace, but as soon as the crisis
came and tested the American triumph IL
turned out to be only a paper triumph.
ur government has blocked negotiations
I'm China and caused the Chinese 10 think
we are weak. 1t has been a blunder.
IF the whole empire should rise the re-
sponsibilty will ale with the United
States. We have lost the respect
of the Chinese and of the European Pow
ers."