West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1900-11-15

a' NAN oeen SIAM py tnctr comp2triots
because they refused to fight. The heads
which had belonged to the bodies we're dis
covered later hanging by their pigtaiis,
decorating the outer walls Of the city.
The flags of FIVE nations, America. Great
Britain, Russia, Japan and France were
flying from the high pagodss on the walls
when the newspaper correspondents entered.
1T was hard enough to get those flags up
there" remarked an officer, "but the real
trouble will be to &c, them down"
The suburbs of the city presented fore.
taste of what was inside. Shells had torn
the huts and ploughed the ground, while
the bodies of dead men scattered among
those of dead horses, pigs and dogs. testified
how thoroughly the bullets had swept the
region the day before.
DEAD WE'RE EvRRYwHERR.
The spectacle inside the city compelled
respect for the fighting qualities of the
Chinese. Their dead were everywhere.
Dressed in the coarse blue coolie blouse
and trousers, decorated with mystic
vulnerable to foreign bullets. they were
strewn along the top of the wall.
Walking quarter of mile along the
embankment the bodies averaged one in
ten feet, and the wall was almost ten miles
long.
Throughout the city the demolished
houses and hundreds of dead bodies gave
evidence of how vastly more effective had
been the foreign she'll FIRE within the walls
ut the city than the Chinese bombardment
of the foreign settlement, which. lasting for
a month, had killed only dozen persons.
The Viceroy had constructed in the
palace yard two comfortable and impene,ra-
BILE bomb-proof excavations guarded by sand.
bags, but the common people were less
fortunate.
Many women and children had been
killed, and their bodies were lying in the
streets torn terribly by shrapnel. The
Populace were utterly indifferent to its dead.
No one took the trouble to drag the bodies
out of the streets or even cover them up
with mating, as the foreign soldiers did after
ward, but trampled them under foot without
bolhering to turn aside.
Before the shooting in the streets had
been stopped thousands of Chinese had
emerged from their burrows, carrying white
flags of foreign nations, principally the
Japanese.
Most remarkable of all the sights was the
looting Of the city.
The middle of the place was like an ant
hill kicked open. Chinese swarmed every
where, thousands and thousands of them.
diving into the flames of the burning shops.
getting under falling walls and into choking
clouds of smoke. Most of them were half
naked, grimy with smoke and sometimes
dripping with blood. They preyed upon one
another.
a Chinese appearing with a prize had
to fight his way through rows of other
Chinese, who sprang on him and cluiched
his plunder. They rolled among the corpses,
pulling and tearing, while children,
trsmpled down, cried for help and the mob
poured righ, over them.
The palaces, the mint, the pawnshops,
the stores Of silk, furs and iewelry were
the first objects of attack.
Near the middle Of the city was the mos,
prosperous pawnshop, an institution that
had probably existed for centuries. Rich
Chinese had been accustomed to store their
winter clothing there for safe keeping.
When the doors were battered down
the mob flowed in like tidal wave.
There were British officers, naval and
military, soldiers and sailors with a good
sprinkliug Of Skhs' but principally Chinese.
Ina iwinkling all was pandemonium.
The Chinese knew where the best treasure
was to be found, and the soldiers followed
them.
Two forces came into collision in the
gateway, rush hne Of Chinese struggling to
enter and another line fighting to get out
with great armfuls Of loot, while an
occasional soldier went through the mob like
member Of the "6nest' goes through
Broadway crowd.
Tien Tsin experienced sweeping re-dis-
iribution Of wealth, but on the old scheme
Of prizes to the strongest
The looiing lourishcd for three days.
On the first day II was unrestraiued. Many
whites accumulated stacks Of goods by
simply standing at the city gates and holding
up the bestladen Chinese from the endless
procession that flowed out. Pack horses.
carts, rickshaws, coolies loaded with trunks
and sacks and Piled with loose silks, furs.
bronzes, crowded all the roads leading down
to the settlement English officers rode
with their horses concealed under dry goods
and soldiers sIong bundles on their
bayonets.
On the second day a conference Of COM
manding officers decided 10 adopt repressivc