Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1900-10-09
IOWA STATE NEWS.
THRILLING STORY.
Mrs. conser and Her Niece Write Con-
cerning Defense of the Legn-
TONERS MT Picking.

Four letters from Mrs. L. H. Conger,
wife of Minister Conger, and her niece,
Miss Mary Pierce, have reached Des
Moines, telling in detail the thrilling
story of the desperate defense of the
legationers at Picking, the events lead
ing UP to the siege and their rescue.
The letters are in the form of diaries,
setting forth the conditions in Peking
with graphic simplicity. Mrs. Conger's
letter goes back to May. She tells Of
the frightful work of the Boxers at
that time. Under date Of June 81 she
says:
We feel that no harm will come to the
legations. Our own 800 men are worth
10000 Boxers. We know nothing about the
outer world-nothing except Picking. All
buildings adjoining the legations are
burned Bricks and stones have been
built into Notifications in our streets
There is imminent peril, however, as we
cannot watch every point. We hope to
see our troops to-day or tomorrow"
Mrs. Conger tells of the killing of
Baron Won Ketteler, the German min
lister. Under date of August 10, when
the relief column was near, she wrote:
Word from our coming troops. only 40
miles away. They are coming $4,000 strong.
Our hearts are full to overlooking Our
food was getting low-one-half pound of
horse meat each day issued to foreigners;
and dogs are killed for the Chinese to eat.
TWO of our horses have been eaten, and
there are two more left - Laura's and
Mary's. Our mule is working daily-hence
not liable to be killed. Wong and the cook
plan to get something for us to eat"
Of the arrival of the troops on Au-
gust IA Mrs. Conger wrote:
The coming troops are here. Such JOY
and warm greetings you never saw. Last
night the firing was terrific. Many more
such nights would have tried us. They
turned their big guns on us again. But
am not going to write: I cannot; The
troops came in about four o'clock. The
yells and cheers went up louder than did
those of the Boxers of the past. Edwins
hands minister Conger's) are full 70 over
flowing. He is real we'll, but lost Is roupds
during the SIEGE"
Miss Pierce, under date of July 4,
says:
July 4-The Chinese build barricades
within 80 feet of ours, and then build
around In bastion of the wall to within
five feet SO they could throw stones over
into our barrioade, which they did all
day. Yesterday morning about daybreak
Capt. Myers, with about 80 Americans and
Russians. made rush for the Chinese
barricade and killed about 60 Cinnamon and
drove all the rest back. Then our men in
stalled themselves back Of this barricade.
It was fine one, and we'll built and very
strong. Two of our soldiers and two of
the Russians were wounded in the knee by
running on spear The Chinese had
their bayonets stuck. with points up. on the
inside of the barricade. Capt. Myers Is
true soldier, brave and courageous, and.
when the time came to start, he said to the
men: Now, men; over there In the Brit
ish legation are over 800 women and chill
dren who are dependent on us to keep the
wall. If we do not risk our lives tonight
to take this barricade. we may lose our
own along with the Others