Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1900-10-25
MINNEAPOLIS WOMAN SHOT BOX
ERS IN SELF DEFENSE.
SHE HAD A CLOSE CALL
But Kept Her Nerve and Used Her
Revolver-kow She is Back in
Minneapolis, Where She Is Remem.
bered as Miss Rena king-Story
Of Her Bravery.

most tnfllllnS experience OF any Wom-
an who has been concerned with the
boxer outbreak in the Chinese empire.
Mrs, Crane KILLED three boxers who
were attempting to enter the house of
the British consular agent, A. T. Rol-
fe, at Sinu, so miles south Of Wei-nai-
wei, in the province Of Shantung, and
escaped from her perilous surround
ings more dead than alive.
Mrs. Crane was on visit to Brit
ish family in Sinu. with whom she
had become acquainted in Shanghai,
where her husband was employed in
the coal business. On the night of
June %, in company with two lady
friends, she called at the house of the
british agent, and left for home with
her friea1s about O'clock AS they
stepped INTO the street a Russian de-
tectiye darted out of the shadow and
stopped them Get out Of here quick
ly," he whispered, the boxers are
angry at you.
Mrs. Cranes friend was too much
frightened to answer, as they knew
more about the terrible nature of these
Chinese murderers than their guest
but did net wish to alarm her Mrs.
Crane asked the Russian where the
boxers We're, and he told them that
| they were everywhere and if she val
ued her life she would leave the city
at once. He gave no waning to Mrs.
Cranes friends, and Mrs Crane now
believes that he was In collision with
the boxers to do them injury. Why
she was signaled out for safety, she
cannot understand, except that she had
been there but a few days, and could
not be supposed to have made any
enemies. Her only fault was that she
was a foreigner.
The party arrived home without
any resistance, and had about conclud-
cd that the Russian was .ome crank
when they We're startled by low
knock On the front door Mrs. Ellis
ton went to the door and asked what
was wanted AS she peered through
the window she saw a dozen Cinnamon
OF the worst type huddled Oh the porch
to the right OF the door The men
asked in broken English for Mr.. Ellis
ton, and receiving no response, they
threw their combined weight against
the door The door was heavily built,
however, and did not yield to their
strength Finally one of hem ran to
window and thrust his head into the
apartment. Mrs Crane, who had been
watching the proceedings in the dim
light in the hail, took the situation in
at a glance She felt that their time
had come IL something was 10 be done
quickly, so she rushed to the next
room and procured a revolver, Run
ming back, She saw the boxer who had
made his entrance pulling another one
into the room by the scruff of the neck.
Without waiting TO ask questions, she
Immediately fired upon the fellow in
the room. who dropped to the floor
without a sound. The man he had
hold Of was precipi'ated far enough
above the sill by Tie fall OF his partner
TO make a good mark, so Mrs. Crane
stepped up TO him and shot him
squarely in the breast He fell back
into the crowd, and she could hear the
yellow devils planning some means Of
revenge
Il felt as il we We're all going to be
murdered, said Mrs. Crane in narrat-
ing her terrible experience at the
home Of her sister Mrs. J. Z. Rogers,
but / learned to shoot in Minnesota,
and | did not propose to die without
a struggle. Ny husband had given me
a revolver when left Shanghai, and
requested me to keep it always near
me- That l had presence OF mind
enough TO get II and use it seems more
wonderful to me now that it is all past
than it can to anyone else. I don't
know how | ever nerved myself up to
do such a thing.
When the boxers heard the first
shots they withdrew a shor. distance,
ana at length We noticed them moving
toward the rear of the house. The
rear Of Mrs Elliston's dwelling was
entirely unprotected. and l knew IL
they ever got back there they would /
certainly kin us all; SO I began firing
into me crowd After the fourth shot. |
ny last enc. one Of them dropped. and |
his companions walked away and left |
him They paid not the slightest atten.
ton to either him or the fellows who /
had made the first attempt to enter the |
house The man who got into the win
dow was unconscious and Mrs Ellis I
ton. o servant and myself dragged him
out 81 the house after the others had /
gone away. We hoped he wasn't dead. |
and somehow managed to drag him a (
great distance down the street Att
least 81 seemed like a great ways, al
-.