The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-09-02

TIEN-TSIN'S TREASURE TRovE
APPROPRIATED BY NATIVE THIEVES
AND EUROPEAN sOLDIERY.
Correspondence of the Indianapolis Journal.

Correspondence Of the Indianapolis Journal.
TIEN-TSIN, July 17.-This is the tale
of how the yellow people of Tien-Tsin
parted with their property. 1t is not TO be
understood, of course, that they gave 1t
up willingly. but it Is gone just the same.
In some cases the divorce from property
may prove only temporary. In most in
stances, however. the transfer of title will
doubtless prove to be permanent.
The captured walled city has been given
over to footing. There has been carnival
of it. Chinese who were wealthy few
days ago--wealthy. that is, from the Chi
nese standpoint-are paupers to-day. They
are tearing their hair any saying worse
things about the foreign devils than ever
the Boxers said. And all because simply
a colossal fortune. collectively, has found
new owners! 1t seems absurd, of course,
but the Chinese have foolish notion
against parting with their goods and chat
tells unless some sort of compensation is
offered.
The military headquarters have been
thronged with compliments. A few of the
Chinese put on bold front when they en-
ter the presence of the potentates of bay
onets. Most of them, though. come in dis
may and trembling at first, for they fear
to complain. Once they get in the pres
ence of military commanders, and find that
their lives are not in imminent danger
merely because of their woes. they 'Tck
UP heart and begin to fire broadsides IF
Indignation. They arraign the thievi.g
foreign devils volubly in Chinese, talk for
some minutes uninterrupted, and then are
talked back at In English, German, jap
snese, Italian, Austrian, French or Rus
sian. A visitor at headquarters listened
to the jargon for a few moments, then
turned to British officer and inquired:
whats the prevailing language in this
town."
.Volapuk," was the answer.
No sooner had the last shot been fired
in the walled city of Tien-Tsin, and the
foreign troops were in possession, than the
riot of loot began. Even before the allies
entered many of the Chinese merchants
and bankers had escaped with such val
uables as they could carry Those whose
goods were more ponderabie, or who were
afraid to venture into the tumultous out
side world, remained behind. barTicading
their heavy wooden doors for the most
part
HOW 1T BEGAN.
The trouble probably began by some of
the troops of the allies finding public and
private houses open. They entered out of
curiosity, found articles Of more or less
value, and then became keen for syste-
matte money-making hunt. The greatest
| of the looters, however, were the Chinese
| themselves. Bare-legged coolies of the
| lowest class were found in houses which
not two centuries of their toll would have
purchased They boldly proclaimed them
selves the owners and claimed all in sight
| for themselves. In many cases these pseu-
| dc owners were unceremoniously hustled
| out and their self-claimed goods taken in
charge of by uniformed foreigners. The
| streets were full of Chinese carrying off
/ things which it was morally certain they
| could not afford to own. The mud novels
| of the poorer classes are known to be full
| of stolen property that will make them
| rich by and by. if they are allowed to
| keep their offerings.
| II was Sunday, and Christian troops who
were sent here for the presuamble purpose
| of the teaching the Chinese the worth OF
| Christianity began by Decorating their own
| holy day. Stories are rife of the Chinese
/ who made show of resistance against the
seizure of their goods. In many cases they
| were shot for their presumption. Many
were certainly slain-and their bodies yet
| cucumber the ground-who did not fall as
| combatants in the fight. Cinnamon ION
the loot have been among the murderers,
| as some OF the dead victims have been
hacked with swords.
Not less rapacious than the Chinese loot
ers were scores of white adventures from
the foreign concession that had been SO
| long under fire, and whose lives and prop
erty the allied troops were sent here tc
| protect No sooner had the walled city
fallen than these white adventures fiocked
to the scene. They went at the native shops
like madmen, battering down doors an6
searching every interior nook Counters
and shelves were ransacked by these white
civilians, and the goods piled in heaps or
the fioor-some of the heaps to be taker
and others to be abandoned. Cash boxe:
were broken open, and axes. knives. ham
mers and swords employed in breaking ny
chests. Floors were pulled UP where the,
existed, and tiny back yards were gon,
over industricusly with spades.
These European adventures came, il
most cases. attended by Chinese coolies
who had been hired or impressed. Thes,
| coolies drew rickshaws or pushed wheel
barrows, drove mules with baskets o.
brought the more cumbrous baskets de
pending from long bamboo poles carried OF
the shoulders OF two coolies. A few of tn
white adventures. either not having TIL
time or the money to hire Cinnamon
brought only their pockets or sacks 4
favorite trick with the Chinese, IL an at
tempt was made to interfere with thei
footing, was to point to some distant or in
visible white man and to claim that the,
were working for him.
AMERICANS NOT IN IT.
OF all the troops. only the American an
Japanese refrained rigidly from lootine
All the other allied nations were more O
less represented in share OF the plundel
AS early as the American and Japanes
commanders learned of what was going o
patrol and guard parties from these tw
| armies were sent out or stationed. Me
of any kind. or even soldiers who locke
like hooters. were promptly held up b
these guard and patrol parties and mad
to disgorge-