Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-12-19


rushing across the fields in our direction
There was little time for parley then. and,
as we were but scantily supplied with am
munition, we made rapidly In the direction
of the river. A running fire was kept up
by the Cinnamon for few minutes, but
luckily none Of our party was injured. and
we continued without further alarm to the
banks Of the Pei-ho.
Later that evening we learned that a.
large Russian patrol was In search OF this
band of Cinnamon, and that mistakfng
small body of Japanese troops for the ma
RAIDERS had fired into At and killed and
wounded several.
On the following day another and a larger
party from our boats. including several
native coolies, made second excursion
from the river several miles to the north
and entered another deserted town. the
name Of which 1 was unable to learn, and
situated about two miles from the river
bank.
Here there were no evidences Of strife
but the gates, walls and doors had been
battered down or broken in and other signs
OF lootlng were apparent. Our party was
IN search Of fruits, vegetables and poultry,
but, with usual curiosity. entered the
houses and looked about In this village
there was the ever-numerous Snarling cur
with bony sides and shaggy, wild hair
Ihey had sufficient intelligence to know
the meaning Of a rifle, and with misera-
BILE bark or two would make to a place of
shelter. In one of the houses, all the win
dows of which had been broken, we found
a little aged woman. dried up almost to the
appearance of mummy, and seated upon
bunch of straw in the center of a room.
She was slowly and complacently combing
the few hairs that remained upon her aged
head: She hardly noticed our presence and
Vouchsafed no reply to the many curious
questions that were asked her. We came
away leaving the poor old thing alone in
her desolation.
Pirates of the Pei-Ho.
outside the village we came upon a de-
tachment of Japanese soldiers who were
marching number Of Sikhs (Ang,o-Indian
troops) before them to the district guard
house some distance away. AS our party
came in sight the other one halted and
we were commanded to come forward AM
BE- searched. The Sikhs were protesting
their innocence 81 looting but at the same
time they were carrying in bags evidences
OF their depredations. Two of them had
been bayoneted by the Japs before they
surrendered. The japanese lieutenant in
charge of the detachment spoke fair Eng
fish and told US that the Sikhs had kileI
several natives in a small hamlet below the
one we had entered. Asked what punish
ment would be given them he significantly
remarked: I'VE never turn them over TO
the British, for that would mean no pun.
fshment at ALL but he failed to state
what his authorities would do in the prem
ises.
I may remark right here that these
much-vaunted SikhS are the most thor
oughly despised and hated Of all the for
egn troops In China. Their own brethren
In arms. the regular Tommy Atkins" will
have nothing to do with them; the Japs are
their sworn enemies and the other foreign
soldiers do not hesitate to take shot. at
one of the Anglo Indians when the slight
est provocation offers
This little depression will be pardoned,
since l include the Sikhs as first among
the pirates of the Pei-ho. There can be no
question but that more petty outrage, pill
lage and rapine may be credited to these
turbaned brigands from Bombay and Ben
gal than to any other source AS fighters
they are among the poorest. having no ma
tional spirit and lacking most Of the good
qualities of soldiers While American, Rus
sian. Japanese and other soldier boys were
dying in the trenches and along the walls
Of bloody Tien Tsin these hrelings Of In
d1a were chiefly engaged In the lootfng Of
houses and the outrage and butchery of
women and children.
Further up the river on one Of the follow
Ing days our fleet was hailed from the
shore by a band of Cinnamon, who appealed
franticaly to US to land a few men. To
our Cinnamon aboard they said that some
of their own countrvmen from the south
were burning and looting a village but a
few miles away. The marauders were not
in large numbers, they said. but We're well
armed and sew all who came in their
path. With such prospect we decided that
the river was the better place for u.s.
During the remainder Of that trip there
We're several similar incidents. and on my
second trim. which made up the river
bevond Pekin, for distance of only twenty
miles, the same conditions prevailed.
Those Of the native inhabitants who had
not fled the country were subject to all
sorts of outrage. Yet this Is in the section
of the celestial emnire where order is sup
posed to reign, and where the armies of
the world are in camp. The flags of the
foreign nations are here. there and
everywhere. and small detachments of the
various armies patroling the entire
region, but anarchy in its worst form is
uDon every hand. and the neaceful China
mantle peasant Of the village, field and
farm-is the sufferer 7 am glad to be able
to say that instances Of looting on the part
of our soldiers are very rare and have vet
to learn of a single brutal or outra geouS af-
fair penetrated by men wearing the Amer
lean uniform.
The petty pirates Of the Pe-ho I place
In this order: Sikh soldiers, placed in de-
tachments along the river to keep order;
native bands Of Cinnamon who came to
this section to join in the revolt against
foreigners and the Russian soldiers who
pa rol the Pekin railway.
Thus while the powers are talking peace
and indemnity al Pekin the fertile valley Of
the Pei-ho, with its beautiful feds and
rich harvests is given over to pillage and
ruin.