Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-09-01

concession was stopped by the guard wHie
trundling a wheeibarrow apparently fuii OF
oil sacks.
This worthless merchandise causing suspi-
cion the load was Investigated. Down I'M
der the sacks was q cargo OF nearly $Il.OOO
In silver, besides half dozen heavy bars or
bullion He was not arrested, but hastily
decamped after saying that he would soon
be at headquarters to prove his property.
That was two days ago. He hasn't Deen
heard from yet.
In every quarter of the walled city were
found men and women Of the yellow race
who had unquestionably been killed by
hooters. A few, badly wounded, feigned
death and escaped. The tales they tell are
naturally harrowing-most of them unfit
for publication. 1t Is safe to say that 1t
has been a long time since Christendom
has been 50 disgraced as 1t was by the
barbarous looting here in Tfen Tsin.
though, as 1 have already stated, much OF
this horrible work was done by the Chi
nese themselves
Yet even such tragedies as have here
been enacted have their lighter side. One
sample was the experience of Some Rus
sian soldiers They were approached by
Chinaman, who limited that, for consid-
Grafton he would show them the site of
some buried treasure that he did not dare
their pockets they got together the re-
quired sum. Just as they were starting
one OF the officers got wind Of the affair
and said that he would go, too. That
meant, of course, that the soldiers would
get none of the treasure for themselves.
They were badly disappointed, but they
picked up shovels and started In the wake
Of their pilot. He led them outside the
city to spot on the bank of the canal
Here he showed them where three small
sticks had been driven down into the
ground. They began to dig, the officer
experimenting the work. For some dis
lance they dug, but still no gladdening
sight of treasure trove. The Chinaman
signed to them to dig further and deeper
they went. So deep. in fact that they got
below the water level and found them
they were up to their knees in water. but
still they toiled. At last they looked for
the Chinaman. He had discreetly van
fshed. They toiled another quarter of an
1t up altogether. Nader Muscovites could
not be found either in China or Russia.
Our Soldiers a Credit.
1t is hard to give exact figures Of the
plumber. English officers admit that a mil
lion taels' worth was seized by them off
cially." but that was according to the rules
of war and legitimate. Official counting
will be given this treasure. 1t is impossible
to state with strict accuracy how much fell
into the hands Of hooters pure and simple.
An estimate has been formed, however, and
is doubtless as accurate as can be made.
This estimate cOnservatvely places the
amount Of private lootings at over seven
million taels! Some Of this was stolen by
the Chinese. but by far the greater part
fell into the hands Of European soldiers and
the f1otsam and jetsam OF white population
from the foreign concession.
In all this gloomy view Of the barbarity
of which ''civilized' peoples can be guilty
at times there is one consoiing feature.
Nen Tsin has been for decades a notorious
fence" for Pekin. The Chinese capital has
always been terrorized by bands Of thieves.
1t was their custom to ship their plumber
by the river route to Tien Tsin, where there
were many native merchants who would
buy 1t without asking awkward questions.
Probably most of the treasure in the way
of precious metals. jewels, silks and furs
that was taken from the walled city was
stolen from natives who had themselves Sc
cured 1t from thieves. Even that. of course.
does not justify the Europeans for their
bloody. greedy work. But we may be proud
OF our own soldiers They have shown
themselves manly. honest noble fellows
Today Tien Tsin is quiet. There is order,
a semblance Of government, and there will
be no more looting. Guards have been
placed wherever requested. provided it was
shown that there was valuable property to
protect. r. w. AYMAR