The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1900-08-11
GRAPHIC
Recital Of Battle at Tien Tsin
Between Chinese and the
Allied Forces.

the builder and manager of the hrsc
woolen mill establishment In the Chinese
Empire and the personl friend Of United
States Consul General Ragsdale and oe
Poo Tong, brother to the Chinese en-
peror that was, tells the following story
Of the attack at Tien Tsin:
1T was on the mornin got July H. that
the first clash between foreigners ana
tho empires soldiers occurred. On the
afternoon Of the same day, the lombard
ment of the Taku forts began. Captain
Bailey of the British ship Orlando was
commander of the allied forces at Tien
Tsin on July II, as Captain McCana
was absent with Seymour at the time
AT about II o'clock in the forenoon he
saw some smoke rising in the direction
OF the railroad track about four miles
distant from the city and suspecting that
the Boxers had fred another bridge, Cap
tain Bailey ordered thirty Of his blue
Jackets, commanded by a. midshipman,
whose name l have forgotten, to proceed
to the spot and investigate We had a
| three inch gun and the men were fully
armed. When our fiat car had travelled
about three miles we found bridge in
which the timbers had been burned away
from the iron girders and considering it
unsafe to cross, our commander ordered
his men to return to the city. We had
gone about 800 yards on the back trip,
when we saw a lot Of Chinese soldiers
about 15O-crossing the track at a point a
mile ahead of us. They were walking
very rapidly and as we approached them
all doubts as to their being imperial
troops disappeared. They did not wear
the red turban and sash that distinguish
ed the Boxers, and as soon as we got
within about 500 yards OF them they scat
with which the surface of the country
was thickly studded Regarding this ac-
ton as suspicious, our midshipman gave
the order to fire a volley and they quick
ly and vigorously returned the salute.
Our field piece was minus sight and
most of its shots passed over the enemy,
so that after ten minutes of hot fire
we resumed our retreat, the Chinese fir
ing at us as long as we were within
range.
There were no casualties on our side
The most important feature was OF that
incident was it's bearing on the subse-
quent proceedings. 1t had not been for
the action our party that morning the
bombardment OF Tien Tsin might NOT
, have commenced that afternoon, in 9TH
er words l am inclined to believe that
our attack on the Chinese troops pre-
J
And for that reason the slirmish may
, attain some Importance when hnalset-
Elements are being made"
DR.. Diffendorfer opines that the trouble
in China will be at an end with a couple
, of years at the fartherist
'It will be a repetition OF the PAT
|. Ting rebellion" he said when the al
lies have captured Pekin the Bowers will
be broken into band of maraudres."
Chas. McInterr a Toronto, Canada,
! man, but an American citizen, who was
Mr.. Diffe ndorfer's assistant in the wooleR
. mills says
. II think I must have spent about fif-
: teen days in the tower. 1 was doing
sharpshooting most of the time. We got
a Lee-Metford rifles from the arsenals
and how many Mongolians they brought
( to death / don't know. / tried to run
three engines out Of Peldn, but did not
get far. / think we must have got hair
way through. Bodies of Chinese were ly-
my along the track, headless ana
. butchered. 1t was workers for the Box
ers They fought with speersand knives
until they got in with imperial troops
: and would not use foreign guns, Now
: they have los Of them and they shoot
I well The tower commanded a view OF The
entire situation for miles. In the lower
part OF the DulIulHS lie ihdiihNS oii :
I soldiers were holding positions against
b the attcking pa' 'ty they had loophoiA1
: the building, by removing the bricks, and
, it was necessary that they should be
y kept posted on the movements of the
enemy so as to be prepared for the charg-
, es. We signaed to them from the tower
d and arranged to let them know exactly
;. where the Chinese were.
6 These are Lhe kind Of bullets We US-
e ed" said this speaker as he drew several
u cartridges FROM his pocket. "rhey 9ie
y dunn dunn bullets and we got them from
the Chinese arsenal. They will tear 4
i man to pieces and were probably intea;i-
y ed for our fell0W but wo gave the Ch'-
nese a dose of their own medicine
r THE Chinese had three guns in all
= trained upon the mill. They shot the
dwellings into ruins and damaged the
% mill considerably. In all 100 marines were
injured. The American soldiers that
came to our rescue while we were in the
IS shot riddled tower filled our hearts with
II emotion indescribable. The marines were
u the first to come around the bend near
J. the tower and they made a magnificent
:, appearance with the flag, flying at the
~ head of the column. The people fairly
went mad with joy at the sight OF re-
Inducements.
. THE best fighters among the allies are
the Americans, British and Japs The
as Japs have earned a most enviable re-
y cord for discipline and bravery. The
5f army seemed to be made up of men of
to exactly the same size and their equip