Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1900-12-03
PEKING
-
And Its long Siege.
Dr.. Monroe Gave a
Graphic Recital
Of the Hardships and
Horror Experienced.
Greed of Trade Was the Dis
lurking Cement.
She Mob and Not the People, Are Re-
sponsible For 0utrages.

Taking for his text the biblical in
junction, go ye, into all the world
and preach the gospel" DR.. L. h.
Monroe, pastor Of the First Congrega'
tional church, gave to his Sunday
morning hearers graphic description
of the siege of Pekin.
The day had been set apart for a
missionary offering and more ap-
propriate topic would have been diff
cult to find. DR.. Monroe prefaced his
remarks by saying that three times
during his lifetime had such massacres
of Christian believers been perpetrated.
He referred to the Armenian butcher
les three years ago and the atrocities
committed in Middle Africa 10 years
ago. Referring to the Boxer out
break in China DR.. Monroe said:
Last May, there were in China, 81
missions representing different de-
nominations. There were $500 mis-
sionaries, 5000 native helpers. and
100000 church members. Our denom-
ination Congregational had 1O5 mis-.
sionaries in the Empire. We had 10
stations and 1856 out-stations. There
We're G70 native helpers, 5000 men,
bers and $4,000 adherents or pagans
who had accepted Christianity, but
were kept waiting for a time before
being admitted. We had established
1856 schools and colleges with total Of
3,7O0 students in attendance. We
owned 10 hospitals and 100 dispensar-
les involving an investment Of $500,OO0.
or the 105 missionaries, 13 are dead
and 0 of them were graduates o. Ober-
J lin college. How many Of the others
have perished we do not know.
Last spring body of men called
Boxers, representing the mob element
of China, began their depredations.
They were superstitious and believed
that they could undergo process that
would make them invulnerable. They
believed that bullet could not pierce
them or sword cut them. The ma
tives knew of this uprising and the
al cd 4 t<, 1hc A I,ac
sadors but the officials could not be-
lieve it. May 25, the massacre began
in the country. The Pekin Gazette
contained royal proclamation that
the missionaries would be killed May
81. Three thousand people sought
refuge within the walls Of Pekin and
May 20, the providential arrival of 500
marines blocked the game. The
slaughter began and not until the
murder of the Japanese Ambassador
June II, would the other officials be-
lieve that danger was imminent
Earthworks were thrown up and
barbed wire, which has become @
part of military science. was freely
used. The women of the city made
sandbags to the number of a milliOl
less ten. These bags We're made out o1
material from cheap muslin up t.
corded velvet worth $40 a yard. The
table and bed linen of the legation:
were made into sand bags. June 20
the German Ambassador was killed
and there was no longer n chance foI
doubt The firing began July IA, ant
continued two months.s
"The native Christians were brave
and courageous. They performed
! many deeds of daring. Their records
are splendid. The first message that
came from the besieged city was car
rled by IA year old Chinese boy
to Tien Tsin, distance of 7S miles
, The journey was perilous and the lad
! placed the message in the bottom of O
! beggars bowl and covered it with
mush, The next word received was
brought by 16 year old boy and the
cipher message was carried under his
tongue, The next was brought in the
sole of a boys shoe and still another
was carried by an old man sewed in
the seam of his coat They were faith
rul unto death.
"The walls that surround Pekin arc
60 feet high, at the top are 40 feet
broad with parapets, The Fourth OF
July was celebrated but not with fire
works for powder was precious, In
stead, they sang all the patriotic songs
any one could think of. August IA
the relief army arrived. The first to
ienter were the British bengal troops