Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1901-04-25

II THE SIEGE
July is. On June 10. nearly month
ago today, the tsung- h-yamen sent the
,soreign ministers word that as the adj
n!rals at Taku had notified the viceroy
If Chihli through the French consul if
ne opposed troops landing in any re-
luired numbers they would take the
Faku forts, and as this was really a
declaration of war, the foreign minis
.erS We're thereby requested to leave
Picking one and all within twenty four
hours and proceed to Tien Tsin en-
route to their respective countries. A
Chinese escort for them was to be pro-
vided by the Chinese government AS
the railroad had already been de-
stroyed all the way to Tien Tsin and
the Intended relief corps under Admiral
/ Seymour and Captain McCalla had
been driven back without being able
to reach us, and as we knew the coun-
try between Picking ana Tien Tsin was
!, filed with thousands of Boxers and
hostile soldiers, 1T seemed patent to the
most simple intellect that to leave the
protection of our legation walls was to
Invite massacre. But the intensely
dense ministers. Sir Claude Macdonald,
Il. H. Conger. M. de Giers, NJ. Pichon
and others, all excepting Baron Won
1 lNetteler, the German minister, actually
agreed to proceed to Tien Tsin on the
morrow With all their nationals, pro-
ividtng only that the Chinese govern
ment would furnish transportation.
The military officers all declared this
would mean the massacre of the entire
] community.
| Tho ,,,t,fctor ,,,.,,1.a
tainly have had us all thus massacred
had not the unfortunate Baron Won
\ l<etteler been murdered the next morn
| ing by the Chinese troops while pro-
ceeding to the tsung-li-yamen to con-
suit about details. He rode as Is GUS
tomary to the tsung-liyamen from his
legation in a sedan chair. When pass
Ing the entrance of Tsung Pu street,
just below the yamen, he was fired
upon by a body of Manchu troops of
/ Young Lu upon the command of a
was mortally wounded. His secretary
interpreter Mr.. Cordcr who accom-
panied him. was also badly wounded
by the Nolley but aided by some
friendly natives escaped to the Method
list mission near Legation street, where
after having his wounds dressed he
was sent on to his legation. The horse
. coolie had galloped back to the lega-
ton. The folly of trusting our lives
to the Chinese escort was thus made
clear, and the foreign minister's dense
as they We're. could not but realize that
to trust themselves and their families
| to the tender mercies of the ruffians
who would be appointed to escort and
murder them and us would be lunacy
F., TO Il degree that even they were not
yet arrived at.
\ had in company of the correspond
ent of the London Times early In the
4 morning of the goth of June in the most
emphatic language represented the
true state of the case to Minister Con-
! ger, only to be met with the cold reply
as he turned away after listening to
Jus, i don't agree with you" But on
receipt of the news of Ketteler's death,
a few moments later. the United States
1 minister changed his mind" and re-
luctantly admitted 1t would be impossi-
! BILE to go to Tien Tsin, and that we
must try to defend ourselves In Pek-
(, ing until a large relief force could ar
! rive to rescue us. Hasty preparations
We're then made to send all the women
and children into the English legation
| which was the largest of all the Legal
tions as we'll as the strongest, from
which to make a final stand. In a few
! hours after the news of Won Ketteers
! murder a steady stream of men, women
+ and children, carrying bundles, buckets
and trunks could have been seen pour
ing into the main gate of the British
1 legation, all with anxious faces. Carts
too, loaded with provisions from the
three foreign stores We're making the
| best use of the time in transferring all
/ the available eatables and drinkables
! within the protection of the legation
4 wallis. AS the twenty four hours grant
\ ed us in which to clear out expired at
4 p. ln., all used their entire energy as
We'll as that of the coolies at their dis
posal, so that promptly at p. M, when
the Chinese opened fire upon us from
all sides provisions enough to last us
several months We're safely under shell
ter
% At 40 o'clock ON the afternoon of June
20, 1900, all the foreign women and
children and nearly all of the civil
ians of Picking and vicinity includ-
ing the customs staff and the mission
AIRY body had taken refuge in the Brit
ish legation. 1t was surprising to ey-
eryone to find that in the time that
/ had elapsed since the arrival of the
British marines, May 81, no barricades
mad been erected no trenches dug, nor
amy attention paid whatever to rem
dering the place better able to stand
a siege. In talking with one of the
British sergeants and commenting rp-
on this utter neglect, he informed me
that Captain Halliday had a few days
before attempted to improvise some
barriers by means of dry goods boxes
filled with earth, but had been SO
laughed at and snubbed by Captain
Strouts and Wray, British officers,
that he had given UP the attempt. Sir
Claude Macdonald. the British minis
ter, who is an eX-maior in the army,
and should have instructed in this
very important duty, was equally With
the marine officers culpably silent.
The American missionaries, however
no sooner arrived, than they formed
committees on fertilization, sanitation,
food. ETC., and set actively to work,
And to them belongs, as every one
agrees. the credit of placing the lega-
tlon III defensible condition. To Mr..
r. ID. Gamewell of the American Meth
odist mission, more than to any 9th
er one man. is due the success that has
attended our defense. His energy was
simply extraordinary. From morning
until night he was to be seen super
intending the filling of sandbags, tear
Ing down of houses ,.djoining our walls
that might serve as cover to the enc
my, building of barricades and
strengthening of walls. from the tim
bers and brick so obtained making
loopholes for firing through at the
proper places and doing, in fact, ey-
erything that could have been done
BY an army engineer of experience
All the time, too, under CALLING rifle
fire from the outside Chinese army un.
der the command of the Kansu ruffian
General Tung Flu Hsiang. All the
chinese coolies. servants, cooks anc
retainers of the foreigners, to the mum.
Der of over 1000. were enrolled, giver
a badge sewed to their arm sleeves
declaring their identity, and hour.
fixed for their employment on public