The Washington times., 1901-12-29
In A BATTLE WITH
CHINESE TIRATES,
Experience of Silk Buyer on a
Canton River HousebOat.
SHOT WHILE LYING IN BED.
Bandits Threw Firepots on the Roof
of the Bont-AIso Used Bombs-Fi-
nnny Driven OF After Eight Were

C. A. Burckhardt. sufferer from bullet
wounds inflicted by Chinese pirates on the
Canton river. is a guest at the Occidental
Hotel. He is on his way to indianapolis.
where he has relatives. to undergo surgi-
cal treatment for his injuries.
Burckhardt, though young man. has
long been a resident of Canton; where he
was employed as an inspector and special
buyer OF silks for a large European house.
In July last he and three companions
VI. spalinger. a Swiss; G. e Hujigen. a
Hollander. and V. Hogg. an Englishman-
were bound up the Canton river to shun
Tack in a hosseboat owned by Burckhardt.
The Canton river houseboat is OF pc
culiar construction. 1t is much like one
Of the sternwheel river steamers so ia
miliar on the shallow streams Of America,
but the wheel instead Of being turned by
a steam engine. is operated by a crew OF
coolies. who stand watches turning q
series Of cranks arranged after the man
ner of a treadmill.
The Human PropeiIers.
For this work on Burckhardts boat a
crew Of eighteen Chinese was carried.
They we're in charge OF boatman who
acted as captain Of the craft. Besides,
there we're several servants.
All went well until the second night OF
the journey, when the boat was about
thirty miles above Canton and almost op-
posite san Young Kee. Burckhardt and
his guests had retired soon after mid
night. when they were awakened by
shot being fired.
A bullet passed through the side Of
the house on the boat and struck Burck-
hardt in the left foot as he lay in his
bunk. An artery was cut and he bled
profusely. All four men at once seized
their rifles, but by that time bullets were
flying about the boat.
L was fast losing strength from the
wound. and l tore strip from blanket
and bound II up as best l could said
Burckhardt, in telling the story Of the
attack Before l had my foot bound a
fire pot had been thrown on the roof
Of the house and il threatened to set fire
10 our craft. / climbed up to where 1t
was, but as l reached the place l met the
bOatman.
Regular StiniSpot.
The fumes from the thing were awful.
but we succeeded in extinguishing it.
While we were at that work a bullet
struck the boatman and he died few
minutes later from the wound I got
down into the cabin and in a minute or
two later was struck in the right leg.
"The pirates had boarded our boat and
the bullets were coming from all direc-
tions. One of the pirates got upon the
bow of the boat and threw a bomb that
came rolling along the deck. the fuse
burning steadily. I picked 1t up from the
floor ard hurled it through window car
rying the glass and sash with IT.
"Just outside the window it exploded
and the side Of the cabin was shattered
with the force of the concussion. My two
wounds were too much for me and fell.
As l lay on the floor one Of my compan-
ions handed me n revolver and had the
satisfaction of shooting two OF the pirates
as | laid there. though I was hit by an
other bullet in the left shoulder. Luckily
the last bullet made only slight flesh
wound. Another bullet clipped q piece
out of my scalp.
Pirates Driven on.
"My companions did good work With
their rifles. and after about half an hour
they succeeded in driving our assailants
off. spalinger was shot through the left
arm soon after the fight began Inc bul-
let barely missed the bone. but he tied
a handkerchief about 1t and kept in the
fight tc the last. The Chinese Of the crew
Jumped into the water and most OF them
clung to the paddles Of the wheel.
After the pirates had been driven away
they reappeared. and with their help we
turned the boat back down the river. and
about daylight anchored close to Chi
nese gunboat ana asked for protection.
The crew OF the vessel made no effort to
pursue the pirates.
THE bodies Of eight Of the pirates were
found in the river with bullets In them
from our rifles. We secured launch
from the Chinese official that day. and
in 1t we got to Canton. though we we're
ten hours on the journey. There we got
the services OF surgeon. was two
months in a hospital there and then was
sent to a hospital at Yokohama, where
remained about two months more.
"The Chinese Government paid Mr.. Spa
linger and myself $4,000 each. and also
gave the others of the party some in
demnity. They also gave the widow OF
the Chinese boatman that was killed
pension San Francisco Special in Bal
timore Herald.