Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1901-06-08

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and built a barricade OF bricks and
sand bags running completely across
the compound. Our barricade and the
Chinese barbados are 80 close that
often the Chinese have thrown half
bricks over at US, as their rifle bullets
annot penetrate the barricade. Sew
erai of our men have been Injured by
stones and bricks In this way.
In addition to the members OF the
customs staff given above an enrolled
members of the customs volunteers.
there have been attached to the corps
for duty at various times Messrs. Bar
bier. Flicke and Hagermann.
Messrs. f. Wagner and HI. p. Deste-
Ian were soon called to serve at the
French legation, as the fighting had
been very hot there, and men were
needed to take the places Of those who
had fallen. They barely Joined their
fellow nationals at their perilous post,
when there on July 1 Wagner was
struck by a shell In the head and In
stantly killed. A few days later Deste-
Ian had a miraculous escape. The CHI
nese from across the narrow lane,
known as Customs lane, had under-
mined the street, and placed a mine un.
der tho wall and eastern buildings OF
the legation. When they were exploded
Destelan and several others were
buried In the ruins, but a second ex-
plosion almost Immediately blew sew
eral OF them out again. among them
Destelan and Won Rosthorn, the Aus
TRAN charge d'affaires, who was on
duty at the French legation after the
surrender of his own legation to the
Chinese troops. Only two Frenchmen
lost their lives by this mine, while the
Chinese acknowledge they lost twenty
Of their own men by the explosion.
The sad death of Wagner threw a
deep gloom for many days over his
young comrades in arms. He was so
intelligent. bright and cheerful, always
willing to undertake any service, and
always In the front, hat he has been
sorely missed. Mr.. II. Bismarck was
obliged by the necessities Of the Ger
man legation to Join his nationals
there, as was also Mr.. Diehr.
Bismarck has had his hat shot off n
his clothes perforated several times,
been In several sorties and all sorts of
dangers, but has wonderfully escaped.
Mr.. l.. de Luca received a painful but
not serious wound OF the forearm,
which partially disabled him for q
time, but as soon as possible he was
again serving at the various posts. For
q time he was on Captain Wray's staff
as aid In the commissariat department.
but In this place there was no danger
TO be incurred, and he joyfully relin-
quished II to Mr.. c. H. oliver. Mr.. j.
w. Richardson was the first Of the
customs volunteers to be wounded,
having received early in the siege a
flesh wound of the shoulder. He, too,
made a rapid recovery n was soon
acting as assistant steward in the hos
pital. but as soon as entirely recovered
returned again to guard duty. Mr.. A.
c.. Bethel became Ill from overwork
and fatigue. and vas obliged to go In
TO the hospital for several days, but
recovered under rest n appropriate
treatment and returned to duty. Mr..
u. F.. Wintour, while digging a deep
trench In the Hanlin Yuan as n coun-
termine to the Chinese mining at
tempts. badly sprained his knee joint,
which has resulted In n severe syno-
Wits, compelling him to remain with
his leg fixed In q plaster Of paris cast
for some weeks.
Messrs. Sandercock, Bethel and Fer
guson. although barely 10 years OF age,
have endured the fatigue and hardship
Of the watches, and have been as cool
under fire as old veterans. Especial
mention should be made OF the con-
spicuous bravery and gallantry OF Mr..
w. s. Dupree, or, as he Is Familiarity
and a~ffectionately called by his COM
rades, Little Willie" This young man,
In times of peace, Is a postal clerk of
very affable manners, but In the siege
he has been q doughty warrior. AL
though only IS years of age, he has
taken his full share of the work He
accompanied the first expedition of the
American. British and Austrian SOL
diers In the attack upon a Boxer rem
devious In a temple north OF the Aus
TRAN legation, in which ffty-six Box
ers were killed. He has also served in
the Hanlin Yuan, In the Su Wang Flu
and in the latest achievement of the
customs volunteers, in the capture and
holding OF a new and valuable STRAIT
egical position northward OF the Rus
sian position in the Mongol market. On
the night Of August 10 this intrepid
~youngster crept out from behind the
barricade in the Mongol market and
crawled across the moonlit common,
directly In ron of and up to the Chi
nese barricade. Here he heard one OF
the soldiers exhorting his comrades to
follow him and make an attack upon
the foreigners. why hould we hest
tate he urged. w have so many
and they so few; success Is sure and
failure impossible" Dupree hurried
back and warned his companions In
time to prevent a serious rush, for a
few moments later the Chinese actually
left their barricade and attempted to
rush upon our works. But, on a vol
ley into them which killed one and
wounded several others. their short
lived courage left them, and they pre-
cipitately bolted back again behind
shelter, from which they peppered our
barricade vigorously for the next half
hour without doing any damage.
The customs mess, In spite Of their
exceedingly narrow accommodations,
were eminently q hospitable mess, and
cheerfully allowed Messrs. e.. Back
house, G.. p. Peachey, DR.. ]. Dudgeon
and j. M. Allardyce to mess with them,
they contributing such stores as they
possessed on entrance into the COM
mon store room. The mess was well
managed under the efficient care OF
Mrs. Russell and Mrs. Mears. who
all of the customs volunteers will ever
remember for their constant, untiring
efforts to render palatable the daily
ration OF horse meat and rice that has
constituted their principal food. Sir
Robert Hart, the i. o., as he Is gen
orally spoken Of by his staff. as well as
many outsiders. has endeared himself
to all his young soldiers by his sharing
with them without complaint and um-
varying cheerfulness the meager diet
OF the mess. He has never allowed any
delicacy supplied to him that the 9TH
ers did not partake of, but has acted
on the principle Of share and share
alike throughout. He may In time
have a successor In the service, but he
can never be supplanted in the affec-
tions of those members of his staff
who nave endured with him the trials
of the siege in Picking.
Mr.. j. H. Smyth entered the British
legation when he was convalescing
from scarlet fever. and was placed IN
quarantine for some weeks. Conse-
quently he was prevented from taking |
any part in the early proceedings of
the siege, but as soon as allowed out
he at once went on duty. Mr.. Origlia
40 ~ Anvyp with GOO rlat faxar also ~ '
July 10 and thereafter could render no
military service.
The staff of the British legation who
were actually In the siege consisted Of
the following persons: Sir Claude M. |
Macdonald, G. c. M. G., K. c.. b., en-