The Newtown bee., 1901-05-24
Ten Pages.
TOWN TOPICS.
THROUGH THE SIEGE OF PICKING.

ING AND EVENING, ADDRESSES III
SUNDAY SCHOOL AND CHRISTIAN EN-
DEAVOR SOCIETY AND ALSO SPEAK
TO THE TAUNTON BRANCH sUNDA,
SCHOOL.
Those who we're present at the Con
gregational church on Sunday mornin,
could not help but be intensely inter
ested in the narrative of the expert
ences of Rev Charles E. Ewing, VIII,
with his wife and two children, wer'
among those who went through thu
siege of Peking. Mr. Ewing chose TO
his text, Psalm 1921, "Blessed be thu
Lord, for He hath showed me His mar
velOus kindness in strong city," Nj
Ewing spoke fluently and without af
fectation, which added force to thu
thrilling story.
The city Of Picking is a strong city
with it's massive walls, so feet high ant
about SO feet thick, and faced on the
outside with brick of large size. A
city in China without protecting walls
is not regarded as a strong city. MI
Ewing said that the ministers of the
foreign governments, the missionaries
and the foreigners doing business in
that country fully realized before the
trouble broke out that they were at
tracing the attention of the people OF
all parts of the world. The foreign
ministers, the missionaries and others
had seen the trouble brewing. The
Boxer movement had started in a
province 200 miles south of Picking.
The foreign ministers at that time did
not realize how fully the Empress Dow
ager had committed herself to the
Boxer movement. This, however, be-
came apparent, for the
CHINESE GOVERNMENT USED THE
BOXERS AS A SORT OF MILITIA.
On June 8 of last year it became ap-
parent that it was unsafe for the mis-
to live as they We're scatter
ed about, and rendezvoux was made
at the grounds Of the Methodist COM
pound, which was prepared against
attack. On June - they looked out
across the city and saw the fires being
started and realized the danger they
were in. Mr. Ewing then graphically
described the provisions against cap
ture which were made at the Metho-
dist compound. This was surrounded
by wall, which was strung with barb
ed wire. Inside the wall were sharp
ened sticks driven into the ground,
and beyond that deep trench and be-
You'd that barbed wire fence.
Twelve days they remained in the
place Strengthening the Notifications.
On the 10Th of June the Chinese gov
eminent declared war against the for
eigners and the next morning the Ger
man ambassador was murdered in the
street. By this time it was not safe
for the missionaries and the converts
to remain longer in the Methodist COM
pound, and the entire company was
received into the British legation. 1t
is thought by many in this country
that this was the only legation held;
but this was not the case; as about 60
acres were in their control and defend
ed. The American missionaries went
to live in the chapel in the British
egation; building about 4Ox25 feet.
Forty people slept in the chapel at
night, of whom II were children, and
with the night attacks on the part of
the Chinese and the crying ct some of
the children, such thing as sleep was
on the part of any. They
also ate in this same room, having
their meals in relays.
Mr. Ewing spoke especially of the
heroic work of the women, who did
anything and everything they could.
Many Of them were engaged in making
sand bags, which were filled with earth
and piled up as defense against the
enemy. Any and all sorts of material
we're used in making the bags. Mr.
Ewing said he saw pieces of velvet ia
Ken from the stores and made up into
Gags; the velvet was marked SIS yard.
Draperies from the various consulates
NC1C uOCO d1St VAl 1LVIAS CAnlDlUCu d
piece Of drapery cut off from a bag.
This came from Minister Conger's
apartments. The men had something
to do, serving in one capacity or an
other. Sir Claude Mcdonald, the
ambassador, showed his ap-
probation and confidence in the mis-
sionaries by appointing two of them
on important committees. OF the 1863
in the legation, 1000 Cath
olics and 1000 Protestant Chinese, 70
were killed during the siege. Mr.
Ewing spoke of the Invaluable aid
given by the Chinese Christians, and
under God, he believed they had much
to do with their preservation. They
worked faithfully in digging the
trenches on the Notifications in the
laundry, in. the mill; anywhere they
were wanted. Mr. Ewing spoke of the
HERoIsM OF THE CHRISTIAN CHINESE,
Many volunteered as messengers to go
to Tein Tsin, and several lost their
lives enroute. He spoke of one noble
young man, a Christian Chinese, who
volunteered as a messenger. He was
apparently a victim of consumption
and was urged not to make the peril
GUS trip to Tein Tsin. He started out
disguised as beggar, made his way
among the Chinese, learned their plans
and got to Tein Tsin, 80 miles distant
He then set out on the return trip anC
arrived safely at Picking, outside the
walls, but owing to the Notifications
the Chinese had made against the lie
gationers themselves he was unable tt