Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1901-05-04
q YELLOW CRIME
THE SIEGE IN PEKIN.

SUDDDStuly GOHNC1 thC
the summer palace. BY this time the
shells from the various guns near US
began TO come nearer, several explod.
Ing I'm the compound. So ~"bomb-prooI
cellars were started In different parts
Of the compound, In which W0 might
take refuge II the shells actually be-
gan to do damage. These bomb
proofs were trenches about six feet
deep. covered with q roof Of timbers:
boards and from two to our feet OF
earth or sandbags. These II was
thought would furnish efficient protec-
ton against fragments OF shell. Ser
geant Tanning. U. s. NJ. c., was killed
by q sniper on the city wall.
June u, Wednesday. Very heavy mr.
ing, mostly from the imperial city wall.
4 crowd OF greenhorn Boxers started
to attack the Americans on the wal!
from below. The Americans turned
the Colt on them, killing about nifty.
and the rest got away. A Chinaman
who arrived from near Tien Tsin re-
ported Boxers very thick around there,
and that three divisions OF troops had
left Tien Tsin Jure "a TO come TO Pc
king. one comig north, one west ana
ore east.
June 2S. M news OF importance.
June 20. In the morning there was
an attack made by the Chinese on the
south stables. the weakest part OF the
whole legation compound. This was
repulsed after n short fight and about
twenty British marines under captain
Strouts went out after the Chinese.
killing "A large number OF them, anu
capturing their rifles with about 6Oo
rounds OF ammunition. The guns were
mostly mauser rifles and carbines.
! hey were distributed among the UNI
al med men OF the legation. Captain
Strouts was graZod by q bullet In the
neck. Later nifty volunteers. under
Captain Wray. went out TO capture a
gun near the Su Wang Flu that was
making things unpleasant for the peo-
PIE there. They could not find 1t,
however, and had to return. BY this
time nearly all the Chinese houses
near the United States legation had
been burned In the various attempts
20 fire the legation, and In the ruins
OF these houses a number or Chinese
sripers installed themselves. making
II extremely dangerous for any one
attempting to cross Legation street.
June 80. At night there was a very
heavy thunderstorm, the first OF tho
rainy season. simultaneously with the
thunder the Chinese started q terrific
fusillade from all quarters. The hid
Cous noise witt the vivid flashes OF
lightning and the torrent of rain pro-
duced such an effect on the minds OF
all who Witnessed IT as they will prob
ably never forget.
July /. The Americans and Germans
were forced by heavy shell-nre TO
leave the wall. Later In the day the
Americans returned. but the Germans
did not. The Chinese were very quiet
at night, there being hardly any firing
at all. The reasons for this was up
posed TO be temporary shortness Of
ammunition. At night a good many
lcopie believed they saw flashes from
an electric senrchlight which was sup
posed to be with the troops at Tung-
Ckow. They claimed to nave seen at
first forty flashes, then an interval,
followed by eight more. This they
to be some kind OF a signal
TO us, but since II has all turned out
&c be heat lightning. Ed Wagner, one
Of the customs men, was struck
killed by n shell In the French lega-
ton.
July 2. 1t rnined at night and nc
flashlights Cd were seen.
July 3. The Chinese OF the wall had
built up their barricade 80 high dur
Ing the night that It almost overlooked
our own 9TH two were only forty
yards apart, and had they boon able
to build a little higher they would have
been able to fire right down on our
men, so that It became a question OF
rushing the Chinese barricade or OF
leaving the wall. The former course
was adopted. At 3 a. IN. fifteen United
states marines, fifteen Russian sailors
and twenty-five British Marines, led
by Captain John Myers, In the black
est part of the night, crept silently
over the American barricade and, d.
viding into two parties. each keeping
close to either side OF the wall bat
Elements, advanced rapidly right up to
the face of the Chinese barricade un-
discovered. Arrived here. as agreed,
they gave n tremendous yell and
swarmed over and around the barri-
cade, yelling and firing volleys into the
ustonishcd Celestials, who, taken en-
tirely by surprise by the yelling for
eign devils, made very little resistance
and speedily fled to their second line
OF defense, some distance westward
toward the Ch'ien Men. Before start
ing, Captain Myers had briefly ad-
crossed his men, telling them the vital
necessity OF capturing the barricade.
Men," he said, W must take that
place at all costs or be driven OFF the
wall. Once off the wall the legations
will lie at the mercy of the Chinese,
and we, with all the women and chill
dTen, will be butchered. This Is our
opportunity. | expect every man - do
bis duty. We cannot stop to pick up
any who may be wounded. but must
press on and accomplish the work.
leaving the wounded dntil we return.
- 4 u ahNl bNaAllN Ahui liy III NiN illN~
iSh marines, succeeds to command; II
he falls, Corporal Hunt. of the Amer
iCan marines, succeeds him. Now,
when i give command, spring over the
EGrricade and follow me-" He imme-
diately gave the command: Come on
The sortic was most successful, the
barricade was gained and held, but
we lost two brave American boys. Pri-
Yates Turner and Thomas. Captain
Myers was badly wounded by a spear
thrust into his knee, and Corporal
Gregory, OF the British marines, was
shot in the foot.
July 4. independence day in America.
n day of redhot fireworks for US. Chi
nese butchers on the outside trying
hard to get In and murder us. only
by Americans was n party
given to the smaller children by Mrs.
Squires.
July S. David Oliphant, one OF the
English legation students, was shot
and mortally wounded in the Hanlin
Yuan. He died at 3 y. m. and was
buried In our little graveyard at Z p.
m. His death threw q deep gloom
over the whole legation, as he was q
general fayorite. Three attacks made
on us last night a. 10 and II p. m. and
2:30 q. M. The ammunition of h en-
envy In cartridges seems to be running
low, as they are firing now more OF
the old muzzle-loading gingals and
Of the mauser cartridges.
July c. A sortie was made by the
japanese to try to find n capture
u gun that was making havoc on the
tarricades in The Su Wang Flu. Too
II any Chinese houses, however, con-
cealed the whereabouts of the gun,
and after having three men wounded
they were obliged to return unsuc-
cessful. A shell fell in one Of the
of Mr.. Conger's house, doing
considerable damage. Mrs. Conger
mad been In the room only a short time
before. A messenger was let down
ON the wall with ropes to try to
communicate u desperate situation
to Ten Tsin. He was offered 1000
taels If he got safely through the enc
my's lines with his message. We have
sent numerous passengers ou by the
water gate and several over the wall.