Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1901-04-27

knowing that the place was to be the
last place of refuge, had not done q
stroke of work toward f~ortifying 1t and
seemed to be as helpless as children
about It.
june "a. At ten minutes past mid
night the Chinese began a furious flu
sillade from all quarters and an alarm
was rung from the bell tower, notify
ing all of a general attack. But after
about twenty minute of prodigious
noise, with almost no damage done,
the firing ceased as suddenly as Ii had
commenced, and the rest of h night
was comparatively quiet. About 10 q.
m. a fire was started outside and adj
joining the south stables. which after
heroic exertions upon the part Of near
~ the entire garrison Of men, women
and coolies, all Of whom formed into
line and passed hundreds of buckets
of water from the two nearest wells
to the scene OF the fire. the flames were
subdued without our stables catching
fire. With every one of these fires that
was successfully put out the danger
from that source lessened.
The German and. American marines
tool possession of the city wall south
Of their respective legations to pre-
vent the Chinese from bringing their
heavy guns too near II too directly
able to bear upon the legations. Thrice
lney were driven DICK Dy the HedNI
fire, but they stuck to their task and
eventually obtained each a position on
the wall-the Germans to the east, the
Americans TO the west, the two posi-
lions being about 500 yards apart. The
second time they advanced the Amer
leans took the Colt machine u with
them, and, advancing almost to the
Chinese barricade, killed several hum
dred Chinese. The third time the
Americans advanced several hundred
yards and then retreated suddenly, "a
though panic-stricken. This brought
the Chinese out from behind their bar
ricadeS with a rush, when the Colt gun
was again turned loose on them and
killed sixty more. After this the she'll
ing got so hot that the position became
absolutely untenable A piece of shell
struck the shoulder piece off the Colt
gun and another shell, striking the
wall knocked down the brick so thick
around the gun that Mitchell, the gun
ner, thought he might nave to abandon
It. But hastily taking IT apart, he
managed to get 1t down the ramp and
brought II safely into the British lega-
ton.
June %. During the night one OF the
captured Boxers tried to escape, so
they were both shot In the morning.
There was about twenty minutes Of
hot firing about h same time as last
night. At 5 p. m. the Chinese put up
u poster on the north bridge ordering
the firing to stop and to protect the
ministers, also stating that they would
send us a message. This message was
rever sent, however, and though the
firing was stopped for a few hours 1t
soon started up again, n the whole
thing was believed to be a fraud, by
which the Chinese wished to get some
OF the foreigners outside the legation
to be killed. The Americans and Ger
mans again too their positions on the
wall and began building barbados In
the face of the Chinese gun. AS the
mutton began to get scarce a horse
was killed for the first time. 1t was
very good eating, and | doubt no that
we have had some Of that kind OF beef
before. in substitution for the genuine
article. Three rockets were seen dur
ing the night, probably Chinese.
Continued Next Weekly