Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1901-06-06

Minneapolis, May Sit was most
unusual family reunion when Prof
Harry E. King. the Methodist mission
airy who had charge of the Methodist
compound in Pekin, China, met his
wife in Minneapolis yesterday, it being
the first time they had met since
short time before the famous Chinese
riots Mrs. King was at the time
spending vacation at summer re-
sort outside of Pekin, and when the
trouble broke out was compelled to
fee for safety, while her husband re-
/. manned inside the capital, taking an
important part in the preparations for
defense and the arrangements for sue
cessfully maintaining life until the in
ternational relief column could reach
the besieged city.
Mrs. King returned to America, her
home being at Coldwater, Mich, and 1t
was many weeks before she learned
that her husband was alive, it having
been assured that all the Americans in
Pekin were victims of massacre.
Now her husband has come to this
country for a vacation, and she came
to Minneapolis and met him, for the
first time in a year period that had
been fraught with more danger and
thrilling experiences than either of
them had ever experienced before,
Prof King was at one time superin.
tendent of schools in Anoka. For
seven years he has been in China,
holding a responsible position.
1t is a most interesting story that
this returned missionary tells, and if
anyone believes that the whole trouble
at Pekin was caused by the boxers, a
talk with him will convince them that
the Chinese imperial troops are far
from being guiltless,
THE boxers did not kill the German
minister; the imperial troops did it,
and one Of the men captured later was
identified as the assassin. 1t was the
imperial troops who fired upon our
barricade June 20. 1t was the imper
ial troops who would have killed all
the Americans in Pekin if we had fol
lowed out their wishes and tried to
escort 1t was the intention to have a
general massacre and it was while on
the way to see if the departure might
not be delayed that the German minis
ter wos so fouly assassinated."
Prof King was chairman of the food
supply committee, and is the man who
gave the orders to kill and cut up the
horses for food. Speaking of this in
cfdent, he said:
Eve had secured everything in sight
in the way of food including two for
eign stores in the legation district, but
there was no telling how soon we
would have to give up, through scar
city Of food. We had 500 Chinese
Christian refugees with us, and we
had to feed them. The Chinese were
the first to commence killing the
horses. ! finally ordered two horses
killed and dressed by an English ma.
rine, who was a butcher, and the
horse steaks were served to all who
wished, including the Chinese. Many
made WY faces at first, but | did not
find the taste so bad after all / do
not want to eat horse meat again, but
in a pinch like that it will do. Mrs
Conger served horse meat to her fam
lily. In fact the American minister
showed an unselfsh spirit all through
the trouble He did everything that
he possibly could to relieve our dis.
tress, and was perfectly willing to
share the dangers that the rest of us
endured"
When asked what he considered one
of the most dramatic and thrilling
scenes of the entire siege Prof. King
said:
1T was a wonderful sight when the
people left the Methodist compound to
go TO the English legation, after de
Gliding not to leave the city according
to orders from the Chinese foreign Of
flee. When the trouble broke out we
invited all the American missionaries
in Pekin to assemble with us, as the
Methodist chapel was the largest, and
we were enabled to turn one of the
buildings into a formidable fort There
were about II Americans assembled
Al ShA 1OL4pOu anu OUV NuAutSG
Christians. Minister Conger had or
dered us to go to the British legation
within 80 minutes and take with us
only what we could carry in our
hands. 1t was a great sight to see
that line march out. First came the
American marines, about II in num-
Der, then the Americans, husbands
wives and children. After them filed
out the Chinese high school girls, III
in all Everything was in perfect or.
der and there was not the slightest
sign of fear on any Of their faces. One
might have thought they were on their
way to church. It was the same with
the 500 Chinese who followed in the
rear Of the column. What their feel.
ings were you can possibly imagine
when you know that this happened
just after the German minister had
l. E-Hf