Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1904-07-14

I
eight years, mostly at Tien Tsin,
where he was the manager Of the
Horse bazaar and chairman Of the Turf
association. He was considered the
best horseman and crack rife shot in
that part of the world and held many
trophies as proof of his skill.
Native Of Pennsylvania.
He was born in Butler, Pa, IS years
ago. but his family went to Colorado
before he attained his majority and
now reside in Denver. Etzel lett Colo
RADIO in 1894 and went to the Philip
| pines to engage in sugar planting art
erward going to Siam where he was
connected with the tea industry. In
company with another American he
went prospecting for gold in the Nan
kan mountains near Pekin and after
wards sold out his share in a mine
discovered returning to Tien Tsin.
1t was during the Boxer troubles
that Etzel first came to the front as
character of note. His ability to
speak Chinese, his reputation as a
shot and rider stood him in good
sead.
Disguised as mandarin Of the
Crystal Button he left Tien Tsin one
night and although the town was sur
rounded by Boxers made his way
through them and Travelled by mail
cart to Pekin in order to ascertain con-
ditions in that city He entered Pc
kin and going to the Tartar city, in
terviewed the different foreign minis
tiers there. Returning, however, he
was not so fortunate, as his actions in
Pekin having been reported by spies
gave. rise to suspicious and he was
set upon at Hsiang by some twenty
men. He barely escaped. After al
week spent in the open he finally
reached Tien Tsin again and cabled
the first accurate story of conditions
in Pekin to the paper he represented.
Made Chief of Scouts.
During the march Of the relief ex-
petition to Peking, Etzel was made
chief of scouts and had many brushes
with the Chinese. He was noted for
his ability to take photographs under
any circumstances. The following
story is told of his experiences in this
line:
Some twenty miles in advance of his
column he and four others were chased
by a few hundred mounted Chinese.
Etzel and his companions took refuge
behind hill just as the rest of their
detachment came into view. The Chi
Inese and the volunteers charged to-
ward one another and the bullets were
flying about the refuge where Etzel
lay. But the sight of cavalry charge
proved too tempting for him. He rose
! tHa fyTif
whizzing about him, and levelled his
camera on the combatants. 1t was a
time exposure and necessitated several
moments. His companions urged him
frantically to come down, but, all I'M
needing, he finally pressed the button.
Just as he did so a shot struck the
camera aud smashed 1t to fragments.
He swore bit, took another camera
from another pocket, obtained the
photograph and then, dropping out OF
view, said angrily: THAT picture
cost me $50"
Saved the Women.
During the sack Of Picking the Rus
sian soldiers were turned loose to
: grand carnival of blood, robbery and
debauchery A detachment Of them
gathered around a princes palace in
the Forbidden city, where the wives
of certain high Chinese officials had
flown. Etzel and several other cores
pondents were nearby when the Rus
slams began to batter down the palace
doors. He Immediately called On them
to follow him. Entering the palace
by rear door the three men passed
through the courts to the balcony, and
from loopholes there shot down Rus
sian after Russian until the looters de-
cided to go elsewhere.
For saving these sixty Chinese ladies
from a horrible fate Etzel and his
companions were presented with the
: Order of the Seven-Clawed Dragon
and Etzel received royal coat Of
ermine from the empress dowager's
) wardrobe which was estimated as
worth 1000 taels, but which he re
turned. He was offered mandarin
ship of the third rank by Yuan-She
Kai, but this he declined.
: Was Worth 100000.
, Earlier in the campaign it was FL
eel who. accompanied by TELEGRAPH
!; operator, rode to Tongku from lie
3 Tsin to telegraph the story OF tina
S CITY S attack, CuG WlIG udV1A6 pSSh W
) between those two points. 1t was er
j tirely due to these two men that tn
e news first reached Shanghai.
t Newspaper work was merely sid
issue with Lewis Etzel as he was es
timated to be worth some sixty thous
!. and Mexican dollars, made from tn
c sale of his mine rights and successful
n horse breeding. But he was man Q
a action and when the Daily Telegrap
a wired him an offer as correspondent
q to accompany the Russians he accep
Il ed it, simply for the excitement
d promised. However, he was fated t
=. experience little of this until the sa
!. accident which resulted so fatally fo
. him. His intimate knowledge of tn
" scene of hostilities and OF the Chi
4 ese language enabled him to asce
tain many things which the Russian
;. were DESTROYS of keeping dark and a
q there was an uncensored wire runnin
% from Yinkow to Tien Tsin it was onl
/. necessary to cross the Lao river
n transmit his news to the thousand
TT,11 DIT