Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1904-07-14
DIED FOR HIS PAPER
LEWIS G. ETHEL, FIRST REPORT.
Err KILLED IN THE RUSSO.
JAPANESE WAR
War Correspondent of the London
Telegraph Mistaken for a Pirate
and Shot-Was Notable Man
Among His Fellows

The first newspaper man to be kill
ed in the present war in the far east
in the discharge of his duties, was
Lewis G. Etzel, correspondent of the
London Telegraph. In more ways than
one Etzel was notable man among
his fellows, and those who knew him
best prophesied that his daring spirit
would eventually attempt some ven
turescme newspaper feat that would
prove his undoing.
He was shot and killed. mistaken
for pirate, while on an expedition for
his paper, but the dangers that encom-
passed him at the time were small in
comparison with those which threaten
ed him the many times he made such
brilliant dashes during the Boxer
trouble. Like scores of other news
paper men his life went out on what
he would have called trivial detail,
and he met his end almost "by acct
dent"
Was Left Behind.
About three months ago all those
correspondents who had been detailed
by their papers to join the Russian
army gathered together at New
Chwang to await action on their APP
plications by the foreign office at st.
Petersburg Twenty-three promptly
filed their credentials, but the number
fwiniled down by reason of the dilator-
mess of the Russian in fulfilling prom
Uses, may returning home, others go
ing to Che Foo and Tien Tsin. On
April Is there were fifteen remaining,
and on that date permission was given
to seven to proceed to Mukden. These
lucky ones were only those whose
papers had been favorable to the Mus
covite cause, and who wired home
news which was approved by the
Slay authorities. Among those left be-
hind in New Chwang were Etzel and
Ernest Brindle of the Daily Mail.
Information being scarce these cor
respondents were in receipt of daily
cablegrams from their papers re-
questing them to send news and con-
sequently they resorted to many meas
ures to obtain It,
One of the most interesting prob
lens Of the war Is the doubt as to how
the Hunghutzes or the Manchu ban
dts will act at the crucial moment,
and Manchuria is infested with armed
bands of robbers who can, if they
choose, prove very irritating thorn
in the side Of the Slavs. Up to date
by bribery and cajolery they have
been held off. but in the early part Of
this month news came to New
Chwang that several thousand OF
these Hung mutzes were up in arms
in the lower part Of the Lao Hsi prov
ince and threatened to destroy the
railroad between Y.cAow and Khan
harkuan. AS the story promised to
be good Etzel and Brindle hired junk
of some $50 tons and sailed out of the
Lao river into the Lao Tung gulf
with the object of ascertaining the
facts in the case.
Shot in the Head.
They were afloat for the night and a
stiff and favorable wind drove them
The next morning they found them
selves close to the coast and after sur
veying the shore through their binoc'
ulars decided to land some ten miles
farther down. They then went below
to prepare breakfast.
About $3.50 o'clock as they were eat
ing they heard shouts from their crew
and a quick fusillade of shots; close
ly following it EARRING, grating
sound as of several heavy bodies com
ing in contact with the junk A mo
mcnt later one of the Chinese crew
tumbled down the hatchway and lay
bleeding and senseless Etzel seizeC
his revolver and ran up the steps. AS
his head appeared on the level of the
decks twenty shots were fired at him
One of them struck him in the head
he staggered and fell back into thu
hold, knocking down Brindle who wa
following him. The latter immediate
ly arose and lifted him up; but Etze
had just enough life to gasp: mo us
old man, I'm done for" He died almos
instantly after.
Conducting Investigation.
BY this time hundred Chinese so
diers had ,clambered over the side
Of the correspondents vessel fror
four other junks and other Chimes
were killed before explanations wel
made, Brindle, who speaks Chimes
slightly harangued them in tina
tongue, pointing to Etzels body an
making dire threats as to the on
come for them The leader of the so
diers, now conscious of his mistake
begged forgiveness, saying that the
were in search of pirate junk an
had made a mistake.
Brindle insisted that they accom-
pany him to Ching Wang Tao wher
he submitted the circumstances of tn
case to Consul General Henry B. Mi
Ter at New Chwang and to Unite
States Minister Edwin P. Conger an
Sir Ernest Sutton, British niniste
both at Pekin.
Consul General Miller at once pr
coded to the scene Of Lewis Etzel
cath and is conducting an investig'
80 Meanwhile the Chinese soldier
n custody by orders from Yua
nj. commander in chief Of tn
imperial forces and vicero
II province.
tn of Lewis Etzel remove
a A T,