Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1906-03-24
NUMBER 26


fully protected. The section where
we live is surrounded by bamboo
fence about 80 feet high and Monday
and Tuesday nights the men living in
this part of town took turns in patrol
ing along this fence. One night
fire was started just outside the fence,
but was discovered before it had gained
any headway
The Shanghai Volunteers did good
service in guarding the settlements,
but they were too limited in number
to have offered any real resistance to
the mob. Will was unable to obtain
a gun and his weapon of defense con-
sisted of murderous looking japan
ese knife and heavy walking stick.
He was not molested as the Chinese
coolies have great respect for big
man with a stick and usually give
such a wide berth.
The one thing we feared was firing
of the city and although martial law
was declared after six O'Clock Monday
evening, not much sleeping was done
by the white population. The streets
were practically deserted. A few
scared ricsha coolies, who made better
time than they ever had done before,
were about the only Chinese that could
be seen. Although all sorts of rum
ors were heard the night passed quietly
enough, and the next day everything
seemed to be assuming its usual calm.
Some rioting occurred but in the main
the trouble seemed over. The arrival
of reinforcements of blue jackets also
tended toward peace and tranquility.
Nearly everyone here feels that this
outbreak was the direct outgrowth of
the American boycott and think further
|
more that the trouble is not yet set
tied. One report in circulation, and
one having authority back of it, was
to the effect that as many as 1900
Chinese soldiers in the pay of certain
officials, but out of uniform, had been
sent among the people during the
morning and were the real ring lead
ers in the trouble. My boy, who is a
professed Christian, told me that the
priests had caused much of the trouble
by melting the people against the for
eigners. A significant fact was that
while the guns from the foreign men
of war in the harbor were trained on
the old city, those of the Chinese men
of war were trained on the settlement,
and Furthermore in all the rioting, none
occurred in the French quarters.
In closing a word might be said in
regard to the alleged cause of the
riots. For months past the Chinese
authorities have endeavored to assert
rights in the International Settlement,
especially in connection with the mixed
court. This has been equally strongly
resisted by the Municipal Council,
backed by the Consular Body. The
Chinese claim that the mixed court is
in reality a Chinese Court, to which
the foreign Consuls have been entitled
to send an assessor, with merely advis-
ory or suspensory powers, to sit with
the magistrate when foreigners have
been concerned. The magistrate has
claimed as right, the privilege, usu-
ally granted, of dealing personally
with cases in which both parties were
Chinese, even though those parties re-
side in the International Settlement.
He also claimed that he alone has the
right of supervising the inhiction of
punishment on convicted Chinese pris-
oners.
The fact, however, was established I
that the runners charged with the in
Fiction of punishment, were systemat-
ically bribed and that the magistrate
was unable to control them. To help. i
the magistrate, the Council stationed
a police officer at the Mixed Court to
supervise the carrying out of sentences.
They also built modern, sanitary Jail
for the accommodation of males and
females, to receive prisoners who had
hitherto served their sentences in cells
at the Mixed Court, subject to unsav-
Dry influences, physical and moral To