Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1906-03-24
MRS, HUDSON
WRITES Of china
Pollman Lady Tells Graphic Story
of the Rioting in
Shanghai

T#FF
We were very much surprised when
we received Ruth's last letter saving
you had heard practically nothing
about the riots that occurred here on
Dec. 18th and 10Th. To us it seemed
a serious matter and we supposed the
papers would be filled with glaring
head lines telling all about how it
happened. Since the papers said so
little you will perhaps be interested
in my account of the troubles.
We were all vaccinatod on Dec. 18th
and by the 18th it was "taking' in
fine shape. Will, in fact, had been in
bed all day Saturday and Sunday and
as | had not been out of the house we
had no intimation of trouble until
Monday morning. Our boy always
goes to market just after breakfast to
purchase the daily supply of vege-
tables, eggs, etc. This morning he
came back saying all the Chinese shops
were closed, the market had been
sacked, and two Cinnamon had been
killed. think it was just two min
utes and fifty-nine seconds until Will
was out of bed, dressed, and starting
down town to see what the ruption
was. He went a few blocks to a
photo supply house, where he found
everybody armed, Winchesters stand
ing in convenient corners and the place
in general state of siege. AS he
came down the street in ricsha rocks
were hurled at him, but as the China
man throws much like the proverbial
woman, none had struck him. Epithets
also filled the air but as he can not
understand the Chinese language these
passed harmlessly by also. He imme-
diately returned home to get the nee
essary funds with which to purchase a
gun and started out again and made
a general tour of the settlement, try
ing to find out something definite re-
garding the trouble. The whole city
was in state of great excitement.
Ricshas and carriages had been over
turned and the occupants roughly
handled. At least one automobile had
been ruined. At the international BIZ
cycle store, a sorry sight was seen.
The place had been ransacked for guns
and ammunition and scattered over
the floor were kodaks, films, empty
cartridge boxes, in fact everything in
the store was out of its place. This
was one of the first places attacked
and the damage done was estimated at
$4,000. The proprietor came down
as usual to open the place for bust
ness, but soon discovered trouble in
the air. His wife having heard that
there was trouble brewing came down
to see if he was prepared and soon
after she reached the store rush was
made on it. They lodged behind coun-
ters and prepared to defend themselves.
Four Cinnamon We're killed and during
the temorary relief the proprietor and
his wife got away, leaving the place
to the mob.
There was rioting all over the city,
the annex Of the Metropole Hotel was
set on fire and practically ruined. The
police station was raided, set on fire
and the prisoners released. Owing to
the fact that the police had not been !
furnished with ammunition before, no |
real resistance could be offered to the /
mob, and several foreigners were sever
ely hurt, one East Indian policeman
being killed, and by the way, as far
as could be learned, he was the only
foreigner killed during the rioting.
There were in all about one hundred
Chinese killed.
At the first intimation of trouble
blue jackets from the three British
men of war lying in the harbor were
put ashore, followed little later by
those from the German ship. Uncle
Sam had no ship in the harbor and it
was not until two days later that the
Baltimore arrived and put her men
ashore. AS one of the men expressed
it, Eve are always too late for the