The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1912-03-04
Chinese Mutineers Destroy Coins
ing Machinery and Break
Open Banks
GERMAN DOCTOR KILLED
BY RI0TING SOLDIERS
One Hundred Executions Take
Place, Six Women Losing
Their Lives
FORCE OF 200 AMERICAN
TROOPS REACHES PEKING


serious nature took place here
last night. The outbreak ha6
been feared and precautions were
taken. as far as possible. to protect the
residents from harm.
Between and 10 o'clock the soldiers
mutinied. set fire to a number of build
ings and then began looting from house
to house They were joined by the
rabble shops and banks in all i'm
portant streets were looted and some
of them were wrecked.
In order to intimidate the populace
the soldiers kept up a continual gun
fire. The rattle of musketry could be
heard throughout the night. Only
few police remained loyal, and they
were outnumbered and powerless TO
suppress the disorders.
No less than IA fires were raging
simultaneously in various parts of the
city The soldiers broke into the Pei
yang mint, which was set on fire. Ma
chinery to the value of many thousands
of dollars was destroyed. The looters
entered the silver stores. wrenching off
the iron shutters and even making
holes in the walls. The mint was
looted Of everything portable and the
ground was strewn with empty cart
ridge clips and cases.
German Doctor Shot Dead
The German consul dispatched
guard to protect German residents in
the city. composed chiefly of the en-
cheering staff of the Tientsin- Pukow
railway A German doctor named
Schreeter. who entered the city to as
sist German friends, was shot dead by
looting soldiers. Foreigners generally,
however. were not molested. A COM
pany of the Somerset regiment was
sent to the British station at midnight
to protect its property.
The damage done can not now be es-
timated The city was quiet, according
to the last reports, although hundreds
of carts laden with household belong
ings and loot were leaving for other
parts. Further disturbances are ex-
pected. An Associated Press CORE
spondent. while proceeding from Peking
TO Tientsin today, witnessed a critical
incident at Fengtai, which was in the
hands of the mutineers. The train
pulled in between lines of troops of the
Somerset regiment, who were crouehing
with guns loaded and bayonets fixed
one hundred yards away groups of Chi
nese were sulkily discussing the action
Of the Britishers.
One Hours Grace Given
It was explained that the Chinese
had stopped the trains and had threat
ened not to let any pass. They were
given one hour by the British COM
mander to vacate their positions. Just
about that time 700 of the Enniskillen
fusileers arrived and began to detrain
a quarter of mile away.
The Chinese. who numbered 1900, did
not move until the Enniskillens
marched up and took their positions.
Then they sauntered away in all direc-
tons as the train continued on to Tien-
tsIn.
The gentry and officials of the native
city met this morning and confessed
their inability to cope with the situa
senior consul requesting the assistance
of foreign troops to preserve order.
The consul referred them to the mill
tary authorities, who, while sympa-
thetic. considered that a meeting of the
consular body to discuss the matter was
necessary.
Conference of ConsuIs
The meeting was held this afternoon
and all the consuls attended 1t was
unanimously decided that the question
was not political, but merely one of
policing and, in consequences they re-
ferred the question again 10 the mil
itary commanders to take whatever
steps they considered fit.
The question of what action should
be taken was somewhat complicated by
the reported threat of the old style
troops, stationed near Tientsin. to pill
lage the foreign concessions tonight.
The foreign forces are already severely
depleted by the dispatch of drafts of
British, German. French and American
troops to Peking.
The total foreign forces now avail
able here are. roughly speaking. 700
British, chiefly of the Indian regiment;
500 Japanazsa. - uF'rens3a 10 Russians
and Germ n Sric4kn 1t is
believed it woGss "a minimum of
1.50o men to police tnEcity effectively.
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