Smyrna times., 1912-02-14


China. The German ambassador was
killed in the streets OF Peking, and the
members of the other legations shut
themselves in in the region of the city
which had been assigned them. For
more than a month they defended
themselves against the fanatical Chi
nese who were attempting to break
down their barricades and get at them.
The ambassadors and their families
were protected only by few marines
and sailors, but they fought gallantly.
An allied force of $4,000 troops was
sent to Peking, but their progress was
slow, and every day the little group Of
foreigners expected that the Boxers
would break through their lines and
they would all be massacred.
But on the morning of Aug. IA, at .
o'clock, the besieged heard the guns
of the allied troops without the gates
and knew that their deliverance was
at hand. A United States regiment
scaled the walls and entered the city.
followed by the whole allied army.
Now, there were a number of Chi
nese connected with the foreign lega-
tions, and an English gentleman, Sir
Robert Hart, inspector general of the
Chinese customs, much beloved both
by foreigners and Chinese, had during
peaceful times organized a band of the
latter. Among his musicians was one
Lung Chung, who played the piccolo.
Twice the band was at different times
called upon to play national airs.
Chung was familiar with every one of
them.
During the breaking in of the allied
forces Chung remained at home with
his family to protect them in case of
lawlessness. The strictest orders had
been issued by the generals against
looting or in any way interfering with
Chinese citizens, but Chung knew moth
ing about that, and the Chinese ex-
pected that they would receive no more
mercy from the foreigners than they
had granted them wherever they could
get at them. Moreover, the innocent
would suffer as we'll as the guilty, and
Chung was aware that the allies would
not know that he had been a friend to
the foreigners.
So Lung Chung during that exciting
day when the government had fled
no one knew where-and $4,000 for
eign troops were pouring into the city
] !, 70 mo
ment dreading that soldiers of some
one of the different naiOnalities would
come in upon them and murder them
Notwithstanding the efforts of COM
manders it is not easy to keep armies
| under perfect control in entering an
enemys city. Chung was sitting in
the midst of his family. shivering at
the firing and the tumult without,
when two Russian soldiers burst open
| his door and stood looking about for
loot They were Cossacks, and that
means they were of that barbarOus
Russian-Tartar race which for centu-
ries has ridden over the Russian peas
ant. trampling him without mercy.
These men began to appropriate what
ever was handy. insulting poor Lung
Chung. his wife and his defenseless
children. The more they took the
more cupidity they showed and the
fiercer they became. Chung feared
that when they departed they would
murder him and his family if only that
dead men tell no tales" He was at q
loss what to do. But when he saw a
vicious light in one of the Russians
eyes that forecast a diabolical purpose
an idea occurred to the Chinaman
Taking up his piccolo, he began to
play the Russian national hymn.
Now. the Russian national anthem is
very beautiful and a very impres
sive piece of music. II is questionable
if it is not superior to any other ma
tional air. even the Watch on the
Rhine" But, besides the beauty Of the
music, the words contain a prayer
The effect on the Cossacks was in
stantaneous. They stopped where
they were, their caps came off, ant
their heads were reverently bowed
Lung, realizing that not only his goods
but the lives of his family, were a
stake, threw into the hymn all thu
expression and feeling he could com
mand. His wife and little ones KEEP
their eyes fixed on the great rougl
men, knowing that the result wa
either life or death to them. The hus
band and father played the air through
then stopped
The men laid down not only tn
goods they had stuffed in their pockets
but what they held in their hands
Then. turning, they left the house.
This is one of the many true storie
that were enacted during that mos
} remarkable episode in the world
history. when a superstitiOus society
} aided and abetted by the dowage
empress-called the Old Buddha-ur
dertook to defy eight of the mos
powerful nations on the globe by a.
tempting to murder their accredite
representatives and their families.
was in settling the terms of the per
~