The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1913-06-11
Spanish Vets Greet
 Hardy Pekin Comrade
UNEXPECTED RETURN OFF sERcr DAVIS RESULTS IN REooI1NT-
 ING OF BOXER CAMPAIGN.

How the wall of Pekin was sealed
 on blistering hot day in August
 1900 by few intrepid Americans. was i told to the members of Bfshop canD 1 united spanish War Veterans at their
 meeting last night by Sergeant Ed ward 5. Davis. formerly of the 14th l U. D. infantry, but now chief engineer
 oI Ine American Shop Equipment Co or Chicago, III. MT. Davis left Rrid ga.
 port in 1898 with Battery B and was discharged with them at the r1nuster- 1 out of their organizations at the local
 arrnory in Decem Der, 1898.
 He, with IT others enlisted irnnedi ately for the Philippine service and
 went to the islands at once. They were in the thick of the Philipptne 1nsurrections and had many exciting experiences around Manila with Agu1naldo's followers After arduous service for year or more his outfit was sent to China. to rescue the Amer jeans surrounded by the fierce Boxer hosts in the sacred city of Pelxin.
 The perilous march from Titentsin to Pekin during which hundreds of American soldiers were slaughtered
 was wildly related by him. He told of encountering a large body of Box CTS about 80 miles outside of Pelxfn who marched toward them with false faces on top of long poles, stink-pots weird sounding instruments, and Chinese lanterns with fierce looking l dragons, etc, as their only weapons
 They confidently expected the invad- ing Americans to flee terror stricken at these formidable tokens of their strength. The American soldiers at first prepared to fire upon them but were restrained by their superior Of ncers when they saw the ludicrous nature of the expedition.
 The order to halt was given and they just waited for the Boxers to ap- proach. The din of their weird ir- struments was terrific and the shouts and sshriels of tine fanatics were ear splitting. As they got closer some of the leaders threw their stink-pots in the midst of the Americans. The odor from them when they broke was something frightfu1 and did somewhat disconcert a few of the soldiers tenn porartiy. After a few vo1leys fired in the air by the Americans the Boxers took to their heels and fled precipi- tately. The boys encountered no more opposition from them until under the walls of the sacred city of Pekin.
 MT. Davis is here on important busi- ness for his concern and short time ago installed the gas and oil engines at the Lake Torpedo Co. He dropped in at the meeting quite by accident and was surprised to meet there a considerable number of his old corra- radeS of1the late unp1easantness in the war with Spain.
 The Maine Memorial tablet recent Iy allotted to Bishop Camp by the Navy Department was shown to the members present. It certainly is a fine specimen of the bronze workers art.
 The committee in charge of finding suitable permanent resting place for 1t are proceeding slowly in their work. They have several very desirable sites under consideration, but owing to the great intrinsic value of the relic Git is cast from the recovered scrap metal of the Maine1 they naturally wish to put 1t in as public 8 place as possible, and with appropriate ceremonies.
 The application of John U. Cullen, 28 Thompson street, to be admitted to mem bership was favora bly, acted upon. The invitation of the Bridge port Lodge of Elks to partake of their hospitality at the Flag Day exercises to be held in the lodge rooms next Saturday evening was also cordially 4oA