Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1920-09-09

Go To Hankow. See City And
Destruction Of Property.
July Is, 1920.
Dear Mother:
At 2 a. m. last Tuesday we left Chik-
ungshan. All communications with Pc
king had been cut off. Many of the
trains on the Peking- Hankow line had
been taken off. and those left only ran
as far as Chengchow, Honan, SO we de-
cided to leave at once for fear we'd be
cut off from Hankow. Just as we were
ready to leave, it began raining hard.
Alice and expected to walk down the
mountain. but Mrs. Heinie to ride. Her
chair had not come. SO we all. started out
together. One of the men, a Mr.. Os-
bourne, h lted to think or US going down
alone at that hour of the night, so he got
up and escorted u.s. It mean a lot to US,
for it was very dark night, and he went
ahead of the chair which we secured for
Mrs. H, and we walked behind. Alice
had fall as it was.
When we reached the police station at
the entrance to Chikungshan summit, we
we're told that it was no use to go down
as they had received telegram telling
them to inform foreigners there would
be no trains But our baggage had al
ready gone down and we decided to go
end have another look at it.
On reaching the railroad station we
were told that the train would come in
about threeauarters of an hour-it was
: the afternoon train of the day before. 1t
consisted of two day coaches and the en-
CINE, but they put on another coach and
SO we had compartment to, ourselves.
We were very late reaching Hankow
ard had hot and busy day there. Twen-
ty of our girls came back with US. We
landed here at A. m. Thursday, and had
quit time getting into rowboats, and
landing. The water is unusually high
.nd is food. d way up into one OF the city
streets, but fortunately the water WAS
not rough that night.
The next day took walk over the
city. The things one sees and hears are
nnspeakabe. In our own city day school
the people living down stairs had every
thing taken, Furniture smashed up for
fuel, stoves, china kettles. clothes, bro
ken torn or stol,n huge holes dug in the
walls ceilings and haors--they failed at
nothing in their search for loot. In hun
dreds of homes there is absolutely moth
ing left, and by nothing. l mean NO
THING Eight out of every ten people
are sick, there is still little food to be
had, some of the best stores and houses
are used for barracks or stables by the
southerners. Oh! it makes one heart
sick, soul sick.
Some of the things one hears about the
soldiers are so terrible. At one place
they say thousand dead lay and no one
would give them burial At another
place the southcrners wrecked a train on
which were fleeing northerners and hum
dreds were killed or wounded, and many
other like stories.
At last I've heard the true account of
the killing of Mr.. Reimert. Hearing
banging at the gate Mr.. Reimert and Mr..
B4chman went down. The heavy gates
were not shut, only the outside gate
which is half Stat, and it was inside the
Stats that MIR. Reimert stood and talked.
Outside stood an officer and eight men.
When asked what they wanted they said
food, drink and admission. Mr.. Remert
answered that they could have food and
drink, but that he could not let them in.
AS quick as flash the officer gave the
command and all eight men and the Off
Ger fired. Evidently the men fired to in
tmidate, as these shots fell around the
men, but the officer fired with his revol-
yer straight at Mr.. Reimert's heart.
Then they broke in the gates and would
have killed all others if they had not fled.
Things are in terrible state all over
the country, practically, and one realizes
daily that there is only One who can help
China.
1t is interesting to hear of the battle
here. After Chang Gin Yao fled, Amer
lean sailors brought their guns. etc to
guard the compound. They were from
from the Destroyer Upshur, while the
Quiros boys guarded Lakeside. The Eng
lish were very helpful, then. too, and one
Captain said if were attacked he would
come to our assistance with every man
and gun he had. The compounds were
not attacked at this time, bat when the
southerners arrived they began banging
away ct an awful rate, and the guards
not knowing what was up fired away.
There was lively skirmish for time
but they found that the awful racket was
only the southerners arriving, and the
battle ended. No one vas killed, and no
American wounded.
You must be tired of all this war news,
and seem to have nothing more to say
except that ! am thinking of you dear
folks very muck these days, and hoping
you are not worrying. Love to each and
all. MARION.