Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-08-14
townsend Ward Of Chin Received From
Wkr City

city. Each carried a big bag Of pow
der. They piled these against the
gates and exploded them, expecting
But again fortune played against
them. The gates parted just enough
to permit single man to slip
through. Even the desperate warriors
behind Ward faltered, and as he
looked back he knew his fate was In
the balance.
A moment more and it would have
been too late. but Ward slid through
the gate and faced the hundreds of
revolutionists crowded in the street
lie rushed them, fighting like demon.
Forester crowded i'm behind him. The
DICTIONARIES came In, one by one. Soon
the garrison was being forced back
A little longer and all Wards men
were inside. He himself had beer
wounded thrice. Dead lay all about
him.
The key to the city was a howitzer
which the Chinese had placed on the
great gate. The top Of this platform
was 40 feet high. 1t was reached by
a narrow ramp. Up this ramp Ward 8
men fought their way, killing, smash.
ing the defenders from the ramparts
until at last they held the top. They
called roll at nightfall. Three hundred
and seventy-two of Wards men were
dead and Of the remainder only 27 re-
manned unwounded.
Ward held the gate, however,
through the night, and in the morning
reinforcements arrived from Shanghai.
Brief, sharp fighting followed, and
with clear daylight again the sacred
city was in the hands Of the govern.
ment. Ward returned to Shanghai
national hero. The priests of Confu.
cius acclaimed him, government Of
f1cials fawned and paid the $4,000,
while grateful merchants added the
tribute of splendid estate outside
the city.
Now Ward was besieged with ap.
peals that he accept for his le-
gions volunteers from China as we'll
as other countries. He went on reor.
ganizing his legion for other drives
But in the midst of this triumph he
was arrested by British marines and
imprisoned on a warship in the harbor
The charge was recruiting British
ma no -warsmen. The United States
consul refused to intervene. because,
as he said, Ward had taken service
nese Government could not aid him,
dared not, in fact. offend London.
One day when Ward sat helpless I'm
the cabin to which they had confined
him a friend obtained permission to
see him. A British tar saw them
while talking with lowered voices set
their watches at the same hour, but
sensed no danger.
That night, upon an hour agreed to
with his friend, Ward leaped through
the portfolio of the old-fashioned war
ship into the sea. Had there been the
slightest slip in the plan, he certainly
would have been drowned or recap
tured. AS it was, the friend was
nearby with sampan, and. dragging
Ward aboard. escaped before the Brit.
ish knew what had happened.
From shore then Ward negotiated
with the British commander, Sir
James Hope, andupon his promise not
to enlist Hopes tars again the matter
was dropped. Sir James became
Wards great friend and advocate from
that time And his escape gave him
a claim on Immortality to the super
stitious Chinese. From then on Ward
was quite probably the most powerful
individual in all China. The govern
ment was at his mercy.
Soon he led his DICTIONARIES against
Singpo. but there he came face to
face with a British soldier of fortune
named Savage, and Savage won.
Ward was severely wounded again. AS
he retreated, the Taipings managed
to surround the legion with 10000
men. Afraid. apparently. to attack.
they sat down to starve the legion
into surrender. But with night Ward
Haunting the white helmet he always
affected, with his desperadoes cut his
way through the human Gordon to
safety. The enemy planned a new
drive on Sunkiang. Ward. alone.
slipped into the city. and the next
morning when the enemy rushed up
he stepped out on the wall. The sight
of his helmeted figure on the wall
struck such fear into the Taipings'
hearts that they reiterated without a
fight.
He went forward with the old plan
of taking cities. but another enemy
came to face him. He had been
wounded seven times. Doctors told
him that only an operation could
save him, and. undaunted. he went
to Paris. The operation helped him
and he hurried back to China. He
found that in his absence the Taipings
had gotten back much of their pres
tige and were demanding recognition
Of the powers. All his work seemed
to have been in vain, save for his own
sudden fortune.
1t was then that Ward obtained
from the Chinese Emperor the right
to organize his Ever Victorious