248
plies for only a few days. Some Legation ladies even fled thither without supplies of any sort save a quantity of Parisian toilettes, nor did the latter think of sending back for any thing until their particular Legations were burned to the ground.
NECESSARY CONFISCATIONS.
But there were wiser heads in the number. The American Marine Capt. Hall took the initiative by confiscating the contents of a Chi- nese shop. This examplo was quickly followed, and the Chinese shops within the lines were emptied of all food supplies, and the two foreign stores turned over to the British Government. The food supplies so taken were all turned into u general commissariat, and placed in charge of a food-supply committee. Everything in the ling of dry goods, silks, satins, damasks, etc., was used later for sandbags, including Chinese silks and garments of every sort and condition. But the confiscated goods did not suffice for the sandbags: private individuals gave up sheets and other linen. Lady MacDonald, Baroness von Ketteler and Mrs. Conger, cheerfully con- tributing their handsomest satins, and even silks. During this time it was unsafe to hang any laundry about on the bushes. More than one lady lost her last sheet or pillow-case through the energetic "sandbagging" that went on for nearly three weeks. Things even went so far that in the large houses where numbers of peo- ple were accommodated, wash-rugs and towels were pinned to lines in the general bath-room. One woman said I fear even to change my clothing. for Mrs. A. or Mrs. B. is quite apt to pick up my discarded garments and make them
up into sandbags before I can turn around."
THE BREAD SUPPLY. Within the lines were also discovered several grain-shops, one in particular that three days previous to June 20th had received about seven tons of Honan wheat. This shop also contained four grinding-stones. Mr. Fenn, of the American Presbyterian Mission, was placed in charge of the mill, and he and his crew of native convert millers ground the coarse brown flour that kept a thousand people in bread for eight weeks of siege. There were only three households that had any white bread. All the others, including all the Legations, ate the brown bread from this confiscated mill. Many tons of brown rice were also taken, and thus the 3,000 Roman Catholic and Protestant converts managed to survive, even though hefore the troops came on August 14th the women and children had been put on famine rations, or one
of husked rice dry corn per day.
cup
COAL.
A great coal-shop was looted of its contents, and coal enough taken to last for three months. Five brass stoves were carried to the British Legation and used for cooking purposes in the crowded compounds.
THE MENU.
[September 29, 1900.
duals, but so little that it caused no scandal. The book contents of the one Hanlin Library that was saved are, we believe, to be turned over by Sir Claude MacDonald to the British Mu- seum.
ORGANISED LOOTING AFTER THE CAPTURE.
But the 14th August marked a change in the character of looting in general. Several soldiera and civilians who had accompanied them were heard to say openly, "We're here for loot. We never took that hard trip for nothing." The 15th of August found the city of Peking empty of Chinese troops, and the Allied troops free to roam about in regiments or small companies.
COSSACKBRUTALITY,
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND | ready." "Well, I'm going to have this silk garment for her anyway," coolly remarked the lady in broken English, laying violent hands upon it. Thereupon the controller's ire was roused, and he laid hands upon it and, being the stronger, took it from Madame and locked it up. Later behold Madame and Monsieur walking rapidly towards the controller! Mon- sieur was twisting his moustache in an angry fashion. "Sir," he began, “how dare you dis- pute with my wife ? She cannot speak Eng- lish."
"Sir," mildly replied the controller, "I cannot speak French." 'Well," said the fierce gentleman." Madame, my wife, wishes this gar- ment. Will you give it to her?" Certainly to Madame," replied the controller, “but not to The Japanese and Russians started energeti- her amah." And later Madame was seen array- cally to work looting. The Japanese with little ed like a sunbeam in the garment she had osten-fuss captured the Board of Public Works with sibly desired for her servant. Even before the 2,000,000 taels. But the Russian brutality, as troops came, the French people stationed in the it became wired abroad, horrified everyone, Legation showed a beautiful disregard for When disappointed in the loot of a house they death and the hereafter in their desire for loot. murdered and did worse without mercy. In Atone time some of the looting party threatened to two days after the city had been divided into report to headquarters the attacks of the French lines, Chinese were fleeing from, the Russians, women, when they, under orders, were looting begging to be taken into English American or the great Hanlin Library that had been fired Japanese lines. Whole families hanged them- by the Chinese soldiers in an attempt to set selves or drowned themselves to escape the bru Sir Claude MacDonald's house on fire. Thetal Cossack, from whom no man's nor child's French women were all waiting for us," one life, nor woman's honour was safe. So awful man said. as we erept back through the wall the condition became that it is said Sir Claude into the British Legation. They never asked for MacDonald went to Minister De Giers, and any of the loot but simply grabbed it out of our begged him to nɛe some authority in the matter, arms and ran away with it. There were lots of But the Russian Minister wept and wrung his such silk and stuff. These French women did hands and said that he could do nothing. not belong to the Legation, and it is interesting The French were not far behind the blocd. to note that they were among the very few thirsty Cossacks. They killed coolies, women,
and old men without women who did not join in the work of making children,
mercy. sandbags for the defences.
They started out to relieve the Peitang, the French Cathedral, where for eight weeks the French fathers, sisters and 45 brave Frence and Italian soldiers had made such a gallant stand. But they were met with fire from the Chinese sharp-shooters hidden at the back of houses, and they retreated to loot, leaving the Peitang until the 16th of August, when the doughty little Japanese went to relieve the fellow-countrymen of the French.
Everyone either willingly gave up his horse, or it was calmly taken by the meal committee for food. Racehorse and missionary mule went to the block together and were eaten in impar- tial fashion. If any preference was shown it was for the mule, and it was a great pity that out of the 86 animals killed there were so few mules, for of the two dainties the mule was more appetising. Not one of the few chickens in the Legations at this time could find a safe spot in which to deposit her erg. Her privacy was always interrupted, nor could she count on her proper owner securing her production, for the article still warm was sure to find its way by human instrumentality to some poor mother with a weak and ailing child. In fact there were a few good Christian men in the siege who lay in wait for the cackling of the busy hen, and then personally saw that the few eggs went where
most needed.
CLOTHING THE DESTITUTE.
Many of the Chinese garments looted were distributed to the destitute Chinese. An auction or two were hold, several hundred of dollars of goods sold and delivered, but at the last account the money was uncollected.
fa RAPACIOUS LADIES.
IC
A French women went one day to the con- troller of the loot and asked for a silk garment for her amah. But we don't give amals silk garments," the controller protested, "and besi des I have given your amalı a garment al-
A GHABTLY FIND.*
46
After the first few weeks had gone by, it was thought that all the surrounding houses and shops had been looted. But the last week it was found safe to extend a barricade into the Mongol Market, and it was there that the soldiers made a ghastly find. In a Chi. nose house of some importance they found four dead bodies, including that of a little boy. The house had evidently been struck by the Chinese in attempting to shell the Legation, but no shell had struck the inmates. A large box of opium near the bodies told the story of suicide-through fear of Chinese or of foreigners, who knows? The bodies were too far gone for anything but the quickest burial, but the contents of the house were taken into the fortified compound, the clothes distri- buted or made into more sandbags. Jewelry and other articles were found, but these were laid aside for auction.
MISREPRESENTATIONS.
Hours
These auctions were held on the tennis ground, I may state, in the centre of which was a great hole that had been started for a bomb-proof case, this effectually ruining the ground for the tennis games with whica some untruthful reporter says that "the besieg. ed whiled away their tedious hours." are not very tedious where men work 18 out of 24. They were usually willing to sleep the remaining six, und we heard of no one in the siege prowling around at night trying to get up a game of tennis on the grounds where for weeks the bullets fell like hail. Since the siege has been lifted no one has done more to misre present the whole affair than some ignorant and illiterate reporters who came in with repu table journalists. How men who cannot speak the Queen's English correctly in its commonest phrasing, who, in addition, are rough, swearing bullies, can come to the Far East and represent, or say they do, reputable papers in London and New York, we do not understand. The object of several of the reporters and journalists who came in with the relief troops seemed to be looting. Most of their notes were made when on their way back to Tientsin. One belonging to a great London daily said with an oath,
My
- I'll have to get a boat to take away my loot, but I'll throw away all but fifty rolls of my silk. I shan't keep one worth less than $2 a yard." This man spout several days looting with the Japanese soldiers while perhaps his waiting paper wondered why he did not write or cable oftener.. But during the siege the loot was usable, that which was not put in a store room for disposition by the British Government. A little, it is true, was bound to fall into the hands of private indivi-
The British and American troops were for- bidden to loot, but in two days time the British officers, seeing that all the wealth of Peking was going to the French, Russians, and Japa nese, organised official looting. Sikhs went out with their pack-trains and under command of officers, and brought rich trains of loot, silks, furs, jewels and silver, into the British Lega- tion. Some of this loot was sold by auction, the money it is said to go to the British soldiers. The American troops were very sore, as General Chaffee would not withdraw his order against looting, and all the boys could get was by the winking of their officers, many of whom secured some bit of loot themselves, but not in any quantity. The Sikhs, when looting under British command, usually got something out of it for themselves. An extraordinarily fat Sikh, loitering at the tail end of his line, needed but a sign to lift his upper garment and unroll yards and yards of silk from his waist. Some would have wound about their waists and in their turbans as much as sixty yards, or three pieces. These they sold for one or two dollars per piece, if 20 yards long. And so from day to day the looting went on. The Americans one day found within their lines 500,000 taels. The French suddenly discovered that the line was wrongly drawn and drew their guns on the Americans. Investigation was made and the Americans gave in; just as they allowed the Russians to loot from them the Im- perial Palace after they had done the fighting necessary to take it, and lost eight men. In the same manner the English and Americans allowed the Russians to take the Empress's summer palace, the railway and arsenal at Tien- tsin, and every strategic point along the river from Tientsin to Peking. Just as wantonly and brutally as the Russians looted in Peking, leaving their path strewn with fine fabrics trampled in the mud, and more often a human being, just so is Russia preparing to loot the better part of China if the other Allied Powers continue in their present state of apathy.
An automatic telephone on the penny-in-the- slot machine system has been installed in the Shimbashi and Uyeno Railway Stations, Japan. It is easily worked and there are two recep- tacles for the nickel and silver coins,
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.