Fighting for their Lives.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 9823, 24 July 1900, Page 8

Fighting for their Lives.

Women and Children Bravely Defended.

Details have been received from Shanghai regarding the recent murders of railway engineers by Boxers, It seems that a patty of thirty, including six women and one child, left Pao Ting Fuin twelve boats under military escort. After travelling fifty miles in safety they missed their way. The boats grounded, and the Boxers opened fire upon the unfortunate occupants, using both rifle 3 and wooden cannon. The engineers returned the fire effectively, and the party landed. One woman and three men got separated from the main body. They were brutally killed. Tne survivors formed a square,/with those able to bear arms outside, and the women inside, and made off towards Tientsin. They travelled three and a half days, fighting all the way. More than 2000 cartridges were expended, and ammunition was running short. They estimated that they killed at least 100 Boxers. The men behaved like heroes, carrying the women and children. One woman of the party was close to maternity. Twelve miles, from Tientsin three men disappeared and were murdered. The survivors eventually met the rescue party, and, much exhausted, they were escorted to Tientsin.