The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, August 21, 1900, Page 1

The -~ VOLUME LXXXVIII-NO. 82 CHINESE TROOPS SURROUNDED IN PALACE GROUNDS AND THE EMPRESS DOWAGER A FUGITIVE. In an Interview With The Call’s Corfespond@nt Minister Conger Declares the Attack on the Legations Was Instigated by the Imperial Government, and That theRelief Column Arrived in the Nick of Time. Special Cable to The Call and New York Herald. Cnpyright, 1800, by the Herald Publishing Company. SAN FRANCISCO, TUESDAY, AUGUST 21, 1900. PRICE FIVE CENTS. EKING. Friday, Aug. 17, via Shanghai, Aug. 20.—Contrary to the agreement of the allied commanders, the Russians advanced and occupied the first door of the east gate early in the morning of the 14th (Tuesday), but failed to force the second door. At 2 o’clock on the afternoon of the 14th the British and Americans entered the gate near the legations and met with only slight resistance. The Japanese met a more serious opposition at the upper east gate all day. At midnight of the 14th they hlew up the gate and en- tered the city. Many Chinese were killed. The people in the legations were well, but somewhat starved. Min- ister Conger said: “If the relieving® column had not arrived when it did we should probably have succumbed. The whole movement is purely a governmental one. The Boxers are only a pretense, having no guns. The confidential adviser of the Empress was the leader of the imperial troops here. In eleven days over 2000 shells fell among us. The American marines, under Captain Myers, held the position on the wall throughout the siege. Upon the allies passing the wall the Chinese retreated. The imperial family left four days ago for Shensi province.” _ : In an interview Sir Claude Macdonald, the British Minister, states: “The Chinese broke every engage- “They tried to annihilate us the day before you got in. Prince Ching, president of the Tsung li Yamen, ment with the foreign Ministers. There is no truth in the story that the imperial palace supplied the legation sent word that his officers had received orders to cease firing on us under pain of death. At 7 o’clock in the | with food. They sent vegetables, which were refused. The total casualties during the siege of the legations evening of the same day the Chinese opened fire and this continued all day. ! were sixty-seven killed and one hundred and twenty wounded.” r! ASHINGTON, Aug. 20.—The State Department to-night made public the following: i In Rgsponse e Requests f,‘o [ w “CHEFU, Aug. 20, 1900.—To Secretary of Sta?e. Washing‘;on, D. C.: Tv?entieth— Chln.ese Government Through Reinforcements for Allies L.i Hung Chang Again Ap- ‘ FOWLER.” Italian Marines Are RUShedi peals for Cessation of Hostili- 1 Bt e i o i o % 272dale reports Chinese troops surrounded in palace grounds. Ragsdale is Consul at Tientsin. The State Department also issued the following statement: “The Acting Secretary of State reports the receipt of a telegram to-day from Consul Gen-- | eral Goodnow, dated the 20th, reporting a statement of the Governor of Shantung, that the Em- A3 : s Capital Con- | press left Peking on the 13th for Sinan Fu, in the province of Shensi, and that Princes Ching and | i; iy . Rey “;‘I’Sm:(‘;Or":‘h;h;n_lcph;:ssse Dowpager ve| Tuan and Viceroy Kan Yi are stil in‘Peking. g |First Condition That the Relief Forces Be Conflicting, but It Seems Certain She ABOERE SRS G A - REEROE L o 4 From Taku to Peking. ‘ ties and Restoration of Peace. Permitted to Enter Peking Unmolested Not Complied With and America Will Has Fled to Sian-Fu. ‘ e Refuse to Act. +| ASHINGTON, Aug. 20.—The Chinese Government through Li Hung Chang has made application to the United States for the appointment of Minister Conger or some other Amer- ican official with authority to open negotiations for the establish- ment of peace and for fixing definite terms for the settlement of the present trouble. The application came to the Chinese Minister to-day and was taken by him to the State Department. Li Hung Chang’s application for the appointment of a Peace Commissioner expresses willingness to conduct the negotiations at a point desired by the ONDON, Aug. 21, a. m.—Owing probably to the | Pek . being cut, little news of conditions in the $ x % i powers, and it is expected that this will be Peking or Tientsin. A X ® .1 has come through this morning. What on indicates that the allies are in need of rein- The commander of the Italian cruiser Fieramosea om Taku, according to the Rome correspondent of urgent requests were coming from Pe- | diate dispatch of further troops, wer to these 400 Italian marines were sent off | similar application has been made by Earl Li to all of the powers = interested. His suggestion of Minister Conger as the Commissioner -- is based on the idea that as Minister Conger has been rescued he has now the opportunity to proceed to the point where the negotia- tions will be held and conduct them. The application does not sug- gest any particular terms nor does it ask for the withdrawal of troops. It requests that the negotiations shall be for the purpose of bringing about a cessation of hostilities. anese Minister in London is said to have received last evening announcing that subsequent to the entry king a Japanese detachment went to the imperial palace to afford whatever protection was necesssary. The enemy was in strength, and fighting was still proceeding when the message was sent to Tokio. The main body of the Japanese was then at the An-Ting-Men gate, in the Tartar City, with headquarters at the Japanese legation. ASHINGTON, Aug. 20.—The American reply to Ch a cessation of hostilities, received to-day from Li H yet been made known, and it § ely that the ma main subje of ¢ Cat there is re: Reports of the presence of the Empress Dowager are still contradictory, but General Yung Lu, on the authority of the Shanghai co'rrespnnd(nt of the Standard, is announced to be a prisoner, by order of the Empress, in the imperial palace. “This, perhaps,” says the correspondent, “is a good thing, as detention in the capital will enable him to negotiate with the allies’ commander, which he would do as Prince Tuan’s enemy.” The Chinese Minister in London, Sir Chih Chen Lo Feng Luh, on being asked as to the whereabouts of the Empress Dowager and Emperor, replied: “They have gone westward to the old capital, Sian-Fu, and I think they are quite safe there.” Serious trouble is now threatened in the neighborhood of Canton. The Americans at Swatow, according to the Daily Chronicle’s Shanghai correspondent, have applied for a warship in consequence of serious rioting, and the Hongkong corre- spondent of the Daily Mail says that a warship is on the way there now. Queen Victoria has sent the following message to the com- mandant of marines at Peking: «T thank God that you and those under your command ground that the )t been complled with was ready to rnment for a The dispatch of August 1 enter into an agreement between the powe cessation of hostilites on candition that t ing unmolested” and escort the he general commandin vidence that the al received the s ion of the imperfal G Tientsin without further troubles und manding general. On the contra dre meeting with stubborn resist and there is an with the conditions laid down by the United States 12. As stated, however, the Government has given no ment of its purpose in reply to China's application ¢ a slight chance that complete compliance w nced in the Peking dispatches be But the disposition is clearly indicate that the al re lack of compliar s Hay and Root were out of the c ee went over the subject with of State that the U: -ed States shall name Minister € as peace envoy for the cessation of hostiliti go to such point as the powers may desire and is thought that Peking or Tientsin would be sele Chinese envoy proposed no terms as to the withd®s other suggestions as to what was to come before xiety being to secure the cessation of hostilities The application is understood also to have been made to the powers in the hope that if all would name a commissioner there would be a gene uncil of peace between Li Hung Chang on the one hand and the several representa- tives of the nations on the other. Aside from the fact that the c n August 12 have not been complied with by China, it s probable that ment would desire to take sufficient time to learn what the other po doing on the*same line, as all are acting in unison. Moreover there unexplained features of Li Hung Chang's application, one of them b while he asks the allies to cease hostilities he gives no assurance at power to make the Chinese army and the rebellious Boxers ceas tles. The situation at Peking was made ciearer to-day from many sources. " The latest advice appears that from Consul Fowler at Chefu, repe dispat received from Consul Ragsdale at Tientsin. The ¢ | surrounded in palace grounds.” The Japanese legatic | same general temor, but more in deiail, stating t treated on the 15th within the imperial palace and t there by the Japanese troops. Admiral Remey also transmitted an authentic report from Peking have been rescued from your perilous situation. With my peo- ple, I have waited with the deepest anxiety for good news of vour <afety and the happy termination of your heroic and pro- ] I grieve for the losses and sufferings experi- THE FLEEING RULER OF CHINA. THE DOWAGER EMPRESS, WITH THE EMPEROR AND COURT AND A LARGE AMOUNT OF TREAS- URE. IS REPORTED HASTENING TOWARD SIAN-FU, HOTLY PURSUED BY JAPANESE CAVALRY. SIAN- FU I8 SITUATED IN THE PROVINCE OF SHENSI, 70 MILES SOUTHWEST OF PEKING. IT HAS OVER A MILLION OF PEOPLE AND LIES IN A VERY POPULOUS AND FERTILE THOUGH VERY INACCESSIBLE DISTRICT. IT WAS THE CAPITAL OF EASTERN CHINA FROM 1122 B. . TO 1270 A. D. THE ABOVE PICTURE IS FROM LE PETIT JOURNAL. longed defense. enced by the besieged. A Japanese warship has left Yokohama for Shanghai, ac- ' rding 10 the Daily Mail, to land troops and to protect Japan- ‘hiects. The Daily Mail also announces that Germany will -tachment at Shanzl(lfu. F unh»c:1 ?{oko}mma a(}!)\"lces t(; . Ty ® | Namient Temer eo tranamitied an suthencc ’ : t {sgrruany and Runsia arc objects 01 @B S oicas ks ke 2 > A AR S AR These several dispatches from aifferent sources establish clearly that the im- phorsg et : poeat i D e S RN ) e e o e s @®—®-0| .l palace and grounds were under s But ne s t to the ss, which urges that Japan, having | e : ey e operstons. must <ce 0 1t wat vhe |9 AMERICANS KILLED IN M e o (hina is not determined merely by the pleasure of the : “It is felt,” says the correspondent, “that de- | surrounded, does not disclose the issuc of this situation part of Great Britain, the United States | continued. danger arising from the ambition of D e S S ol B e o S e S S S SPGB S S SO SO S S S S e S @2+ 0000000000000 00+ 0000000000000 000000 e 0000000400000 04000 0000000000000 0000 % % i f i : i § : : the latest to be received and is dated the 2 which it left Tientsin. The Japanese dispatch a Vers. -tion on the vill avert any contine Europe.” | i-official organs say that if occasion arises Japan To-day's dispatches seem to make clear that the Emperor and the Empres Dowager have made their escape from Peking and that about the service of the imperial palace and grounds is an asylum ized Chinese soldiers are making a last stand. The Ja to-day showed that the banners of the imperial cortege w on the 12th. and that probably the Empress Dowager had left the city. Consul General Goodnow advised t from Admiral Remey: ¥ “TAXU, Aug. 19.—Authentic report from. Peking, dated August 15, from Lieutenant Lat- imer: ‘Troops moving on the Imperial City and clearing out the Tartar City. All Americans who re- mained in Peking are well except one child. Captain Meyers has recovered from wound, has typhoid, WABHINGTON, Aug. 20.—The Bureau of Navigation this morning received the following cablegram A AP O- O an se e it -t notice, and that if the powers |( . 2 2 e 2 ;hmt S T vl\)'ill e { but crisis has passed, and he is now convalescing. Assistant Surgeon Lippett was wounded in upper left ARG baithn v Chity Sesscfcfiad (hy' Ewprete: Dowager had & play a selfish gam P i leg, bone being fractured. The leg was saved and he is now recovering. The following were killed dur- The attitude which the interratioaal forces will observe toward ti ing the siege of Peking: « ‘Sergeant J. F. Fanning, Privates C. X. King, J. W. Tucher, J. Kennedy, R. E. Thomas, A. Turner and H. Fisher. 3 “ ‘Wounded—Private J. Schroeder, elbow, severe, now dangerously ill from fever; Seaman J. Mitchell, upper arm, severe, now rescovering. “<All other wounded and sick have returned to duty. % « ‘Casualties in Major' Biddle’s command at attack on Tan Pating: First ZLieutenant Butler, chest; Private Green, wrist; Private Warrel, right temple—all slight. ; “+It is reported from Chinese sources that the royal family has escaped and is en route to Sian “REMEY.” the powers, resulting from a request by the Southern V indignity be shown to China's rulers. In response to this understood that there will be no personal indignity to t press Dowager, not because it is feit that there is any < them, but because China would be precipitated into a responsible heads of the empire lost their functions. In vi sire of this Government and the others concerned to keep ( position among officials is toward refraining from any personal the Chinese rulers. It develops in this conneetion that all cently rejected the proposition of the Consuls at Tientsin of the Ming dynasty. The proposed destruction was a th Fu.’ Chinese in the hope of bringing them to terms. But the po posal and thus gave significant evidence that anything calculated to give p - BB SATAT AT AT AT AT AT AS AT AT AT SASA S AT AT AT RS AT —@—®-@ | sonal affront or indignity to the Chinese was not part of the present cunp.um: I_uh. interviewed by the Daily Chronicle, is re- ¢ said: “The present disturbances are only ak. We do not despair of peace. Every- 1on the conduct of the allies, who are now in } ck equent questions rest with them for solution. You may be quite certain that it is not the antagonism to west- ern ideals which is ar the root of the troubles, but rather the difficulty of governing a great and ancient people.” depen ng. Su B e o L e e N e PO 0 0 < * Ak R i RSN