The morning news., 1894-11-02
oHINA's GIRL EMPRESS

Who Committed Suic ID = After Receiv.
ing Slap From the Emperor,
The Morning News dispatches printed
yesterday brought the news that the EN-
press of China had committed suicide.
after having been slapped in the
face by the emperor. OF the unhapny
young woman and her married life the
New York Herald says; "The married life
Of the young Emperor of China has not
been happy one. The outside world
knows little Of what goes on inside tIie
sacredly guarded imperial palace at Pc
kin, but enough has transpired to show
that the emperor, who is hot tempered
and spirited, bitterly. resented the manner
IN which his consOrt was thrust upon
him against his inclinations by the i'm
perious and self-willed empress dowager.
The young empress, Yo-Ho-Na-La found
the five years of married life filled with
discord and unhappiness until at last,
after a violent scene with her angry
spouse, she put an end to her earthly
troubles by taking poison.
1t was in 1889 that the emperor married
He was then a youth of eighteen. The
selection of his bride was governed by
the rules laid down in the Book of Rites
ana is tedious and elaborate process.
The dynasty is Manchu and the emperor
q
year before the marriage was celebrated
hundreds of fair competitors, all daugh-
terS of Manchu mandarins of not less
than the third ranks, competed for the
honor of sharing the imperial throne
After several inspections, in which the
beauty, family influence and intellectual
attainments OF the young ladies were
taken into grave consideration, the list
or aspirants was reduced TO thirty
The emperor himself was greatly smit-
ten with the charms of the daughter of
high Manchu military officer and he
expressed his intention to share his throne
with her. He also selected another fair
damsel whose beauty struck his youthful
heart with admiration, for his second
Wife But the old lady who had so long
and so nObly welded the sceptre during
his minority had no intention of allow
ing the young emperor to follow his bent
/ in this matter, and had already decided
on match for him by which the throne
| would be shared by one of her own family
| Accordingly, the lady selected was her
! niece, who was anything but a beauty
! from a Chinese or Manchu point of view
| and after great many scenes" and
violent alterations, the empress dowager
! proved her authority by having the mar
| riage with her niece celebrated. But the
unhappy bridegroom, though he Yields
| sway over a third Of the human race, is
as human and obstinate in affairs of
this kind as any other boy of eighteen;
and his marriage was the commencement
/ Of bitter strife between himself and
the old lady who had so kindly looked
after his matrimonial welfare. He never
got over his disappointment, and ever
afterward regarded both the empress con
sort and her imperial aunt with an an
tipathy which daily grew stronger.
The unhappy young empress was at the
| time of her marriage only thirteen years
old. She was the daughter of Gen. Kuel-
bsiang, younger brother Of the empress
dowager. a marriage initiated under such
/ unhappy auspices could scarcely prove
/ satisfactory in any respect, and the mast
hve years have been filled with quarrels
between the imperial couple Now the
| end of II has come. The girl empress.
/ completely broken in spirit by the humil-
iaton 70 which she found herself con-
| stantly subjected, has chosen to face
death rather than try to bear the burden
of her unhapplness any longer.