Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1895-01-24
DOOMED TO DEATH.


Inand Port Arthur All to be Executed
for Cowardice-An Edict from the EN-
peror. in Which He Proposes to Die
Fighting and Leave the Empire to More
Competent Hands.
VANCOUVER, B. c.. Jan. 1s.-The
following advices from the orient have
been received by the steamer Empress
of Japan: The situation at Pekin is
growing more complicated since the
arrival of Viceroy Lui Kun Yieh. Ii
Hung Chang's greatest enemy, and
head of the Human faction. The first
evidence of Lui Kun Yieh is the issu-
ing of decree condemning Admirals
Ting, Kung and tao-tai of Port Arthur
to death, and all othsr officers in COM
mand of divisions yet alive, who
showed cowardice before, after or
during the battle.
By this sweeping decree none of the
generals or admirals escape. He
states, as they are responsible for the
unnecessary fall of Port Arthur. death
must be their penalty. The board OF
punishment will publicly disgrace the
commanders before execution. The
mandate overrides Ii Hung Chang's
desperate attempt to "whitewash'
every cowardly commander who de-
serted his post at the fall of Port Ar
thur.
Officers have been sent after Admiral
Kung with instructions to bring him
back alive or leave his dead body to
the vultures. Kung will surely be
taken. He is in hiding at Yang Chow.
Kung is brother of the Chinese min
lister to England, and up to a recent
date under Ii Hung Chang was very
powerful politician at court. Lui has
selected Kung for his special revenge
on account of his enmity to Ii Hung
Chang. Lord Ii, another impeached
admiral, is in hiding and is in COM
munication with kung.
Admiral Ting is locked up with his
fleet at Wei-Hai-Wei. 1t is said if he
b ears of his fate he will cheat his exc
cutioner, as he is extremely proud, and
will not live to satisfy the hatred OF
his old rival Lui.
An edict issued a month ago by the
emperor of China to those within the
palace precincts has just come to light.
During this time it has been jealousy
guarded from the public, as it was
peror, despairing and discouraged,
would change his mind and recall his
utterances. A translation of this
most extraordinary edict of any issued
by the emperor during the war has
been obtained. It was given out when
Wing Thung Tsao and Wen Thung
Shih memorialized the emperor, sug-
costing the removal of the capital west
ward. The substance of the procla-
nation IS as follows:
when we first took charge of the
affairs of the empire it was our inten-
ton to introduce many reforms. Sud
denly and unexpectedly the japanese
have broken the peace, taken away our
Corean dependency and taken posses
sion of the borders of our empire.
I'VE have sent our generals on whom
we trusted with their armies to punish
the enemies of peace and drive them
away, but we never intended to dis
turb the peace of the japanese empire,
and this our and all foreign nations
well know.
Little did we expect that our gen.
erals were incompetent, and in many
cases Enthusiastically, and that the
soldiers were insu coordinate and ill-sup-
piled with the arms adequate and the
large sums of money appropriated by
us to supply them with, and it is for
these reasons that the japanese have
gained victory after victory and place
after place, which causes US the great
est concern and makes our ancestors
restless in their honored graves.
'sAll this af1iction and trouble is be-
cause we are unworthy and have en-
ployed unfit men. If, however, the worst
comes and the enemy secure our sacred
affairs, then there remains nothing for
us but to perish at the altar of our ia
theirs and be gathered home to them,
fighting to the last, as they did before
US, for our country and our honor.
'sWhen that time comes you may
reverently escort the empress dowager
westward and elect worthy man to
be your emperor, look after the sacred
affairs of our ancestors, revive thought
and wipe out this disgrace"
Tar News.