The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-01-23


sary force gathered for this purpose
Il Of about the sauye strength as THAT
which conquered Tai5en ard Pert Ar
under Lieut. Gen. YamaJi. and one
half OF the Second division. known as
the Seudai DIVISION.
Reports from Weihafwei state that
not les than 1s.o0e Chinese are posted
In or near the fortincaticns. Two for
eigners, an Engisshnan ard a German,
whose names are not published. are
said TO be szperintendinx the defensive
operations TIE fleet in the harbur
has been increased. and II Is believed
that thirteen shops OF war and fifteen
torpedo boats are anchored there At
least one-half Of the vessels are OF
small size.
Lieut.. Gen. Noxu has left Kiuiien.
and IS. on his way TO take personal
command ct the Japanese forces at
and near Haicheng. On January 4 he
had reached Suiyen, from which place
he tesgraphed that the Chinese gen.
erai. sung, had reorganized his de-
feated army and was cautiously re-
turning In the direction Of Haicheng.
Rumors OF movements by Lieut.. Gen.
kafsura are In circulation. but there
is every reason for believing that he re
mains In Haicheng. awaiting Nozu's
arrival.
Won Hsnneken's scheme for the re-
organization Of the Chinese army and
proyding at short notice trustworthy
force for the defense OF Peking. has
been set aside by order from the Tsung
LII famen. The reason publicly given
for abandoning it is alleged depletion
or the treasury. Apart from this. 1t
Is known that great discomfort was
excited in high military quarters by
the proposal to confer the chief COM
mand upon foreigner. and that
threats Of mutiny were growing so
loud and frequent as to throw the
court into CONSERVATION, hence the
overthrow Of the project.
serious disturbance occurred at Foo
chow last month. when an attempt Was
made to bury the remains OF Capt. Fong.
beheaded for cowardfce at the single ma
val battle OF the war, with the cere-
monies appropriate to the rank he had
held Fong was the officer who took
his ship out OF action before the hight
had fairly begun, and was decapitated
without trial at Port Arthur by order
or Admiral Ting. The funeral process
sion was stoned and dispersed by rioters,
who seized the coffin and would have
maitreated the corpse but for the on
perfume arrival OF strong guard uron
the scene. The interment was subse-
quently effected BY night, and In strict
privacy
few days later a similar uprising
IN the same city was caused by the an
nouncement that Commodore Liu. late
commander OF the Chen Yuen, would be
entombed with naval honors. Liu had
committed suicide Immediately after the
disabling OF his ship at Weihaiwei. and
IL was popularity believed that he had
Intentionally run her upon a rock known
TO every navigator and easily avoided
Though formerly idolized by his towns
men OF Foochow, his remains were fol-
lowed to the grave by shrteking mob
and would have suffered the worst In
dignitieS Ii the local officials. warned nv
the tumult at Fong's obsequies, had NOT
taken due precautions against extreme
violence
foreisn newspapers of Shanghai con-
tam translations of an alleged .mperia,
Tescript. SO extraordinary In character
that us authenticity is scarcely credited.
aithougnt II appears to have been given
10 the puhEc through the regular chan
nels. Its tone and purport may be Judged
from the following extract: .sThe Japan
csc nave gained victory after victory,
and despoiled our territory until our
august ancestors In their sacred graves
are disturbed. This Is because We. who
rule the empire, are unworthy ana de-
fcient in virtue. and have intr,lsted the
defense OF the state to unfit servants. III.
however, 1t is our destiny TO suffer the
worst evils. and TO witness the defile-
ment and destruction OF revered affairs
there remains nothing but for us To per-
ish with them. When that time eernes
may you tWeng, Ii Tsao and Wen Shin
reverenily lead the empress dowager to
safety in the West, and provide for a
worthy succession to the throne which
We shall no longer fill Then NAV the
sacred shrines of our ancestors be nurl-
fed. and the disgrace of the nation be
wiped away.
1t Is rumored that this edict was prf-
vately circulated in the palace at the he
ginning OF December last. and has become
known to the outer world through treach-
cry. But the genuineness of so remark
sbie document needs further attesta-
ton
The ransom paid for the release OF
Madame Chailiet and her daughter from
Chinese pirates was about $4,000.