The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-01-18
WRATH OF A RULER
EDICTS ISSUED By THE EMPEROR
OF THE FLOWERY KINGDOM.
Chief Officers of the Chinese Army and
Navy, Who Were Defeated in Bat
tie, Condemned TO Die.

lowing aQVlceS from the oTieHl nave Deeu
received by the steamer Empress, of Japan.
The situation in Picking is growing more
complicated since the arrival of viceroy
Lui Kun Yih. Ii Hung Changes greatest
enemy and head of the Hunana faction.
The first evidence of Lii Kun Yih is the
issuing of q decree condenming Admiral
Ting Kung and Taotai to death and all
other officers in command of divisions. BY
this sweeping decree none of the generals
or admirals escape. The decree states that
as they are responsible for the necessary
fall of Port Arthur death must be their
penalty.
The board of punishment will probably
disgrace the commanders before execution.
The mandate overrides Ii Hung Changes
desperate attempt to "whitewash" every
cowardly commander who deserted his post
at the fall of Port Arthur. Officers have
been sent after Admiral Kung with instruc-
tions to bring him back alive, or leave his
dead body to the vultures. Kung will sure
ly be taken. He is now in hiding at Yang
Chow. Kung is a brother OF the Chinese
minister to England, and up to a recent
date, under Ii Hung Chang, was a very
powerful politician at court. Lui has Sc
lected Kung for his special revenge on ac-
count of his enmity to Ii Hung Chang.
Lord Ii, another impeached admiral is in
hiding and is in communication with kung.
Government spies have reported the author
tiles so that his capture is certain. Admiral
Ting is locked up with his fleet at Wei-Hai-
Wei. 1t is said If he hears of his fate he
will cheat the executioner, as he is extreme
ly proud and will not live to satisfy the
hatred of his old rival, Lui.
The imperial edict d~enouncing the officers
proclaims that III spite of efforts of traitors
to conceal the truth from the Emperor his
eyes are at last opened and he is resolved
that the guilty shall no longer escape. Ii
Hung Chang is again rebuked for endeavor-
ing to shield Taotai Kung, who fled from
Port Arthur as soon as the enemy had
taken it's first positions" The Emperor in
sists that Kung be sent to the board OF
~punishments to expiate his wickedness."
Four brigade generals who served under
Kung are known to be hidden under protec-
ton of Lii Hung Chang, who is ordered to
deliver them up for Judgment; Inc ON
mander of the Tahen forts, VINO also an
emptorily called for The emperor also
demands to be informed where General WEI
him over without delay to the proper au-
horities to answer for his crimes in Corea.
GepaTal ADMIRAL wsh al f Pnps'f the edaict Nays says: We
have sent him repeated orders to lead ms
ships against the enemy, put ms coWaraly
heart has taken refuge. 1t is our Will tnat
Ting be arrested and punished Although
the decree was issued Dec. IL, none OF the
parties named has suffered these penalties,
and apparently no steps have been taken
for their apprehension.
AN IMPERIAL PROCLAMATION.
An edict issued a month ago by the EN-
peror 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 hoped and wished hat
the young Emperor, despairing and dis
oo,rooo1 urorlH CHANGE his mind and re-
call his utterances. A translation of this
most extraordinary edict of any issued by
the Emperor during the war has been OBJ
tanned. 1t was given out when Wing
Thung Tsao and Wen Thung Thung Shihi
memorialized the Emperor suggesting the
removal of the capital westward. The sub
stance of this proclamation is as follows:
when we first took charge of the at
fairs of the empire it was our Intention TO
expectedly the japanese nave broken the
peace, taken away our Corean dependency
empire. We have sent our generals, upon
whom we depended with their armies, to
punish the enemies of peace and drive them
the peace of the japanese empire, and this
our ancestors and all foreign nations will
know. Little did we expect that our gen.
erals were incompetent and in many cases
untrustworthy and that the soldiers were
arms adequate. though large sums of
money were appropriated by us to supply
them. 1t Is Tor THESE reasons IHdC the
japanese have gained victory, after vic
tory and place after place, which causes
US the greatest concern and makes our an
estors restless in their honored graves. All
this aff1iction and trouble is because we
are unworthy and have employed 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 fathers and be gathered home
to them fighting to the last as they did
before us for our country and our honor.
When that time comes may you reverently
aconrf t6a E,p1nrncC nnuya GER west W. ri and
elect a worthy man to be your emperor,
look after the sacred affairs of our an
%cestors, revive thought and wipe out TINS
terrible disgrace"
Although the japanese government is as
guarded as ever in all its ntterahces' IL
prospect of speedy settlement is not so
clear as it seemed three weeks ago. Then
China protested to be sincere in her desire
to negotiate for peace, and the two Amer
lean ministers who acted as mediums of
communicates between the ~contending par
pacific understanding might be removed
without serious difficulty. Mr.; Dunn, hav-
precisely where he stood. Mr.. DENLY, to
whom the task of formulating the Chi
less sure of his ground, for the opinions of
those in power at Picking were not only
often discordant, but were subject to almost
as many changes as there were days in
FEW CASUALTIES.
Official reports of deaths in the japanese
army show thai the casualties III battles
nave been remarkably few, owing to the
inability or u~nwillingness of the Chinese
to fight. In Corea Japan has lost 219 killed
outright and thirty-eight who died from
their wounds, while the deaths from dis
eases have been 406. In China seventy-two
only have been killed, twenty-one have
died from wounds and twenty-four from dis
eases.
Several Toxic papers profess to have in
formation that an attack upon Wei-Hai-
Wei was ordered on Dec. %, and that a
movement against that naval station will
be begun as soon as the troops OF the Sec
ond division of General Oyama's army can
be made ready to participate. The heads
of the Navy and War Departments refuse
to contradict or confirm this report, but
the newspapers in question have been
sharply cautioned.
Correspondence from Port Arthur de
| scribeS an ingenious stratagem employed to
obtain information respecting the condition
of the Chinese at Wei-Hai-Wei One OF
the japanese cruisers was reprinted and
equipped in Chinese style and started al
high speed for the naval stronghold, flying
the flag of China and closely followed by &
japanese man-of-war. AS she drew neal
the harbor several shots We're fierd by the
pretended pursuer, and she was admitted
| without opposition to forbidden waters. A
very brief survey enabled her to ascertain
that seven ships, including the Ting-Yuen
were lying at anchor there and that the
stranded Chan-Yuen was probably irrepar
| ably damaged. Having accomplished he
DllrnOSe the disguised vessel retreated be