The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-04-19
REFORM THAT FAILED
How the Audacious Rang
Undertook 1t in China.
GOT THE EMPEROR'S EAR
But the Empress Forced Him
TO Flee for His Life.


way to London to lay his case before the
British Government.
Hangs story is one of the great roman
ces of the age. It is a romance in which
the fate of the Chinese Empire and the
high politics of the great powers Of the
world are involved.
Kang gained the confidence of Chinas
Emperor and almost brought about a re-
form of the Celestial Empire on modern
lines The he was checkmated by the
Dowager Empress and condemned to
death. Only with the aid Of British war
ships did he escape. There is now a re-
ward for his assassination.
Kang thus described to the Journal cor
respondent his escape from Pekin, the
last act in the drama of his career:
II had scarcely got out of the gates of
Pekin when they were closed to prevent
my escape. made my way disguised as
a coole TO Tien-Tsin and took passage TO
Woo-Suing There faithful brothers of a
secret organization told me that assins
awaited my coming on the starboard side
Of the British steamer Ballarat, to which
l was to be transferred. I simply boarded
/ the steamer on the port side, thus escap-
/ ing them, and by invitation of the captain
/ was locked in his cabin. When the En-
! press assassins saw how they had been
| tricked they signalled two Chinese war
! hips, which at once put after the Ballarat.
! Then two British warships also pulled out
! in the stream, and from the stern of the
stern Of the Ballarat 1 watched the two
| ha Of ha
! Chinese warships twice, then saw the
| ships flying the dragon fall in the rear
J and slowly disappear from view The
[ British warships conveyed me to Mong
! Kong.
ION the wharf at Hong Kong just as I
stepped upon the steamer a coolie made
lunge at me with a knife. After that
a close body guard of twenty hemmed me
| in At the Hotel a Chinese cook poisoned
my food. but a faithful follower tasted it
and suffered in my place. 1 went from
Hong Kong to Toxic. Here the Ratchet
men in the Empress pay tried seven times
to kill me- but my close bodyguard re-
| ceived the wounds often in my stead
fortunately slight ones
Kang then put on d false beard, donned
| European clothing and boarded the steam
er Idzmi. where he locked himself and
followers in a room, from which he did
not appear for three days. In this ship
he reached British Columbia.
Mr.. Kang is very much like an Amerl-
can in his methods, his enterprise and his
in Chicago "a hustler When one remem-
quickness. He is what they would call
| bers the conservativenesS OF the Chinese
character, it will at once be understood
what a disturbance he has been able to
create in that hoary realm. In some re
! spects he is not unlike an American poll
teal reformer.
a child Of the common people, whose
| father was a small shop keeper, and
| whose grandfather was a coolie, Kang
rose from obscurity by force of brains
and determination alone
Kang was a man of the highest liter
airy attachments. He passed the highest
eXaminatmions required by the Chinese
/ civil service. some Of which entail going
out food for a. week. At thirty-eight he
! was appointed Secretary Of the Board of
Public Works. which has charge of rail-
road construction and similar matters of
administration, so that he was in the
NI4iAAG Va t4AC AON BELNEGA INuSSlG ana
England.
When the reform movement began to
break out openly in China, year or two
ago, Ksng appeared at the head of it. He
| was a very DR.. Parkhurst In company
| with the Rev Mr.. Reid, a Presbyterian
missionary, he organized a club and start
ed the first newspaper ever published in
Pehn except the official Gazette. which
has been going for three years. They
called the new paper the Chinese Pro-
sress and advocated reform, the adoption
of modern ideas, the right of petition and
the freedom of the press
With his almost American energy and
audacity, Mr.. KanE succeeded in break
ing through the sacred seclusion which
surrounds the Emperor. He obtained ad-
mission 10 His Majesty's presence at all
times, much to the alarm and Indignation
of the Empress Dowager, the Princess
and all conservatives. He became a sort
modern affairs.
Mr. Hang thus described his first au-
dience with the Emperor:
1t lasted for two hours. I was received
al a. IN. in the Yam Shaw Hall Port
Arthur and Talien Wan had just been
taken over 10y Russia and the Emperor
Wore an anxious. careworn expression. He
was thin, but apparently, but apparently
in good health He has a straight nose
round forehead. pleasant eyes. is clean
shaven and has a pale complexion He
is of medium height, his hands are long
and thin. He looked very Intelligent. and
had n kindly expression. He wore the
usual OFFICIAL dress, but instead of the
, larSe square of embroidery in his case
, Was round. ancircling q dragon. and there
We're two similar embroideries on his
, shoulders. He was led in by euuUchS and
r took his seat on a dais on q large yellow
cushion. with his feet folded beneath him.
3 He sent his attendants away and We were
, left alone. But all the time We We're con
p versinE his eyes were watching the win
s dows as if 20 see that no noe was ewes
dropping. There was a long table in front
p Of him with two large csudlesticks. l
q, knelt az one of the corors OF the table.
p and not on the cushion in front Of the
table. which are reserved for the hi1h
p officials. I remained kneeling during the
= whole % che audience.
we ooaversed in the Manchu dialect. .
Kang read 10 the Emperor The life Of
Peter the Great ana inspired him with a
p desire 10 emulate that remarkable mon
3 arch- VINO lifted Russia our of Baroarisln.
]. Through Naag The Emperor also became
e familiar with the develapement OF Japan
and resolved that China should no. he
lei- oeh.aud it's near nelgho9r in th=
march az gra=-ess- The Emperor became
50 much Interested in Hangs books yhat
= he lad thEm ra.a IN him trrl.a ars