Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1900-08-02

London, July 29.-The Shanghai cor
respondent of the Daily Express. wir-
ing yesterday, says:
''It is reported here that large
section of the Boxers has revolted
against Prince .Tuan, alledging that he
is making tools of them for his own
ends a desperate conflict took place
outside of Picking Sunday. Prince
Tuan personally led his followers, two
of his generals having deserted him.
The battle lasted several hours and
Prince Tuan was defeated and killed.
Fast Losing Faith.
Washington, July 29.-Unless some
authentic assurance as to the condition
of the Americans in Picking reach the
state department within day or two
the administration is likely to abandon
whatever faith it has manifested thus
far in the truthfulness Of Chinese in
formation. The Chinese minister is
confident that within that time there
will be news from Picking Of CHAR
acter to satisfy the most skeptlcal as
to it's accuracy, and he is also confident
that this will be good news from the
American point of view. The stare
department. is still receptive, though
looking
With Growing Goodness
upon the numerous edicts and tele
grams which are coming from China,
all without bringing any news. The
contributions of the day We're from
Consul General Goodnow at Shanghai
and Consul Fowler at Chefu. So
much Of their messages as was given
out for publication related to the wei
fare of certain American missionaries
who have been made the subject OF
inquiry by relatives in this country.
The cables mangled these messages
and there is reason to doubt the value
Of the information attempted to be
conveyed through them. Ever since
the receipt at Tien-tsin of the auto.
graph message from Mr. Conger, dated
Picking, July 4, state department OF
ficials
Have Had Grave Doubts
as to the authenticity of the cipher
message attributed to him, dated Pc
king, July is. There have been many
little side lights on this message that
afford ground for suspicion, and now
the British authorities have added
their quota to the growing distrust
of things Chinese. 1t seems that a
Mr. Warren, at present acting as
British consul at Shanghai. has been
told by Sheng, the famous Chinese di-
rector of posts and telegraphs, that
Yuan, the governor Of Shangtung, told
him (Sheng) that message had
passed through to the United States
from Mr.. Conger on the 18th of July
telling Of the conditions at the British
legation. This cipher
Dispatch Was ssFaked"
by Chinese officials. 1t is pointed out
at the state department, however,
that there are plausible explanations
of this curious fact which tend to
show the authenticity Of the cipher
dispatch. Secretary Hay cabled Mr..
'Conger that he might have implicit
faith in the person who brought the
dispatch to him. Mr.. Conger, there
possibly told him in general way the
contents of the dispatch, in case the
messenger should be obliged to destroy
it to insure his own safety. How
ever that may be. the British govern
ment has thought Mr. Warren's re-
port worthy the attention of our own
government.
Don't Like European Criticisms.
The state department officials do
not like the European criticisms more
or less directly attrbuting to our
government a lack of wholehearted-
ness in the effort to get to Pekin. They
point to what the American troops and
marines have already done; to the
loss of life and limbs suffered by them
and to the repeated urgings Of the
American officials at every point look
ing to forward movement on Picking.
And in answer to the intimation that
they are responsive to Chinese efforts
to bride us by the delivery Of Mr..
Conger at Tien-tsin and thus seduce
us to abandon the Picking campaign,
the department lost no time this morn
ing in making known the fact that it
had not and would not countenance
any such proposition.
ANOTHER CHINESE MESSAGE.
Is Dated July "a and Says Legation