Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-06-21
ALL is UNCERTAIN
No Definite Information Obtainable
From the Far East.
SENSATIONAL TALES FROM SHANGHAI
Murder of Emperor, Suicide Of
Empress and Sacking of Palace.
MOVEMENTS OF THE POWERS
SENSATIONAL TALES FROM SHANGHAI
MOVEMENTS OF THE POWERS

LONDON. June 81. PA p.m-Ther,. is
little additional news from the far east.
and what is coming merely reflects the
prevailing state of uncertainty and lack
OF information Of Il definite ana trust
worthy kind. The most startling item is
the rumored death OF Vice Admiral Sey-
rour. but no c4edence whatever is attach
ed 10 tn" report here.
The statement ;hat Ii Hung Chan,, has
Cancelled his passage to pekin is int, rest
ing. How he manages To di<ohry tie dow
aser empress urgent command is not
clear. but evidently fear Of d revolution at
Canton in the event or his departure in
duced the consuis to br.n. strong pressure
10 bear. Spec.a! dispatches from Shanghai
continue to recount wholesale slaughter
at ietin. The soldiers and Boxers are
said to be maSsaCring each other. and he
Cmnese and MaachuriaHs are also said 10
be engaged in mutual slaughter Prime.
Tuan is alleged to have sacked and burned
the palace: tn" emperor is reported TO
have been killed: the dowaSer empress IS
represented as missing, ard in snrne quar-
ters it IS believed she has committed sui
eide. All this rurp"rtS to have been n
tanned In letter from Pekin received by
a high official Chnaman at Shanghai
where it is hoped the desperate struggle
between the leaders of the different fnohs.
aiegedly Tor possession of the vast treas
ures of the dowager empress will con-
unue and prevent the SectS combining
against The Europeans.
The Pclsin Relief Party.
BERLIN. June 2l-A semi-otficial dis
patch from Toxic. dated June II SAYS tho
Japanese consul at Shanghai confirms the
reports that Vice Admiral Seymour has ar
rived at Pekin and that the members Of
the diplomatic corps safe
According to official Japanese report
flom Chefoo. the foreign settlement ut
1len TSin was reduced to ashes Junt. Is
British Mission Looted.
SHANGHAI. June 2l.-The BRUSH de-
stloyer Whiting. at Chefoo. reports that
nothing has been heard from Seymour's
force for six days.
The French consul wires that the British
mission at Tsang Chow has been looted and
the missionaries conveyed To an unknown
place by a Chinese general.
Tone OF the Japanese Press.
YOKOHAMA, June 21-Thc reports of
the murder of the foreign ministers at
Pekn and of the death of Admiral Scy-
mour, although viewed with suspicion. have
created a profound sensation. The rress
expresses the opinion that Japan must, with
or without the consent of the powers. adopt
active measures. The naval and military
officers are very busy. Probably the whole
Hiroshoma division. under command If
Gen. Fukashima will be afloat within j
few days. The Russian cruiser Rurik has
al rived here with the new Russian minister
to Japan, and will leave for Taku today.
Proclamation to Chinese Authorities.
LONDON. June 2i. $40 p.m.-The ad
miral.y has received the following dispatch
from Rear Admiral Bruce:
"TAKI'. via Che Flu, June 21.-No COM
munication from the commanderin n-chief in
seven days or from Tien Tsin in five days.
The allies hold the Taku forts and Tong
Ku securely and they will advance to the
relief of Tien Tsin when in sufficient
strength.
Troops are expected from Hong Kong
tomorrow and 300 from Wei Hal Wei the
following day. 1t is believed that fighting
is constantly proceeding around Tien Ts.I
our garrison there should be about 3,nD
men.
The following proclamation was agreed
to this morning, to be issued forthwith:
The admrals and senior naval officers
of the allied powers in China desire to make
known to all viceroys and authorities along
the coasts and rivers and in the cities and
provinces of China that they intend to use
armed force only against the Boxers and
people that oppose them on their march TO
Pekin for the rescue of their fellow coun-
tryn,en.'
The date that the above dispatch was
sent off from Taku is not given, but it is
probably June ~.
A missionary View of the Boxers.
NEW YORK, June 21-The American
Bible Society has received a letter from
kev. John r. Hykes, DID. Shanghai May
II, who had just returned from trip to
Pekin. DR.. Hykes says:
II had a long conversation with DR.. W.
S. Ament of the American board, native
of Owosso, Mich, and graduate of Ober-
.NIa N,rl;, -I,., tlty
made ii journey of some eighty miles into
the territory occupied by the Boxers. AT
one of their strongholds they threatened to
bind DR.. Ament and his companion and to
murder a Chine Sc they had with them, but
they happily escaped without suffering any
violence.
THE movement was first organized with
the object Of driving the Germans out of
Shan Tung and it was encouraged by the
government and the governor of
Shan Tung in the hope that 1t would sue
ceed in accomplishing this patriotic purpose.
They practiced incantations. and they were
armed with the rude implements which
they could obtain in country places. After
many acts of lawleSSneSS, in
Guiding the murder OF the Rev MIR. Brooks.
they gradually spread north, and are now
to he found in a large part of the province
of Chilli. The long-continued drought in
the north has been favorable to their re-
1t has not rained for more than
nine months, and the country is dry and
parched as a desert. The farmers have had
nothing to do for many months, and they
naturally drifted away from their homes
and Joined the Boxers.
Attracted by Prospects of Loot.
THE mystery attending their incanta-
tons and hypnotic performances was an ir-
resistable attraction to the idle countrymen
and the prospect of loot seemed to many
the only way to escape the impending
famine. OF course, the rowdy element nat
urally joined the society and there is doubt
less a large number of the low fellows Of
he baSer sort connected with it, These are
ready for robbery. murder rebellion
AT the present time the Boxers are un-
COMPOSED of rowd.es, farmers
and boys. They are only armed with
swords, spears and bows and arrows. They
have robbed heather and Christian alike,
but they are very bitter against the Chris
,ians to whom it is generally believed
that much persecution is sure To come. In
one place visited by DIR. Ament there We're
Two Christian families each consisting Of
the parents and two or three grown sons.
One of these families armed themselves and
letied the Boxers. They presented such
bold front that they were not molested
Terrified Into IdOIatry.
The other family showed that they were
terrified by the threats of the Boxers, and
hey We're compelled TO pay large sum Of