The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1900-07-18
FINAL ATTACK UPON
LEGATIONS AT PEKIN
Gen Tuan Fuh Sang Prepar.
ing to Use Guns July 7th.
"rHE GOVERNMENT WILL BE
IN PERIL"

- Ou0o W Wooui0RtOn SO0oy from
China wss distinctly bad II consist.
Cd Of oablegrsm to Minister WI
from Sheng. the imperial director of
Posis sad telegrsphs Ut Shanghai,
and. according to the minister. we
10 reply 10 tho urgent message be
hi0sslf bad sent yesterday to that
oAlcisl sskiug him to try to secure
some news from the Chinese capital.
The eablsgram Nj WI regarded %
Of saaloisot importance to carry 10
psrson to Secretary Hay. Who was
waiting as his homo for news.
The ossssge - resolved from tho
cipher. We - follows:
"Pskin news Of July 7th ssys that
Geo Tusn Fuh Slang. in disobs sdisnos
of imperial orders, Wss about 10 nee
gsss. Legations snd the govsrmeut
yin b In peril"
This aews 10 oorroborative Of that
contained 10 . recent cablsgram from
Oossul General Goodnow as Shaug.
hai. slthoogA the consul geoeral's
dispsaoh gsvs his Pskis sews the
dsss Of The cth. saying that the fiual
attack upon the Legations With guns
ves sbout to begin on tho 7Ih Of
Jsiy. It 10 surmissd here that Mr.
0oodnow got bic news from Sheng,
Who 10 oertainly in position to secure
the droe peWO from Polin. Aside
tea The gloomy forecast given of
Ne cad Of the terrible struggle Of the
legaaioss against The inevitable, the
sigaiaesst feature Of the msssses 10
ihe coupling Of the fate Of the imps.
nal govsrn0snt with that Of the for.
sign ministers. Officials here derive
cone satisfaction from this position
Of The dispatch % il sustsips them in
the position they have held from the
Aset. that the Ohiusse government 10
not u wsr With Chfistsndom, but
10 confronting formidable insured.
tien.
There still rsmsips Q SUSPICION
thse. while NJ W. 10 undoubtedly
setisg With sincerity. ,hss Shsug,
Who 10 represented TO be Q clever
asd sdroit nsa, may know more Of
ths actesl happenings st Pskin than
% 10 willing 10 reveal st once. Il 10
fsssed that hs 10 trying to prepare
The vsy for the disclosure Of terrible
ssvs. hoping that BY letting II come
out gradually. the blow will not fell
With suoh severity sud. perhaps. with
eueh disastrous results TO bic own
people - might be the csse IL the
whole story were impaired to the
world st once This news, il may
b noted, comes entirely from Chinese
sources.
IL 10 now 81 days since q word hss
come directly from any Of the unfor
taustes besieged in the legations at
Pskio. The last message from there
wss from Sir Robert Hart. The Eog.
lehman In chsrge Of the Obiuese
eustoms service. and wss of uudoubt
Cd suthenticiiy Ii represented the
situation Of the legslioners 90 dee.
psrste end implored help. The lee.
word from Minister Conger came to
the state department from Pekiu
eoder date Of June 18th. At that
time hs ssked that Seymour's inter.
national relief column, which we
even then doomed to fell, Oh ould sie.
nal i's approach when near Pekin.
Thss wss just one month and three
dsys ego. and Il would be su unprs
cedented defense for such On made.
quote aud III fitted and provis,oned
force 90 was as the command Of the
foreign ministers to hold out for that
length Of time.
Minister Wu's csblegrsm fro.,
Sheng. above given. should not b.
taken as an answer to the cipher
message be forwarded at Secretary
Hays request to China in effort to
get Il through to Minister Concer.
Tost message went to Yonan Shih
ksI. the governor Of the province of
Shan Tung That official has replied
Informally that ne has ho news him.
cell. but Ia 10 assumed that he will
take prompt steps to forward the
cipher message His status at this
critical juncture is unfortunately no,
beyond suspicion. though MIR WI
retains full confidence in him
Secretary Long had two cable.
grams today from Chins, but he " ss
inclined To set q negative value upon
them because they made no mention
Of q massacre Of the icgs,ioners in
Pekin
Minister WI feels o natural irri,a
ton at the statements printed in some
quarters that the Chinese in the Uni.
ted States are making ready to return
to China. and that they sympathizs
with the Boxers and are lending
them financial aid He declares in
the mos, earnest manner that there ia