The Washington weekly post. (Washington, D.C.) 1878-1916, 1900-10-16
REAL EMPRESS UOWaGER.
Greatest Tyrant i'm the World and IL Qaicll
In Thought aud Action.

Prof l. T. Headland, IN Ainsees
Many OF the stories circulated about the
Empress Dowager to the effect that she
was slave girl or came of a poor FAM
lily are untrue. Ny wife has been called as
a physician TO her Niang chia-that Is.
her mothers home. She was the daughter
of an official. was taken into the palace,
and became the concubine of the Emperor
Hsien Feng. The Empress. his wife, has
no children. The son OF this woman. on
the death of the Emperor. became the
Emperor Tung Chin. during whose minor
ity the reins OF government we're held
by his mother. When he died without is
sue, she selected Kwang Hsu to become
his successor. holding the reins of govern
ment from his infancy to his majority.
Him she has now dethroned, and she has
selected the son OF Prince Tuan as sue
eessor not to Kwang Hsu. but to her own
son. During the whole reign of Kwang
Hsu he was compelled to kotow to her at
least once every five days. If she was at
the summer palace. twelve miles away. he
must go there every five days during the
hot summer and knock his head 10 her
During his whole reign she has compelled
every official appointed to yiceroyalties
10 thank her at the same time with the
emperor. She is the greatest tyrant in
me world and the strongest female char
acter on any throne.
she has never been seen by foreign
man. but she has been seen by the wives
OF all the Ministers In Pekin. When she
mas an interview with Chinese official
according 10 Chinese custom. she sits be-
ANA screen. Among the presents sbe
gave the wives OF the Ministers were a lot
or ivory Combs-iine combs as well as
cOarse-a present which, II is.tO he boned
these good ladies will not have use for
outside of China. During the interview
with these ladies she introduced them 70
lhc Emperor. She passed the tea 10 them
herself taking a sip from each of the
cups before she gave IL. evidently 10 show
them that II was not poisoned. They came
away infatuated with the Old Lady as
| the Chinese sometimes call her The EN-
press DOwager's chief Characteristic is
quickness OF thought and action When
she comes 10 a crisis she does not wait To
think twice. She acts at once, and aWes
by her very presence. She does not take
time To reckon what the conseauennes
will be. but when she has gotten the reins
i'gell IN her own hands she plans a leisure
how 10 avoid consequences. She has al
ways been hand and glove with Ii Hung
| Chang. and ne would do anything to pro-
tect her. Ii was formerly supposed that
sne was for reform. and so she might
| have been had she not been compelled 10
put herself behind the conservative party
when she depOsed Kwang Hsu. She Is
extravngant beyond expression. Her six
tieth birthday fell during the Japanese
Chinese war. To celebrate IL she had a
stone road built 10 the summer palace.
while the public road TO Fungch0u was IL
q dildpidated condition. When 30. 40. 0o1
taels we're raised for the construction OF
railways. it Is said. she used large part
! Of the money Ia the decoration OF the inn
/ perial gardens. stopping the railway at
! Shanhaikuan instead OF at Monkden ae-
| cordlng 10 the original plans.