The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1900-06-15
THE SITUATION IN CHINA GROWS MORE
THREATENING DAILY
RUSSIAN ACTIVITY AT TEN TSIN
More of Their Troops and warship~
Arrive T~here-Japan Demanding a
Sphere OF Influence on Chimes soil.
Chancellor OF Japanese Embassy
Murdered I'm Streets OF Pekin British
Marines Attacked by Boxers-British
Minister'S Summer Residence Burned

Chin Kiang. June IL.
Secretary Of State:
Large numbers of natives ganize
secret society; halted here: people very
apprehensive; no protection: wan
cruiser.
MARTIN"
Mr.. Martin is the United States con-
sui at Chin Kiang. and his telegram is
the first news here TO indicate the
spread Of the Boxer agitation in that
section of China. Chin Kiang is one OF
the most important treaty ports of
China. II is located on the Yang Use
Kiang, a little owe 100 miles above the
point where the WI Sung enters. and
is about 125 miles from Shanghai. At
the latter port the United States gun
boats Yorktown and Castine are now
lying undergoing some repairs. There
is an intimation at the state depart
ment that the consul at hin Kiang
has exaggerated the danger of the sit
uation and that the mere hating near
the town of a number of Boxers is not
evidence that they hav any hostile
intentions against the American con-
sulate. No vessel has yet been ordered
to that market.
hCSolA NEh1 ALIVE
Tie Tsin, June 12.-One hundred and
siXty-three British landed this evening.
An additional twenty British have been
sent to Fong Shan.
This morning a special train left Tfen
Tsin for Yang Tsun, to bring General
Mich to consult with the viceroy.
Telegraphic communication with Pc
kin is still interrupted.
The Russian warships Petropaulov-
ski and komilof are at Taku bar, and
the Russian torpedo boats 'I03" and
10Y are in the river Taku. Want of
transports prevents the Russians from
landing troops. The Russians are very
active here today.
1t is rumored that General Fung Fab
Slang, with many thousand troops. is
at Feng TAI.
The latest news from Pao Ting Flu is
that the Boxers 5000 strong are attack
ing the Catholic convent there. The
situation is critical and the officials are
evidently inactive. The United States
warships Nashville and Monacacy are
expected at Taku.
BRITISH MARINES ATTACKED
London, June 13.-:42 a. m.-Sixteen
British marines accommodating in ad-
vanceof the international column
marching to Pekin, fought and chased
1000 Boxers Monday, killing twenty or
thirty. A correspondent accompanying
the column in a dispatch dated Tien
Tsin, June II, via Shanghai, w
While the working parties, accom-
panied by a patrol of sixteen British
marines, commanded by Major John
son, were repairing the lines Monday
afternoon, eight miles beyond Lola,
they encountered small parties of Box
ers who were destroying the line. The
Boxers moved away from the advanced
marines and apparently dispersed into
the country, leaving the rails moved
and the sleepers burning.
THE marines, when two miles in ad-
vance of the train, nea Lang Fang,
suddenly perceived Boxers streaming
from the village on their left. 1t was
estimates that they numbered 1000,
some of them being mounted, and they
were trying to get between the marines
and the train. Most of them were arm
ed with spears and swords. A few a
firearms, which they handled awk-
wardly. 3
1.-THE marines retreated, keeping up a
running fight for over a mile, and kill
ing between twenty n thirty Boxers.
THE Boxers pursued the British for
some distance. Then seeing more ma
rines from the train coming to their
assistance, Major Johnson's sixteen
men halted and poured a heavy con-
tinuous fire into the crowd, driving
them across the front Of the reinforc-
ing bluejackets, who punished the
Boxers severely with Maxims.
THE Boxers fled and the Europeans,
following up their success, cleared out
the villages. The total loss of the Box
wounded. Seven of the wounded were
attended by British surgeons. The
British loss was nothing.
Unless their loss caused the Boxers
to lose heart, the international column
will ave much trouble before it reaches
Pekin. The railway is so much damaged
that the column covered only thirty
four miles sunday and Monday
Evidence Of Genera Nieh's opera
tons were found in headless bodies.
The whole country presents a deSolate
aspect, entire villages having been de-
serted.
THE expedition numbers 2,044. as
follows: British 915. German $50. Rus
sian 300. French 12S, Americans los,
Japan 25, Italians so and Austrians 25."
London, June $3.50 a. m--The
Times, in an extra edition, publishes
the following dispatch from Pekin,
dated une II, 2 p. m:
CHANCELLOR OF JAPANESE LIE
CATION MURDERED.
The chancellor Of the japanese iega-
ton, Sugiyama Akira, while proceeding
alone and unprotected on official duty
was brutally murdered by soldiers OF
1oL6 SAoL5s AK body
guard of the empress, at Navigate 81
railroad station yesterday.
1.-The foreign reinforcements are daily
expected. The present isolated posi-
ton Of Pekin, the destruction Of for
eign property in the country and the
insecurity of life are directly attribute
Bile to the treachery Of the Chinese gov
eminent"
London, jun 13.-The correspondents
at Tien Tsin, Shanghai and other
treaty ports throw sidelights on the
situation.
According TO one dispatch from T1en
Tsin it is understood there that the
foreign ministers will insist. as soon as
fresh bayonets arrive at Pekfn, uQon
the removal of the anti-foreign ad.
visers of the empress dowager and
upon the substitution for them Of coun-
cillors friendly to western civilization
The English at Shanghai are afraid
that Great Britain has been deceived
and that the whole business will have
TO be gon through again. Russia'f
aims. they argue, are not understood
and Russia and France are apparent