Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1900-07-07
NEWS OF TERRIBLE IMPORT.
1t Il All Rumor. but 1t All Runs In a Stu
gle Direction.

1t Is All Rumor, but 1t All Runs In q slu-
gle Direction.
London, July 7.-"Prepare to hear
the worst is a dispatch received yes
terday from Shanghai, dated July D,
and said TO be from an authoritative
quarter II is reported upon what ap-
pears to be reliable authority that
foreigners made prisoners in PekinS
were subjected TO the most horrible
and inhuman tOrtures. Another re-
port is that Prince Tuan has ordered
all foreigners in China killed. and that
this decree is being carried out. An
other report is to the effect that seven
teen missionaries from Chicago and
vicinity have been murdered ut Pc
king.
These reports are not official by any
means. They are the substance of the
rumorS in the Chinese quarter of
Shanghai. They may be untrue. But
IL will be observed that they all run
in one directiOn-that Of the eXecu-
tion of Il terrible crime against civil
ization by those in power at Peking in
this last year Of the nineteen century.
1t is claimed that the Chinese are
committing terrible atrocities upon the
wounded. They are mutilating all the
dead which fall into their hands.
The powers are helpeSS to relieve,
ever if there was time to save the
doomed. 1t is hopeless TO attempt to
force the way to Peking with the
fO:ce available. Commanders are will
ing to resort to desperate means. but
to attempt forced march from Tien-
TSin with the forces ut hand means
certain destruction to the army. be
sides slaughter of the civilians left at
Tien-TSin. Enough soldiers are IfeceS-
sary to defeat the Chinese army. main
tain communication with the base of
supplies, and guard the hospitals en-
route.
Details of further horrors in Peking
are gathered by correspondents at
Shanghai from Chinese sources. eS-
pecially of the slaughter in the Chinese
and Tartar city of thousands of ma
tive Christians. The capital reeks
with carnage. The ruthless thirst for
blood is spreading in all the northern
provinces. and wherever there are ma
tive Christians the scenes enacted in
the capital are reproduced in minia-
ture. From these sources nothing fur
ther comes regarding the legation
forces except Il repetition that they are
all dead. The correspondents aver
that if the Chinese officials in Shanghai
wished TO throw light on the real state
of affairs in the capital they could do
so. and therefore the worst reports are
accepted aS true.
Prince Tuan'S coup d'etat is de-
Scribed by the Shanghai correspondent
of The Daily Mail aS a sequence TO the
grand council of ministers ut which
IunC Lu advocated the suppression of
the Boxers promptly. The dowager
empress gave her whole support to
Hung Lu. and scene of disorder en-
sued. Prince Tuan pasSiOnately inter-
vened. backed by Kang Yih. They
rushed from the council and their par
tiSanS raised the cry Down with the
foreigners" The effect was electrical.
The eunochS. palace officials of all
sorts, and most of the populace took up
the cause of Prince Tuan and his
agents Immediately put the emperor
and the dowager empress under re-
straint.
The Chefoo correspondent of The
Express, telegraphng on Thursday.
says there is no longer any doubt that
disaster has Overtaken the Russian
force of 5000 that left Tien-Tsin for
Peking on June IL. The Russians had
full field gun complement and carried
their own transports. As nothing has
been heard from them for twenty-four
days it is assumed that they have been
overwhelmed. Trustworthy news is
received TO the effect that all the coun-
try to the northwest of Pelling is COW
cred with cOrpSes of men and horses
of the western garrisOns. Fighting of
a desperate character took place in the
immediate neighbOrhOOd Of Tien-Tsin
on June so.
Taku dispatches say an attack in
great force is expected at any moment.
The Chinese commanders are awaiting
the arrival OF more guns and reinforce
ments before making an effort to reach
the city.