The Bemidji pioneer., 1900-08-02
FIGHT NEAR PEKlNG
LARGE SECTION OF BOXERS RE
VOLT AGAINST TEAM.
Cattle Lasted Several Hours and
Prince Tunn Was Defeated and
!, Killed g Goyernment Fast Losing
Faith in the Truthfulness OF Chi
nese qInforlaation - Chinese Min
lister Expects Good News soon
4; British Government Receives One
Of sheng's Fake Messages.

M; British Government Receives One
OF sheng's Fake Messages.
London, July %. The Shanghai cor
respondent Of the Daily Express, wir-
ing yesterday, says: s
5t.'It is reported here that q large
section of the Boxers has reVolted
against Prince Tuan, aliedging that ne
is making tools of them for his own
ends Al desperate conflict took place
outside of Picking Sunday. Prince
Tuan personally led his followers, two
of his generals having deserted MIN.
The battle lasted several hours and
Prince Tuan was defeated and killed
Fast Losing Faith.
Washington, July %. Unless some
authentic assurance as to the condition
of the Americans hi Picking reach the.
state department within day or two
the administration is likely to abandon
whatever faith IT has manifested thus
far in the trlfhf ulness of Chinese IN
formation. The Chinese minister is
confident that within that time there
will be news from Picking OF char
acter to satisfy the most skeptical as
rs its accuracy, and he Dis also conhdent
that this will be good news from the
American point OF view. The state.
department is still receptive, though
looking II
with Growing COIdness
mon the numerous edicts and tele-
grams which are coming from China,
all without bringing any news. The
contributions of the day were from
Consul General Goodnow at Shanghai
and Consul Fowler at Chefu. So
much OF their messages as was given
out for publication related to the well
fare OF certain American missionaries
who have been made the subject Of
inquiry by relatives in this country.
THE cables Inangled these messages
and there is reason to doubt the value
of the inforIna ton attempted to be
conveyed through them. Ever since
the receipt at Tien-tsin of the auto.
graph message from Mr.. Gonger, dated
Picking July 4, state department Of
GcialS a
Have HAD Grave Doubts
as to the authenticity Of the cipher
message attributed to him, dated Pc
king, July Is. There have been many
little side lights on this message that
afford ground for suspicion, and now
the British authorities have added
their quota to the growing distrust
of things Chinese. 1t seems that a
Mr.. Warren, at present acting as
British consul at Shanghai. has been
told by Sheng, the famous Chinese di-
rector of posts and teiegraphs, that
Yuan, the governor Of Shangtung, told
him (Sheng) that message had
passed through to the United States
from Mr.. Conger on the 18th Of July
telling Of the conditions at the British
legation This cipher
Dispatch Was tsFalxcds'
Il by Chinese officials. Tt is pointed out
at the state department., however,
/ that there are plausible explanations
Of this curious fact which tend to
show the authenticity of the cipher
dispatch. Secretary Hay CALLED Mr..
Gonger that he might have implicit
faith in the person who brought the
dispatch to him. Mr. Conger, there
fore, had right to truct the man and
possibly told him in general way the
contents Of the dispatch, in case the
messenger should be obliged to destroy
4 it to insure his own safety. How
ever that may be. the British govern
ment has thought Mr.. Warren's re-
port worthy the attention Of our own
government.
Don't Like European Criticisms.
The state department officials do
not like the European criticisms more
or less directly attributing to our
government lack of wholehearted-
ness in the effort to get to Pekin. They
! point to what the American troops and
marines have already done; to the
loss of life and limbs suffered by Them
and to the repeated urgings of the
American officials at every point look
ing to 4 forward movement on Picking.
And in answer to the intimation that
they are responsive to Chinese efforts
to bribe us by the delivery Of Mr..
Conger at Tien-tsin and thus seduce
Wis to abandon the Picking campaign,
the department lost no time this morn
ing in making known the fact that it
had not and would not countenance
any such proposition.
ANOTHER CHINESE, MESSAGE