Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1900-08-24
DISSENSION IN PEKING.
Russians Refuse to Act With
Other Foreigners.
INOENDIARY FIRES SPREADING.
Allies Occupy Palaces and Post Sem
tries to Prevent LoOting-GenernI
Chnffee Opposed the Capture of
Imperial Buildings.

! ulSSehslOn are apparently following IN
the wake of the relief of Peking. The
Daily Mail publishes dispatches from the
Chinese capital, dated Friday last, de-
claring that a great fire was then raging
in the imperial city.
The Russian commander had declined
to accept the decision of the other gen
erals not to violate the imperial pre-
cincts, and street fighting was going on.
General Chaffee maintained that the
Chinese had been adequately punished al
ready and that it would be unwise to take
the imperial palace. The Russian gen
eral, however, maintained that his gov
| ernment had declared war against Chi
ma and that therefore there was no rea-
son to prevent him carrying hostilities in
to the sacred precincts.
Judging from various and in many
eases contradictory dispatches that have
| reached Europe this morning from Pc
| king the commanders eventually adopted
a middle course, for Reuter- telegram
asserts that sentries We're placed to pre-
vent looting. Hence it is presumed that
the imperial buildings, although captur-
ed, will not be destroyed.
The fires appear to be incendary and
to be caused by the Chinese themselves.
All dispatches point to the fact that
| when the latest message received here
left Peking the commanders were some
what at sea regarding their future ac
| ton, all waiting instructions from their
| governments.
The foreign residents appear to have
been sent to Tien-tsin, although the st.
Petersburg correspondent of The Daily
Mail says the ministers will not leave
Peking until negotiations for indemnity
are under way.
| Neither the commanders nor the diplo-
mats were in communication with the
Chinese government on Aug. II. They
were then searching for Prince Tuan.
Among the puzzling reports as to the
whereabouts of the dowager empress is
one from st. Petersburg that she is in
the vicinity of Peking, but surrounded
The emperor seems to have disappeared
completely.
1t is officially reported that the minis
ter of the Netherlands, DIR. f. NJ. Knobel,
was slightly wounded during the siege.
The japanese legation has received
the following advices from the foreign
office at Tokyo dated yesterday:
1.-THE commander of the japanese feet
at Taku transmitted by telegraph on
Tuesday the following report from Pc
king:
with the object of restoring order
the city has been divided into districts,
Japan being assigned the northern half
| and Japan, the United States, Great
| Britain, Russia and France have each
deputed an officer to carry ON the admin
| istration.
"'Prince Tuan's residence has been
burned down by the Japanese. The Jap
anese naval detachment which guarded
| the Japanese legation lost during the
siege five killed and eight wounded.
"'The japanese forces which now oc-
cupy the imperial palace have rescued
foreign and native Christians from their
confinement
Shanghai reports locate Emperor
Kwang Su as under the protection of
the allies and the dowager empress as
already captured by the Japanese.
Details of the Rescue.
The secretary of state for India has
received the following dispatch from
Brigadier General Sir Alfred Gaselee,
commander of the British-Indian forces
operating in China. 1t is dated Peking,
Aug 10, via Chefu, Aug. 21;
at was agreed at a conference on Aug.
l2 that the allies should concentrate
FIVE miles from Pekng on Aug IA and
assault the city on Aug. Is, but the at
tack began early on Aug. IA. Our troops
were compelled to make a forced march
OF Is miles from Tung-chow. The heat
was great. We We're on the extreme
left.
I'VE attacked the southeast gate of
| the Chinese city, but met with no op-
position, MS we were not expected there.
| Portions of the Seventh Rajput and the
Twenty fourth Punjab infantry broke
down the gate and rushed in, followed
| by the fusileers and the First Sikhs, with
some cavalry and guns. ! sent more cav
airy and the Twenty-fourth Punjabs to
the Temple of Heaven to secure the left
flank and camping ground.
~, with the other corps, pushed toward
the legations. AT 3 p. III. we got to the
canal opposite the water gate and were
signaled to from the walls held by the
legations. l, with some of my staff and
20 Rajputs and Sikhs. rushed the almost
waterless moat and entered without cas-
ualties through the water gate We found
all well. Sir Claude Macdonald, the
British minister, Immediately showed me
around the position with the view to
further action.
.Mennwhile the field artillery was
brought up to fire on the central gate of
the Tartar city, but n sortie by the
Americans and Russians of the garrison
along the wall anticipated the lombard
ment, and the gate fell into our hands
Then two field guns were brought into
the legation and the rest returned to the
Temple of Heaven.
AT : D. m. the Americans, under Gen
eral Chaffee, entered the legation and
then moved toward the central gate OF
the Tartar city for the evening. BY
pightfnll we had 400 in the legation
[At this point in the dispatch some
words have apparently been dropped out
during the evening at the Temple OF
Heaven were engaged and after in6ict
ing heavy losses occupied the south gate
of the Chinese city"