Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1900-08-30

London, Aug. 25:-FlreS, 1SntlnG ana
dissension are apparently following in
the wake of the relief of Picking. The
Daily Mail publishes dispatches from
the Chinese capital, dated as late as
Aug. II, declaring that, great fire
was then raging in the Imperial city.
The Russian commander had declined
to accept the decision of the other
generals not to violate the imperial
precincts, and street fighting was 60
ing on. Gen. Chaffee, so it is asserted,
maintained that the Chinese had been
adequately punished already, and that
it would be unwfse to take the i'm
perial palace. This explains the with
drawal of the Americans after breach
ing three gates, as cabled by the spe-
cial correspondent of the Associated
Press. The Russian general, however,
maintained that his government
Had Declared War
against China and that, therefore,
there was no reason to prevent him
carrying hostilities into the sacred
precincts. Judging from various, and
in many cases contradictory, dis
patches that have reached Europe this
morning from Picking, the command
ers eventually adopted middle
course, for Reuter- telegram asserts
that sentries We're placed to prevent
looting. Hence it is presumed that the
imperial buildings, although captured,
will not be destroyed. The fires ap-
pear to be incendiary and to be caused
by the Chinese themselves. All the
dispatches point to the fact that
when the latest message received here
left Peking the commanders We're
Somewhat Mt Sen
regarding their future action, awaiting
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 Picking until negotiations for in
demnity are under way. Neither tho
commanders nor the diplomats were
in communication with the Chinese
government on Aug. Il. They were
then searching for Prince Tuan.
Among the puzzling reports as to the
is one from St. Petersburg that she is
in the vicinity of Picking, but sur
rounded. The emperor seems to have
DlEappeHreO COmpIeteIN.
St. Petersburg dispatches announce
good progress in the Manchurian cam
paign. The town of Merger was oc-
cupied Aug. Is with trifling Russian
loss, while the Chinese suffered Sc
verely, leaving ten guns, 700 rifles and
large quantities of ammunition in the
hands of the Russians. The reports of
risings in Northern Korea are con-
firmed. 1t is believed that these are
not due to i'll will toward foreigners,
but to local dissatisfaction. The
Korean government is sending troops
to the disaffected districts. According
to kilograms from Shanghai consider
able uneasiness is felt there over the
fact that no dispatches have been re-
ceived from Picking since Aug. 20.
Says Do>vnger Was Captured.
Other Shanghai reports locate En-
peror Kwang Hsu as under the pro-
lection of the allies and the dowager
as already captured by the japanese.
Describing the engagement west Of
Tien-tsin Aug. 6, a special dispatch
says:
1.-THE Sixth United States cavalry
worked With drill-like precision in the
hand-to-hand fighting, and the Chi
nese only escaped through the bung-
ling of Gen. DorWard."
Berlin learns that there has been
further fighting west of Tien-tsin,
which creates the impression that the
province of Pechli must be effectively
occupied before peace negotiations will
become feasible.