River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1900-08-02
HELD AS HOSTAGES.
Imperial Edict Tells of Fate OF Min
listers In Peking-Were
safe July ~.

London, July 30.-The Shanghai cor
respondent of the Daily Express, tel
egraphing Sunday. says:
new imperial edict promulgated TINS
evening urgently orders all viceroys and
provincial governors TO endeavor TO nego-
tate peace with the powers, whose minis
tiers are held as hostages pending the re-
suit OF the oyertures for the Abandonment
OF hositilities against China. The viceroys
are also commanded to guard their
territories vigorously against attack
ana 10 prevent, by all means In
their power, the advance OF the
foreign troops. especially along the
gtse-Kiang. The decree says that the
officials will answer with their lives for any
failure to execute these orders. Commands
are also given that not single foreigner
shall be allowed TO escape from the inte-
rior, where there are still fully 1000 Eu-
ropeans connected with missionary work,
in isolated situations.
when the governor OF Shan Tung COM
municated to the consuls the imperial de-
cree of July "a he omitted important pass
ages addressed to Ii Hung Chang:
" 1t is admittedly inadvisable TO kill all
the ministers, but il is equally unwtse TO
send them to Tientsin. 1t will be much
wiser to keep the survivors at Peking as
to Picking. You are mourning imperial dis
pleasure by delay. You have been APP
pointed viceroy of Chilli because, with
your military experience, you Will sue
cessfully lead the imperial armies against
the foreigners in Chilli. which Iu Lu, the
present viceroy, is unable to do, owing TO
his ignorance in military affairs.
Iii Hung Chang replied to this edlct,
asking to be allowed to retire on account
of his age.
"Sheng now admits that he has had tele-
grams since July 10 announcing that every
oil n, DaA Tn RFg1E fF1NlFdaFpd
including 30 British, French and American
missionaries, and announcing also that two
French Jesuits and a thousand converts
have been massacred at Kwang Ping Flu,
on the borders of Shan Tung and Chilli.
A majority of the consuls favor strong
measures against Sheng's duplicity."
London, July 31.-The admiralty has
made public the following dispatch
from Rear Admiral Bruce at Tientsin:
Following message from Picking; Brit
ish legation, Picking, June 20 to July 10
repeatedly attacked by Chinese troops on
all sides. Both rifle and artillery fire. Since
July l6 an armistice, but Gordon Is strict
ly drawn on both sides of the positions.
Chinese barricades close to ours. All wom-
en- and children in the British legation.
Casualties to date 81 killed, including Capt.
Strouts. a number of wounded in hos
pital. including Capt. Halliday. Rest of le-
cation well except David Oliphant and
Warren, killed July q.
MACDONALD
London, July 31.-The British coz
sui at Tientsin telegraphs to the for
eign Office Monday that letter from
japanese colonel in Picking states
that the legations were safe July %,
There had been no firing on the lega-
tions since July II. The consul adds:
"A reliable messenger who failed to en-
ter Picking. but reached there, returns stat
ing that there was no firing on the legations
between July Is and July 49,"
In view of this evidence. the Brit
ish government is convinced that the
legations are safe.
Washington, July 31.-The secre-
tary of state received at midnight a
dispatch from Mr.. Fowler, American
consul at Chefoo, dated July 30, noon.
Mr. Fowler says:
"A letter from the German legation dated
21st inst. received at Tientsin. German loss
is 10 dead and u wounded. Chinese ceased
their attack on the 18th. Baron Won
Ketteler's body said to be safe The Aus
trian, Dutch and Spanish legations de-
stroyed and the French partially. A letter
from the japanese legation dated 22d ar
rived at Tientsin on 18th. Ten battalions
of Chinese shelled the legations consecu-
lively from the 10Th of June and stopped
on the 18th of July, but may renew. The
enemy are decreasing. The German, Rus
sian. American. British and half the Jap
anese and French legations still defended.
Japanese say they have food for six days,
but little ammunition. The emperor and
empress are reported a Picking"