The evening times., 1900-10-22

ultimatum They had been given their
passports by the Chinese Government;
what other course was open to them? They
drew up letter and despatched it to the
Yamen-'
In this letter the foreign ministers said
ii would be impossible for them to leave
within twenty-four hours. They demanded
assurances OF safe conduct in the persons
Of some of the Ministers OF the Tsung-ii-
Yamen and an audience at o'clock the
next morning with Prince Ching and
Prince Tuan.
Word was passed round that prepara-
ton had TO be made 10 leave Peain the fol-
lowing day" the correspondent continues.
Mr. Ccnger the American Minister, ask
ed for 100 carts and his legation spent most
of the night making prepaE ations. No
packing was done at the British Legation
for it was there considered inconceivable
that China should insist upon sending the
Ministers their passports.
Murdex of Baron Won Eetteier-
Early on the morning of the goth a
meeting of the diplomatic body was held
at the French Legation. No reply had
been received from the Tsung Ii Yanen
to the request for an audience, and the
proposition that all the ministers should
go to the Yamen found no seconder. Had
it been carried out, there would have oe-
Cured one of the most appalling massacres
on record. Two chairs later left for the
Yamen.
In the first was the German Mi2ister.
Baron Won Ketteler. who had this ad-
vantage over the other ministers, that
he spoke Chinese fluently. In the sec
ond was the Chinese Secretary of tie
German Legation Mr.. CordCs-
News travels quickly in Pekin. Not
many minutes later boy burst into my
Office: any man speakee have nlakee
kill German Minister! 1t was true. The
German Minister had been assassinated
by an Imperial officer. The secretary
had been grievousiy wounded, but, run
ming for mis- life, shot at by hlrdred RI
fes, had escaped as ii by miracle.
"A patrol CT fifteen men, under Count
Soden, the commander, went out to re-
cover the body. Fired on by Chinese
soldiers from every side, they were
forced to retire
Mir. Cordos aterward made an eI1borate
statement concerning the ass inGt.on
and the treachery preceding it, saying IN
conclusion:
y affirm that the assassination of the
German Minister was q deliberately
planned, preneditated mu- DIR, done in
obedience to the orders Of high Govern
ment officials by an imperial bannernGn.'
Indifferent to the gravity Of the position
created by the Government, sent an i'm
pudent despatch to the German Legation
to the effect that two Germans had been
proceeding in chairs long the Eata Men
Street, and at the mouth CT the street
leading to the Tsung- li-Yamen one Of
them had fred upon the crowd. The Chi
nese had Tetalieted and he had been killed
They wished to know his name. No
reply was sent, fer it was felt to be a
meckery- Only foo we'll the Yamen knew
whom they had murdered. Weeks passed
before the body was recovered, and ii was
not until July Is that any official refer
ence was made to the murder. In the
course of the morning a despatch was
sent to the diplomatic body in reply to
the answer they had sent to the ultima
tum Of yesterday.
The country, it said, between Pckin
and Tientsin, was overrun with bTigands,
ters to go there. They should therefore
remain in PekiD. 1t is difficult to write
with caImness of the treachery with
which the Chinese were now acting. Four
D. N. was the hour given in the ultima tunl
fer the ministers to vacate their lega-
tions. but the ultimatum had been Tesc. nd
ed and the ministers invited to remain in
Pekin. Thus ii was hoped that they would
be lulled into a false security.
Chinese soldiers were secretly stu
toned under cover at every vantage point
commanding the Cutposts. At P N. pre-
cisely to the minute, by preconcerted sig
nal, they opened fire upon the Austrian
and French outposts. A French marine
fell dead. shot through the forehead. an
Austrian was wounded,
THE siege had begun