Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1900-08-16
SITUATION / SERIOUS.
The British Minister at Pekin Sends
an Appeal for Relief.
A GENERAL MASSACRE is PROBABLE
Owing to . Mistake at Yang Tsun the
American Troops We're shelled By
Their Allies-Cossacks Take
No Prisoners.

AoHuOI, Aug. l4.-lne BfltlBn con-
sui at Canton says the Daily Tele-
graphs correspondent there has re-
ceived the following message dated
August 6, from Sir Claude MacDon.
aid, British minister in Pekin: "Our
situation here is desperate. In ten
days our food supply will be at an
end. Unless we are relieved a gen.
eral massacre is probable. The Chi
nese offer to escort us to Tien Tsin,
but, remembering Cawnpore, we Pc
fused the offer. There are over 200
European women and children in this
legation"
The Shanghai correspondent Of the
Daily Express, writing yesterday,
says: "The allies, at noon Saturday,
were within 20 miles Of Pekin."
As Gen. Chaffee's report, which is the
only authentic news received here re-
garding the advance, located the in
ternational forces about 40 miles from
Pekin on Friday, it seems probable
that the Shanghai report is optimis-
tic. 1t is scarcely likely that the al
lies could advance 20 miles in as many
hours.
A Yang Tsun dispatch dated Au-
gust Z, giving details regarding the
capture of that place, says: 1.-THE
Russians and French held the left,
the British the left center, the Ameri-
cans the right center and the Jap
anese the extreme right The Brit
ish and Americans advanced on the
village at rapid rate for 5000 yards
under severe shell and rife fire. The
Russians opened and the British
American advance became race for
positions, eliminating in brilliant
charge. The heaviest loss Of the day
was sustained by the Americans, the
Fourteenth infantry having nine
killed, 81 wounded and several miss
ing. The Bengal lancers unsuccess-
fully attempted to cut off the Chinese
retreat"
Another Yang Tsun special says:
Sowing to mistake, British and
Russian guns sheled the Fourteenth
United States infantry during the
night, wounding ten"
Commenting upon this occurrence
the Standard says: ut is melancholy
to learn that the losses of the Amer.
leans. who seem to have borne them
selves with conspicuous gallantry,
We're increased by a deplorable error,
in consequence of which one of their
regiments was pounded by Russian
and British cannon. The incident EN-
phasizes the necessity of that close
cooperation which is not easily OBJ
tainable without single commander
and general staff"
The Daily Mails st. Petersburg
correspondent declares that the TAX
ing of Aigun has sealed the fate OF
the rising in northeastern Manchuria.
He adds: mo prisoners were taken
by the Russians. Wholesale massa-
ere was the order of the day, and,
when the battle was over, the Cos
sacks rode over the field, killing all
the wounded with the butt ends OF
their muskets."
Once more the press OF England
remarks upon the ability of the Amer
lean government to secure news ahead
of the rest of the world. ut is to
Gen. Chatfee," says the Daily News,
chat we are again indebted for news
from the front Not single dis
patch from Sir Alfred Gaselee has
thus far been issued by the war Of
tice."
Commenting upon the American re-
ply to the Chinese overtpres, the
Daily News says: "The reply is more
conciliatory than that of NJ. Delcasse,
and in some respects it is little
ambiguous. Still its substance. is the
same. 1t may be observed that the
United States government does not
soon IN separate itself from the al