The weekly intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1891-1901, 1900-06-23
REAL WAR BEGUN.
Chinese Forts Surrender to Foreign
Fleet Under Admiral Seymour.
TIE Engagement Occurred Sunday aaa
Was of Seven Hours' uurAtlon-For-
signers Lost 83 Men aud British
ships Reported sunk.


war against the world when the Taku
forts opened fire upon the interna-
tional fleet. The accounts of what
took place are still unsatisfactory.
The unofficial narratives coming by
way of Shanghai vary and bear in
ternal evidence of supplementing
the main facts with guess work. One
dispatch says that the Yorktown
participated in the bombardment.
Another asserts that American ma
rines formed part of the storming
force of 1000. 49,
The Shanghai correspondent Of the
Daily Mail, telegraphing yesterday.
says: "The forts began firing in OBJ
servance to orders from Pekin, con-
veysd on the personal edict of the
empress dowager, by advice Of Kang
VI president of the ministry of war),
Several warships were struck by shells
from the l2-inch guns of the forts.
@The heavy Russian losses were due
TO the blowing up of the magazines of
Mandshur. Four hundred Chinese
are reported killed. The Chinese,
when retreating, fell into the hands
of the Russian land force"
The Daily News has the following
from Che-Foo: "Two of the forts
were blown up The 32 warships at
Taku aggregated 2OO,OOO tons and car
ried more than 300 guns"
The failure of Admiral Seymour'a
column and its retreat to Tien Tsin
increase, 1t is presumed, the peril Of
the legations in Pekin, which is still
isolated, although Shanghai forwards
Chinese rumOrs that the legations
were attacked by mObs who were
moved down by machine guns and
also that the members Of the lega-
tions were massacred. The situation
at Niu Chwang is reported critical.
The British consul at Kiu Kwang has
ordered all foreigners to leave Ku
Ling and Nau King Chang. The pow
ers are taking prompt action. Four
thousand German troops have been
ordered to China; 10000 French
troops are waiting to embark at
Saigon, capital of French Cochin
China; and from 5000 to 5000 more
Russians have been ordered from
Port Arthur TO Taku.
soldiers Ordered from Manila.
Manila, June lO.-Gen. Macarthur
has taken action, in response to sug-
gestions from Washington, looking
toward the dispatch of considerable
force of soldiers to the scene of the
trouble in China. He has ordered the
Ninth infantry to proceed to MaIa,
whence it will go by transport to lien
Tsin and thence to the points where
American forces are most needed,
probably Pekin. The Ninth infantry
is under the command OF Col. Emerson
II. Liseum. whose headquarters are
at Tardac. The submissions of Fiji
pinos there have become so general
that the vicinity was some time ago
regarded as practically pacified. Only
last week Col. Liscum received the
surrender of Gen. Macabulor and a
considerable band of insurgents.
Incendisry Fires Mt Tisn Tsin.
Shanghai, June l7.-Last nights ad-
vices from Tien Tsin report that large
incendiary fires occurred in the east
ern part of the city, where three
English and American churches were
burned, besides the residences of
many foreigners. Telegraphic com
munication is interrupted, the poles
having been burned, and there is no
hope Of immediate repairs being
made.
Imperial Troops Joiu Boxers.
Shanghai, June 17.-According to
information received here from for
eign sources 10000 imperial troops
which were between Pekin and the
international forces advancing on
that city have disbanded and joined
the boxers" II is asserted that the
government of China does not con-
slider itself responsible for any en-
counter which may take place.
Killed the German Minister.
London, June 17.--A special dis
patch from Hong Kong says all the
Pekin legations have been destroyed
and that the German minister, Baron
Won Ketteler, has been,killed.
Has an American wife.
Detroit, Mich, June 17.-Baron Won
Ketteler, the German minister to
China, who is reported to have been
killed in the boxer" riots in Pekin,
was a son-in-law of Henry B. Led
yard, president of the Michigan Cen
trail railroad. The baron was mar