The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1900-04-04
HOW THE CHINESE MONARCH
RESIGNED.
Eunuch of the Palace Writes a Letter
Describing a Remarkable Scene in the
Imperial Residence.

The North China Daily News pub
fishes the following which it says is a |
translation of letter from one of the |
eunuchs of the palace.
ITO begin at the beginning, pre-
vious to the 22nd of January last Pc |
king was filled with disquieting rumors
which gradually filtered into the Palace
Some declared that the Emperor had
already been secretly deposedi others
again stated that the Emperor had been
made away with by poison.
But when the fateful oath of January
1900, came, every one knew that, only
a few hours before, the Emperor had
been forced to sign his addiction and
gloom spread over the capital like a
pail, accentuated as it was by chilly
lowering skies.
II was one of those who stood around
with inkslab and pen for the Emperor
to use, while the Empress Dowager her
self held out the pen to him. Even
then his Majesty hesitated to take 1T
and sign the ready prepared Imperial
decree of abdication held out to him;
but an imperious stamp of the right
foot and those piercing, menacing eyes
of the Empress Dowager frowning up
on him seemed to enthral the Emperor,
who Immediately stretched forth a
trembling hand, and the next moment
with a grOan and gesture of despair,
as it were, the fatal deed was done and
the Empress Dowager triumphantly
snatched the decree from her nephews
hand. Then a sudden change occurred,
which those around her were too ac-
customed to see to be startled or aston
ished at The Empress Dowager's face
became instantly suffused with smiles,
her eyes became soft and benevolent
and she was all kindness and mOtherly
solicitude for her imperial nephew! He,
poor fallen majesty! had sunSen down
on his chair after signing the fatal pa
per, while a sudden deadly paleness
manifested itself on his countenance,
and moment after he had dyed the
carpet beneath him with his life blood,
His Majesty's excitement had been too
| much for his weak health and 1t SEEM
ed that he had burst one of his lesser
| blood vessels. Very kindly and gently
the Empress Dowager herself attended
to the Emperor and, when ne seemed
to have somewhat recovered himself,
herself supported him on one side, wav-
ing away the eunuch who had come for
ward to do so, and with a SURPRISING
solicitude for his health and comfort
arranged the pillows and cushions in
his Majesty's n-chair, which was to
carry him back to his usual prison.
Il can assure you that the Empress
| Dowager had everything prepared for
the browning of the new Emperor on
| the LIST day of the New Year (January
| 81, but on the 9th of the month the
Tslungi Yamen handed to her Kin
Lien-shan's memorial, praying that the
Emperor be allowed to resume the
reins of government even in his i'll
ness, for that was the only way to sat
| isfy his Majesty's millions of subjects
throughout the Empire. Who dare
send such a telegram at last came her
question-'Kin Yuan-sha (Kins Off
cial name) of Shanghai, and over a
thousand others was the Prince of Lis
reply. Very well. Well show them
how we deal with traitors who cross
our path and the Prince of Ii backed
out of the presence with a sense OF
relief clearly depicted on his face. AS
Il matter of fact, l really think if this
had been the only protest sent, the
Empress Dowager and Nher advisers
would have tried to brazen it out and
! have ignored the telegram, but unror-
] tunately for their schemes no less than
| forty-siX protests of the same kind
came to Picking, one after the other
some dozen a day, until the. Empress
Dowager believed that there was really
something in it and decided to defer
her coup Mark me, not gave up her
| intentions, but merely deferred them.
las consequence Kin Lien-shan is
praised sky-hgh as a devoted patriot
and supporter of the Emperor by al
! most everyone in Picking, always eX-
cepting the Empress Dowager, her adj
Visers and their partisans; but on the
other hand, these denounce Kin as the
ringleader of the rebellion; and l may
give a warning that the Empress Dow
ager is determined to have his head
even if II should cost her half her EN-.
pire. There Will be nothing left undont
in order to encompass her end, and
heard the Empress Dowager say re-
Gently TO Prince Ching, who as Crane
Chamberlain, can enter the Palace al
all hours of the day and night to see
the Empress Dowager, that Others OF
i Kang Yu-Wei and Kin's party mus
also be put out of the way before either
she or the new Emperor will be abb,
to rule the empire quietly. Finally
you may not know that, ever since tn,
fateful, enforced abdication of the EN-
peror his Majesty has four times at
tempted to commit suicide; his last at
tempt being the refusal of food anC
drink in order to starVe himself L
DEATH"