Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1900-07-19
NEWS FROM CHINA.
Such as Reached Washington Yes
terday Was Distinctly BAD.
SOy.CONDiTANTS Leave TEN TSIy.
The Transport Logan Arrve, With the
Ninth Infantry from Mania Prayers
Of Christians Wanted-liadr " Gallant
Defense Missionaries Killed.

|
came to Washington yesterday from
China was distinctly bad. 1t consisted
of a cablegram to Minister WI from
Sheng, the imperial director of pests
and telegraphs at Shanghai, and, ac-
cording to the minister, was in reply
to the urgent message he himself had
sent Saturday to that official, asking
him to try to secure some news from
the Chinese capital This cablegram
Minister WI regarded as of sufficient
Importance to carry in person direct
ly to Secretary Hay, who was waiting
at his home for news. The message,
as resolved from the cipher, was as
follows: "Pekm news of July says
that Gen. Tuan Fuh Slang, in disobe-
dience of imperial orders, was about |
to use guns. Legations and the gov
eminent will be in peril" This news
is corroborating of that contained in
a recent cablegram from Consul Gen
eral Goodnow at Shanghai, although
the consul generals dispatch gives
his Pekin news the date of the 9Th,
saying that the final attack upon the
legations with guns was about to
begin on the 18th of July. It Il sur
missed here that Mr.. Goodnow got his
news from Sheng, who is certainly in
position to secure the fiyst news from
Pekin. Aside from the gloomy fore
cast given of the end of the terrible |
struggle of the legationers against the
inevitable, the significant feature of
the message is the coupling of the fate
of the imperial government with that
of the foreign ministers. Officials
here get some satisfaction from this
portion of the dispatch, as it sus-
tains them in the position they have
held from the first that the Chinese
government is not at war with Chris
tendon, but is confronting formid-
able insurrection.
1t is now 81 days since word has
come directly from any of the unfor-
tunates besieged in the legations at
Pekn. The last message from there
was from Sir Robert Hart, the Eng
lshman in charge of the Chinese
customs service, and was of I'M
doubted authenticity. 1t represented
the situation of the legationers as
desperate and implored help. The last
word from Minister Conger came to
the state department from Pekin un-
der date of June 10. AT that time he
asked that Seymour's international
relief column, which was even then
doomed to fail, should signal its APP
proach when near Pekin. That was
just one month and three days ago,
and it would be Unprecedented de-
Tense for such an inadequate and ill.,
fitted and provisional force as was
at the command of the foreign minis
tiers to hold out for that length OF
time.
ou-Combatants Leave Ten Tain.
Che Foo, via Shanghai, July 49,
Several, hundred refugees, most of
them women and children, have left
Tien Tsin in accordance with Admiral
Seymour's order to all non-combat-
ants to depart. Many women have re-
manned behind, however, refusing to
leave their husbands, whose business
detains them. The refugees were sent
down the river on board lighters and
tugs, and were then transferred to
merchant ships in the harbor. The
American, japanese and German waf
ships received their people, the Off
GERS of the United States gunboat
Yorktown generously entertaining
200. most of them missionaries and 1
their families. The United States
transport Logan has arrived with the
Ninth infantry from Manila. The '
work of decentralization will occupy '
some days, as boats are scarce. The
Logan will take the American refu-
gees to Nagasaki, and the Yorktown {
will leave to tow the Oregon to Yo- {
kohama. Cannon from the warships
are being sent to Tien Tsin to silence
the Chinese guns. Thirty-three guns !
shelled the Chinese batteries yester- {
day. the Chinese replying intermit- 5
tently, Bodies of from 1000 to 5000 I
attack the foreign lines daily. A field
battery is supporting the brunt of
the attacks against the railway sta ,
ton and against the Russian and Jap !
anese outposts in that neighborhood !
The Prayers Of Christians Wanted
Shanghai July 16.-The American !
missionaries ask the Associated press $
to publish the following; "To the !
Christian People of the United States: !
The missionaries in China ask spe- ,
cial prayer from every pulpit for the {
guidance of the government and the I
speedy succor of Americans and ma I
tive converts in extreme peril {
Made n Gallant Defense.
Shanghai, July i6.-An official tele- I
gram was received last night from the {
governor of Shan Tung stating that a )
breach was made in the wall of the I
British legation at Pekin, after gal ]
liant defense and when all the ammu- {
milton had given out. All foreigners ,
we're killed. I