The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1900-07-20

WIN of the
Massacre-The Night Attack-Prince
Tuan Beheads 1000 Foreign Sympa-
thiZers-LadIes of British Legation
Supply Themselves With Poison.
chicago, Ills, July IA dispatch to
The Record from st. Petersburg. july
IL, via Paris, July IA, says: The Car
has received with great emotion the
dreadful details of the catastrophe at
Pekin. Tears coarsed down his males
tvs cheeks as he read the cablegram
from Admiral Alexieff at Port Arthur.
confirming the horrible details of the
assassination of M. De Giers. The ad-
miral declares that the Russian envoy
was dragged through the streets by
Boxers, insulted, beaten and tortured,
and even thrown into a great kettle
and boiled to death. Then the remains
We're thrown to the dogs. While De
Giers was being disposed of the fanatic
mobs danced around the mandrel.
Nine. De Giers. Admiral Alexieff's
adV1ces declare, suffered a fate worse
than death, and was beaten and tor
tured with sharp sticks until life was
extinct. The legation officials are said
to have been tortured fiendfshl- -rt:I
death ended their sufferings. NJ. De
Giers and his legation officials resisted
desperately and his brave bodyguard
killed many of the attacking mOH- In
the midst of mis- fortunes the envoy is
said to LAY herOically proclaimed his
faith in Christianity, encouraged by his
wife, who SO soon shared his martyr
dom.
The announcement of this
gence to the relatives of the Russian
martyrs in China was accompanied by
heartrendinS scenes. The foreign Of
flee was besieged by an excited throng
and the whole of st. Petersburg is full
of lamentatiOn.
Immediately upon the receipt of AID
miral AleXieff's dispatch the cal
called the cabinet and the council of
to go into executive session al
once.
STILL QUIBBING OVER THE CUES
TON OF WAR.
Washington, July 16.-Representa-
tive Cannon, chairman of the house
commftteee on appropriations and one
of the most prominent congressional
figures, was bOu the state and war
departments while the Chinese discus
sion was at it's height today. Asked
If there would be an extra session of
congress-, he said:
That is for the president to say,
but / hardly see amy occasion for it
yet. The first thing to do is to learn
who is responsible for this trouble. Is
it China or the irresponsible rabble
of Chian? When that is settled We
may be in a position to say whether
or not We are to have a war with Chi
na. 1t can be put down as certain that
if there is a war there cannot be the
slightest doubt of the outcome n 1t
will be a disastrous one for China.
The present law limits the number
of troops to 100, 900 and without action
by congress there could be no increase
of the army beyond that force; but in
case of emergency there are provisions
in the statues giving the president
means of raising funds to meet the
necessities of the case. There is ample
money to carry out whatever course
may become necessary, and You may
rest aSSuerd the money will be made
available. If there is any
need of troops, we have a large force
in the Philippines which could be
drawn on"
The decision of the administration
at the end of a most %eventful day is
that the United States government is
still not al war with the government
of China The big happenings at
Ten TSin, coming on top of the stories
of the last struggles at Pehin have not
affected the attitude of the administra-
ton on this point, the United States
and China are echnically at peace;
but this statement should not be &C
cepted as indicating a purpose on Ihe
part of the United States government
to hold its hand in the administration
of swift and adequate punishment
upon the Chinese without regard TO
station, VIC may be responsible Tor
the outrageS of the past few weeks.
It means simply that the government
of the United States feels it can &C
complish nat purpose by regarding
the status officially as one OF peace.
To hold otherwise would rouSl Grip
pie the government an its effort to OBJ
tain satisfaction for the outrages h
Americans il China have suffered. We
should find the ports Of China, now
open to us, closed. and all sorts of inn
pediments would be which
now are missing. Therefore, accord
ing to the administration view, a de-
claration of war would AFFORD not ever
a technical gain, while it would be &C
.tI1aIIy a heavy drawback. Chairman
Cannon of the house appropriations
committee is authority for the state
ment that money in plenty IS al Cne
disposal OF the president 10 meet lne
present emergency, that there Is no
necessity for a called session OF con-
gress on that score.
A MOST EXCITING DAY.
The day was the most exciting
Washington has known since the pat
of Santiago. At the very beginning
came admiral Remeys blegr an
nouncing the defeat of the allied forces
at Tien Tsin. and then came n vivid
Associated Press o OF h fight.
SPECIAL CABINET MEETING.
A special cabinet meeting was held
on receipt of this news, with such MEM
bers present as are in town. Great
reluctance was manifested on the part
of the participants 10 answer ques-