Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1900-08-01
WAITING IMPORTANT NEWS.
Washington Expects Something from p
king-SOme Recent Dispatches.

Washington Expects Something from Pc
king-sOme Recent Dispatches.
Washington, July 30.-There is a
growing expectation at the state de-
partment that news of the utmost i'm
portance may be forthcoming at any
moment from Picking. 1t is believed
that the basis for this expectation is
the knowledge on the part of the Off
Gals that certain machinery heretofore
set in motion may result in the open
ing up of communication through some
secret but reliable channels. 1t is
known that a second effort has been
made by our own government to get
another message from Conger, and
that nearly all of the powers also have
resorted to private agencies in their
own interest with like project.
The fact has just been developed
that one of the last acts of the late
Colonel Liscum before his death at
Tien-Tsin was to undertake the dis
patch of spy to Picking. General
Dorward, the British commanding Off
Ger at Tien-Tsin, also sent out two
messengers, and it is believed that
the japanese did the same. Up to date
not one Of these messengers has re-
turned to Tien-Tsin, nor has there been
single word heard from any Of them.
This fact, however, has not caused the
abandonment of hope.
Meantime there Is no end of "news"
from Picking. Secretary Hay on Sat
urday received a dispatch from Fow-
Ter, the American consul at Chefu,
dated at midnight on the Goth, which
said: This morning, by request of
the allied admirals, | wired the gov
ernor supposed to be the governor Of
Shan-Tung) their wish to get news
from ministers themselves. The gov
ernor now replies: Have received to-
day edict from emperor saying that
the ministers are well. They are send
ing provisions to the legations. Am
confident ministers out of distress and
request you Fowler) transmit this pre-
liminary announcement to admirals.'
Later.-Fowler cabled that the gov
ernor had telegraphed him that an i'm
perial edict announced the health Of
the legationers, except Ketteler, and
that the imperial government had sup
plid them with vegetables. Secretary
Hay also has received a cablegram
from United States Consul McWade,
at Canton, stating that the viceroy,
TAX, assures him that the ministers
were all alive and well on July "A.
Then there was q Paris cable an
nouncing that the Chinese minister
there had received the same imperial
decree telegraphed to Fowler.
From London came news that was
cot so good. A Shanghai special said
that Russian banker who left Picking
July Z, and arrived at Shanghai
Wednesday, July %, says that when
he left Picking all the legations had
been destroyed and all the foreignrs
murdered. The ministers, seeing death
was inevitable, shot their families Sir
Robert Hart, the banker adds, commit
ted suicide in despair.
Another story from the same source
was that of IAN influential banker re-
siding In Picking, near the British lega-
ton, who arrived in Shanghai July %,
having left Picking July Z. He states
that the legations were then destroyed.
All the foreigners had disappeared,
and he could not say positively if they
had been murdered, as he was too
frightened to inquire"