The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1900-07-13

ers and soldiers coming TO overrun and
lay waste our country and slay our
people"
The correspondent says the edict is
intended TO pave the way for a final
lifting OF the veil over the recent his
tory OF Pekin.
London, July I2-The Express this
morning publishes a dispatch from
Tien Tsin. dated Friday last, via Che
Foo. saying:
General Ma has refeated the allied
troops and re-occupied the Chinese ar
senal. after infiicting great loss upon
the defenders The engagement lasted
six hours, and was fought with great
determination by both sides. The
Chinese were eventually able to lose
the effective guns of the fort abutting
on the city walls near the taotai's va
men, the allied troops suffering heavily
from lack of heavy guns and cavalry.
The japanese commander sent an
urgent appeal TO hurry reinforcements.
as the allies were in imminent danger
OF general defeat
The Chinese situation again bears a
most ominouS aspect. Eighteen days
ago Sir Robert Hart dispatched his
last message, declaring that the situa-
tion was desperate, and since then no
word has come from the Europeans in
Pekin.
According TO The Daily Mails Shang-
hal correspondent, Ii Hung Chang has
received an imperial decree ordering
his immediate departure for Pekin.
presumably to break the news OF the
Pekin tragedy TO the European pow
ers, and, in his usual role of negotia-
tions with Europe in difficult matters,
to endeavor to act as mediator and TO
avert the vengeance of the powers.
To add to the grimness of this sug-
gestion all advices from Tien Tsin
confirm the reports of the perilous
conditions of the allied forces and be-
lie the optimists Chinese rumors. Un-
les reinforcements speedily reach
Tien Tsin another disaster may be ex-
pected.
The Daily Nails Tien Tsin corre-
spondent, telegraphing on July 5th
says: THE situation IS about as bad
as it can we'll be. / only trust that we
shall not soon want relieving ourselves.
a forward movement is impossible.
From 10000 TO 10000 troops are wanted,
and there are only 10000 here. The
foreign troops are working we'll to-
gether, but it is inconvenient that
there is no supreme commander. In
some quarters the feeling is let us
vor of Russia
Other Tien TSin correspondents say
that no advance is possible until Sep
tember 1st and that explanations are
being asked by the papers here OF the
tardy action of Japan in sending
troops, since it is known that she was
ready and willing to send them and
that Russia raised no objection to her
doing so. 1t is limited that d1ff1culty
arose as to the manner in which Japan
was to be recouped for her heavy out
lay. RumorS are current that Japan
demanded the cession of a Chinese
port.
Tbo puss;op nanarS renort that the
Boxers are ravaging Manchuria and
have damaged sixty miles of the rail-
way, threatening Telin and kirin,
while Port Arthur and Neu Chwang
are said TO be endangered. Russia.
therefore, has notified the powers or
her intention to dispatcn large mill
tary force to Manchuria.
Widest KIND OF RUMORS.
London. July 11.-All kinds of stories
come from Shanghai which ii is inn
possible to verify. 1t is stated that the
Boxers have murdered the chancellor
of the Pekin university and sixty OF
the members of his family and retain
ers. A confidential officer OF General
Yung Lu, disguised as a Boxer, is re-
ported to have crept into Prince Tuan's
tent while the prince was sleeping,
with the intention of stabbing him.
He was caught by the sentries, so the
story goes, and decapitated on the
spot. His head was sent, with Prince
Tuan's compliments, to Yung Lu as a
warning to him to beware.
The French consul at Shanghai has
news that the Chinese prefect at Mouk-
den himself murdered the Catholic
bishop, Guillon, in his yamen. Beside
Bishop Guillon, Fathers Crunoet, Cor
bel, BorguoiS and Veuillenot and two
sisters of the French mission and nu-
merous native Christians were mas
sacred.
From Canton comes a report of large
desertions from German Chinese
regiment at Kiao Chou, and of a SAN
culinary riot between German troops
and Boxers, many of the latter being
killed.
Both at Shanghai and Canton ap-
prehension exists that these evidences
of a widespread native rebellion indi-
cat the necessity for immediate meas
ures on the part Of the powers.
1t is stated that Germany intends
to send to China 10000 to 5000 men
well equipped with guns.