The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1900-07-31
HELD THEM
AS HOSTAGES.
Ministers Are Held In Peking
By the Imperial Government.
ALLIES MOVE MEANS DEATH
To the Survivors at the Capitol of the
Flowery kingdom-An Imperial
Edict Said to Have Been
Promulgated.

London, July 30.--A cable from Berlin
declares that the Chinese legation in
Berlin has received a message from
Sheng, director general of railways and
telegraphs, saying that he had received
dispatch from Peking announcing that
Gen. Tung Flu Slang threatens to kill
all the members of the legations If the
international forces advance upon Pek-
ing.
The Shanghai correspondent Of the
Daily Express, telegraphing yesterday,
says:
"A new imperial edict promulgated
this evening urgently orders all vice.
roys and provincial governors to en-
deavor to negotiate peace with the
powers, whose ministers are held as
hostages pending the result Of the over
lures for the abandonment Of hostilities
against China
THE viceroys are also commanded to
guard their territories vigilantly
against attack and to prevent,
by all means in their power, the ad-
vance of the foreign troops, especially
along the Yang Use Kiang. The decree
says that the officials will answer with
their lives for any failure to execute
these orders.
NO ESCAPE FOR FOREIGNERS.
Commands are also given that not
a single foreigner shall be allowed to
escape from the interior, where there
are still fully 1000 Europeans, connected
with missionary work, in isolated situa-
tions.
when the governor of Shan TunS
| communicated to the consuls the i'm
perial decree of July "a he omitted the
| important passages addressed to Lii
| Hung Chang:
1T is admittedly inadvisable to kill all
the ministers, but it is equally unwise
| to send them to Tien Tsin. 1t will be
much wiser to keep the survivors at
Peking as hostages.
"'You are commanded to hasten to
Peking. You are incurring imperial
| displeasure by delay. You have been
| appointed viceroy of Chi Ii because,
with your military experience, you
will successfully lead the imperial
armies against the foreigners in Chi Ii,
which Yu Lu, the present viceroy, is
unable to do, owing to his ignorance Of
military AFFAIRS SI7>,
| Lii Hung Chang replied to this edict
asking to be allowed to retire on ac-
count of his age.
WAVE OF MASSACRE SPREADS.
| "Sheng now admits that he has had
kilograms since July 10 announcing that
every foreigner at Pao-Ting-Fu was
murdered, including 40 British, French
and American missionaries, and an
nouncing also that two French Jesuits
and thousand converts have been
massacred at Kwang Ping Flu, on the
borders Of Shang Tung and Chi Ii. A
majority Of the consuls favor strong
measures against Sheng's duplicity.
Local officials assert that the Italian
priests murdered in Hu Nan were wrap
ped in cotton, which had been soaked
with kerosene, and were slowly roast
ed to death. 1t is believed that ali
foreigners in Chi Ii have by this time
been massacred, and the wave of mas
sacre is spreading toward Ming Po and
Hong Chow, from which point thirty
English and American missionaries are
endeavoring to escape in boats down
the river to Kiang Su. Officials here an
ticipate a general rising along the Yang
Use Kiang about August /.
IAN astounding American intrigue
has been revealed to the consuls here
the maritime customs placed in the
hands Of an American missionary
named Ferguson, who, although he
was an active ally of Sheng in the lat
ter's endeavors to hoodwink the world
with regard to events in Peking, was
supported by the American officials in
his claim to the appointment of in
spector general"