Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-03-07
Missed From the Vault in Temple of
Ancestral Worship.
MOST COSTLY VOLUME IN THE WORLD
Contained a Record of All the
Chinese Emperors' Deeds.
S e A RICH BEING JADE
tCopyright.)
special Correspondence OF The Evening Star.


ed with all the traditions of the ancient
empire, and intrinsically perhaps the most
valuable volume in the world, is missing
from its once-guarded vault in the Temple
of Ancestral Worship.
The fact has long been known to the COM
| manders of the various armies here and to
the diplomatic representatives, for the book
was missed shortly after the capture of the
forbidden city, but no public announcement
OF the fact was made, probably because it
was thought that quiet search would re-
veal it's whereabouts.
Prince Ching inquired regarding the book
Immediately upon his arrival In Pekin,
which was shortly after the capture of the
city. His inquiries led a party under the
direction of Marshal Yamagutchi. command
er of the Japanese forces, to make a sea rch
OF the sacred palace and the Temple of An
cestral worship; but 1t was without result
The search was by no means thorough for
the magnificent receptacle where the vol
ume had lain for centuries was not entered
| 1t was considered as among the impossi-
pillties that the great book could have been
carried from the sacred city without at
tracing attention. Many valuable articles
We're removed during those first few DAVIS.
bul the doors leading to the vault of the
temple were closed during that time and
the keys were presum IDLY in the hands of
the royal guardian, who cared for the Holy
BOOK OF lilustrious Forefathers." The guar
dlan, 1t was learned, had fled with the
royal family, but it seems he failed to take
his precious charge along.
The Last Time 1t Was Seen,
Chamberlain Prince Uchtomsky of the
Russian legation proposed that the doors
Of the passage way leading to the vault,
which in reality is small and gorgeous
chamber called the Place of Divine Mes
he prjaI IN tba
sentatves Of the other powers concerned
| assented. One after another OF the doors,
six in number, was opened without serious
injury, and the book was found in its prop
| er piace-resting upon a massive beauti-
| fully carved, bronze pedestal, in the center
| OF the room. The yellow lights set in
| the four sides of the pedestal. were still
burning, though they mad been unattended
for several days.
1t was during the following four or five
| days that the book was stolen. The tenn
| pie, the palace, or, in fact, the entire sacred
city, was not at that time under the par
1cular care OF any one of the allies. as 1t
now Is, and officers of all the armies exer-
cised more or less freedom and authority
about those places. Though sentinels were
posted about the buildings and around the
walls, including, of course. the north and
south gates, officers Of various nationalities
passed in and out day and night without
hindrance.
L HE Stdle Ol dHdlTS existed until Col.
LIE Caron Lamarte of the French staff dis
covered that large number of valuable
articles, among them the Holy Book of IL
lustrious Ancestors, had been removed
Col. tamarte was accompanied by several
FRENCH and American officers when the dis
covery was made. and Immediately the COM
manders of the various armies were noti-
Hed 1t was at once decided that the
American and japanese commanders should
have exclusive control Of the entire for
hidden city, and that entrance or exit would
thereafter be allowed only upon the per
sonally signed order Of Maj. Gen. Chaffee
or Marshal Yamagutchi. It has also de-
cided that commission composed of trust
ed officers of the allied forces conduct n
secret investigation. and unearth, IL posi-
BILE, the priceless volume.
Search without Success.
For more than three months this investi-
cation has been carried on. but with no sue
cess, although the commission has been
tire,ess in its search. Not a military camp
in this section Of China escaped an inspec-
ton. All outgoing baggage at Tien Tsin,
Taku and even Vladivostock was carefully
gone through. Almost every house in Pc
kin was ransacked. But the volume has
not been found, and the investigators have
about given it up as lost.
Ii Hung Chang was interviewed regard
ing the book some days ago. The aged
statesman has seen it twice land knows its
history as well as any man in China In
deed, in 1878 he wrote, by royal decree a
prayer, as 1t was called, regarding the
work. In his prayer the book is referred to
as 1.-THE. mighty chronicle of holy words and
wisdom breathed from the heaven Of peace
full abode by the pure spirits of our Illus
trious ancestors, who have made great the
world and more clean the air." and "all
obed1ent servants of the most high ances-
tors are enjoined by the prayer to watch
with the eye of their souls the place of its
disposal"
Speaking to the Russian prince chamber
lam regarding the book. Ii Hung Chang
said that all Cinnamon. whether of the
north or south, Of Manchuria Mongolia or
Ihibet, regarded it with profound yenera :
ton. and the royal family considered it the
nope of and authority for their reign For
TINS last reason he was 10th to believe that
the emperor and empress dowager left the
palace without taking The book along But
the facts were submitted to him and he was
sorry when convinced. He hoped, he said,
for the book, and his willingness to paw per
sonally any sum within the range of his
means as reward for its recovery
NJ. Boudowsky Of the Russian foreign
once. VINO Is here. says that he will find
the great document though it may take
years and the expenditure of a fortune to
do 1t. With this end In view he has re-
Gently started in to secure the name of
every officer and soldier who at any time
since the attack upon Pekin entered within
the precincts of the imperial or the forbid
den cities.
The Book Described.
The book is described by Prince Ching
as a volume weighing about twenty-five
pounds three by four feet and eight or ten
inches in thickness. The coverings are of
pure pale blue Jade. a stone more valuable
In China than emerald, because of its
scarcity and the tradition that IT is of thds
stone the thrones Of all the gods are made.
The cover is inlaid in hammered gold char
acters, with the names OF all the great en-
perors of China from the reign of Toa Ting.
who glorified Confucius to the present day
Only after a ruler died was his name nut
upon the cover in gold, though the en-
craven places for the hammered metal were
made during his lifetime. The leaves of
the book were Of such material as the
monarch deemed most appropriate for the
inscribing upon of the deeds of his imme-
date predecessor. Some were of Jade stone
OF white. or brown, or green, but never of
pale blue or yellow, because the former
was the color of the god who created all
the other gods, and the latter was the sa-
cred color of all the emperors. and for
that reason could not be claimed by any
particular one.