Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1901-04-06

at Imbeck's hotel. / found the old gen.
tleman with twenty retainers awaiting
me. He stated he had been appointed
a special commissioner by the empress
dowager to proceed to Lukouchiao and
investigate the circumstance connect
ed with the riot two days previous, as
well as to inquire infinitely into the
! condition OF two wounded soldiers re-
ported to have been wantonly shot and
dangerously hurt by Captain Norre-
gard. He desired rie to accompany
him TO the camp and examine the
wounds as an expert, so that he could
make a PROPER report TO the empress. /
confess / did not mitch cafe TO go alone
into the camp OF the famous Kansu
cations TO Governor Hu and wanted to
crafty him: Besides, there was a spice
OF adventure about the undertaking
that was pleasant TO q correspondent.
I preferred to go armed, however, as
although l knew a revolver would be
Of no use In a hostile camp for offensive
warfare, yet IL Governor HUI remained
with me, l reasoned, 1 could. by plac-
Ing a revolver at his head and holding
him a hostage, prevent any harm To
| myself, believing as ! did that the en-
press special commissioners person
would be sacred In the eyes OF her gen.
erals. The sequel proved how false this
belief was and that before many hours.
So / requested permission to return
home for a TO obtain a small
instrument / might need, as we'll as to
inform my wife of my leaving he city
that she might not be anxious IL / did
not return until after dark. Governor
IIu replied that / could get whatever
instrument / needed at the railway
hospital at Feugtai, and that he would
uard nnn uf hiQ rQfafnnrQ with "A mos
sage to my wife. l insisted, however,
that a return home was imperative and
that ] would rejoin him In half an
hour. Whereupon he decided to order
tifin In the meantime n told me to
hurry back, take tifiin with him In the
| hotel and we would then proceed to
Macbiapu, where a special train would
be waiting for us. / fastened home,
obtained my Smith & Wesson six
shooter and after a good tifin with
Governor HUI, rode in a s~pringless cart
to Mechiapu, entrained and was speed
ily at the station at Lukouch'iao. Upon
our nlighting from the cars we were
met by a suboficial from the camps
and accompanied by him and about
| twenty Kansu soldiers to the entrance
to the railroad bridge, the site OF the
riot two days before. Here Hu ordered
the bridge watchmen to be brought be-
fore him and he Intercepted them as
to the occurrences described by Cox and
Norregaard. The two watchmen's
stories were the exact counterpart or
the we foreigners'-agreed in every
particular and placed the whole blame
on the Kansu soldiers. 1 was surprised
at the fearless testimony of these two
poor watchmen, one Of whom was aft
erward murdered by the soldiers for
testifying against them. HUI now
walked TO an inn In the village of Lu-
kou and told the subofficial to order
the general and colonies Of all the reg
iments quartered about to appear be-
fore him at once, as he would hold an
investigation by order OF the empress.
He and / drank tea until they arrived.
The first, a General Chang, appeared
in about fifteen minutes. We knew
someone Of Importance was coming by
the hubbub in the courtyard. the MUIR
muir of voices and the sound Of horses
moving feet. Then a soldier appeared
In the doorway and announced Gen
eral Chang Of the Kansu cavalry a
arrived"
Ching" replied Hu, and Immediately
there stood before us as ferocious a
looking rufiian as the world could we'll
produce. A tall, weatherbeaten man
about &c years Of age, with q black
mustache, rather heavy for a China
man, and a more than ordinarily prom
inent nose. He wore a dark blue gown,
satin high top boots official hat with
premier button and peacock feather,
held at right angles from the real OF
his button by an expensive piece of
jade. His eyes were deep set and small
and the whole expression of his face
was ferocious and cruel.
He only slightly inclined his head to
Hu, took no notice of me, and ignor-
ing Chinese ceremony, proceeded at
once to the highest seat In the little
room and seated himself In the intense
ly stiff attitude Of the god of war one
usually sees in a Chinese temple, HUI
seemed completely taken aback at this
insolence and allowed the ruffian to re-
main In the seat of honor throughout
the interview. Before HUI had become
acquainted by his polite questions with
the age, rank n province of his
naughty guest four other military Off
GERS of the rank of colonel and lieuten-
ant colonel had arrived, namely,
Messrs. Chao, Ma, Wang and Hung.
Finding their general in the head seat
and noting his imperious bearing, they
took their cue from him and main
tanned throughout the interview the
most lofty manner and treated HUI
IlOI llhC a oupOl llld lildIl al ClNll VI
ficer of the premier rank and a special
high commissioner OF her majesty the
empress dowager. After a few mouth
fuls of tea, HUI informed them in most
polite and bland terms that as he was
director general of imperial railways
as well as governor of the metropolitan
prefecture of Shuntienfu, her august
majesty, the empress dowager, etc,
etc., etc, had appointed him to visit the
general and officers of the Kansu regi-
ments in camp at this place to inquire
into the circumstances of the late riot.
He stated he came gladly because he
felt that by careful inquiry into the cir
cumstances 1t could doubtless be
proved that the soldiers had acted In
q rowdy manner without the knowledge
and consent of their officers, and that
by a ~well-worded report the latter
would escape all blame and the matter
could be settled to the satisfaction of
all, especially as no lives had been lost
or imperial property destroyed.
General Chang haughtily replied that
1t was entirely unnecessary for HUI to
come out OF all; hat Prince Ching had
sent a messenger to him In the morning
and that the empress was doubtless
aware through this messenger already
of the exact circumstances of the case;
and consequently Hu might as well re-
turn n save himself any further
trouble. His impudent indi-
Gated that, having given his own side
OF the case to a trusty henchman of
Prince Ching's and obtained that in
fiuential princes partial testimony in
his favor, he did not care one way
or the other for anything HUI might re-
port later.
But HUI, although very quiet and APP
parently humble, was firm and de-
ermined n upon conclusion of
Changes defiant speech replied: 1T is
very we'll that her majesty should have
as early a report as possible and 1 am
glad you have informed her of the
events. blu as 1 have been appointed to
inquire Officially l should not return
without having done my duty, and Z
LNNA Ahnt nnna - A.