Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1901-04-04
4 YELLOW CRIME
THE SIEGE IN PEKIN.

gentlemen they took the train for Tien
rsin, and I returned to Picking.
The next day. or two days after the
riot, ! received a message from HUI
Chih-fen. the governor Of -Peiing, fe-
questing me to call upon him at once
at Imbeck's hotel. found the old gem
tleman with twenty retainers awaiting
me. He stated he had been appointed
special commissioner by the empress
ioWager to proceed to I4ukouchia0 and
investigate the circumstances connect
ed with the .fiot two days previous. az
condition Of TITO wounded soldiers re-
ported to have been Mantonly shot and
dangerously hurt by Captain Norre-
gard. He desired lfie to accompany
him to the camp and examine the
wounds as an expert. so that he could
make a proper report to the empress. I
confess did not much care to go alone
Into the camp of the famous Kansu
foreigner hnters, but am under obli-
cations to Governor HUI and wanted to
crafty him. Besides. there was spice
of adventure about the undertaking
that was pleasant to correspondent.
preferred to go armed, however, as,
although knew a revolver would be
OF no use Ill q hostile camp for offensive
warfare, yet II Governor HUI remained
with me, reasoned, could, by plac-
ing revolver at his head and holding
him hostage, prevent any harm to
myself, believing os 1 did that the em-
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 I requested permission to return
home for a moment to obtain a small
instrument might need, as we'll as to
inform my wife of my leaving the city
chat she might not be anxious If did
not return until after dark. Governor
1iu replied that could get whatever
instrument l needed at the railway
hospital at Feugtai, and that he would
send one of his retainers with mes
sage to my wife. 1 insisted, however,
that return home was imperative and
that would rejoin him in half an
hour. Whereupon he decided to order
| tiffin in the meantime and told me to
hurry back, take tiftin with him in the
hotel and we would then proceed to
Machiapu. where special train would
be waiting for US. fastened home,
obtained my Smith & Wesson six
shooter and after good tiffin with
Governor HUI, rode in springless cart
to Mechiapu, entrained ard was speed
lily at the station at Lukouch'iao. Upon
our alighting from the cars we were
met by subofhcial 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 HUI ordered
| the bridge watchmen to be brought be-
fore him and he interrogated them as
to the occurrences described by Cox and
Norregaard. The two watchmen's
stories We're the exact counterpart of
the two foreigners'-agreed in every
particular and placed the whole blame
on the Kansu soldiers. 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 Luz
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. 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 has
arrived
Ching" replied HUI. and Immediately
there stood before us as ferocious q
looking ruffian as the world could we'll
produce. A tall, weatherbeaten man
about 50 years of age, with black
mustache, rather heavy for a China
man, and more than ordinarily prom
inent nose. He wore dark blue gown.
satin high top boots, official hat with
premier button and peacock feather.
held at right angles from the rear 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
HUI, 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 ruftian to re-
main in the seat of honor throughout
the interview. Before HUI had become
acquainted. by his polite questions with
the age, rank and 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
more like subordinate than q civil Of
fcer of the premier rank and special
high commissioner of her majesty the
empress dowager. After few mouth-
fuls OF tea. Hu Informed them in most
polite and bland terms that as he was
| ,f<,v Do
as We'll 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
cumstanccs it could doubtless he
proved that the soldiers had acted in
q rowdy manner without the knowledge
and consent of their officers, and that
by 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
It was entirely unnecessary for HUI to
come out at all; that Prince Ching had
sent 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 HUI might as well re-
turn and save himself any further
trouble. His impudent manner indi-
Gated that, having given his own side
Of the case to trusty henchman Of
Prince Ching's and obtained that In
fuential princes partial testimony in
his favor, he did not care one way