Omaha daily bee., 1902-02-16

- dug up from its hiding place In
the women's quarters of the Forbidden City
and, to at least two people. the item had
peculiar Significance. II the plan OF these
two people for seizing this treasure a year
ago had been carried out, the affair would
have interested several millions of people
and every civilized government in the
world. The Chinese court would have been
forced to return Immediately to Pekin and
a part of the indemnity would have been
collected without delay. Incidentally,
also. two men would have been enriched
by some hundreds Of thousands of dol
lars.
According to the best report, the en-
press dowager is an exceedingly thrifty
old woman and for years past she has
been boarding treasure, constantly aug
mented by presents and a part Of the court
income, until at the time of the Boxer
uprising there was said to be a total
value Of 200. 900. 900 Pekin taels (about s140,-
600, 000) stored away. Before the trouble
In Pekin all of this vast treasure was kept
IN the summer palace. Just outside of the
imperial city. About twenty-five days
before the allied troops appeared, however,
the empress dowager conceived the brill
liant idea of transferring the treasure to
the women's quarters In the inner city,
and, under the p~retense OF guarding the
concubines OF the emperor, thus avoid the
danger of looting at the hands of the
Boxers. It was not because the imperial
party feared the seizure Of the treasure by
he allied troops. Indeed. the empress
believed Yung Lu and others in the story
hat the foreign devils had been driven
INTO the sea. The sudden departure OF the
court, with only a scanty supply Of cloth
ing, is another proof of the statement.
Empress Feared BOxerA.
The truth Of the matter is the en-
press feared the Boxers would find the
'reasure in the summer palace and she
very stealthily and carefully planned
4 new hiding place. One hundred picked
coolies we're employed twenty lays in the
moving. each coolie carrying a small amount
At a time and being closely watched all Of
the time, night and day. In the rear OF
the Imperial city. and Just back of the
great wall. is an artificial hill. Familiarity
known to the foreigners as Goal Hill" from
the summit Of which almost the whole Of
the Imperial city can be plainly seen. On
this elevation soldiers specially chosen for
the mission watched the process of trans
fer Of the treasure. When the entire task
was completed the 100 coolies who were en-
Gagged In the labor were summoned before
the imperial executioner. Dead men tell
no tales and IL a few Of the coolies had
not escaped in the general confusion this
story would not have been written. It
happened. however, that one OF the for
I~tunate coolies was, in times Of peace, the
head gardener Of the inner city and It was
from him that my friend, Thompson, heard
the tale. Thompson. a Scotchman, who
had lived IN Pekin for years, once befriendel
the head gardener. When I arrived in
Pekin a few days after the occupancy Of the
city by the allied troops Thompson re-
peated the story Of the treasure to ne and
together we formed our great plan.
Prince ChinE's Fairy story.
Following the arrival Of the troops and
the relief Of the legations. the Japanese
troops were placed on guard at three Of the
gates OF the imperial city. and the United
States troops had charge Of the one re-
naming entrance. What little was left
In the outer city by the Boxers was soon
appropriated by the allies. but. because the
inner city was so closely guarded. Il was
not disturbed. Prince Ching had been en-
trusted by the empress dowager with the
guarding Of the treasure. and as s'on as
he could do so he hurried to the allied com
manders and informed them that a number
of the emperor's concubines were still In
the imperial city and II they were
molested In any way the emperor and
court would never return to Pekin. Nat
urally enough IL was the desire OF
the allies to obtain the emperor's
return as soon as possible. and. for this
reason. Prince Ching's threat had the
effect Of closing up the northeastern part
OF the city, where the treasure was con-
cealed, to everyone except the palace ON
cials. Prince Ching's soldiers and the
eunuchs, who had remained there through
out the investment OF the city. Any repu-
> table foreigner could obtain a pass within
5 the gates Of the imperial city from Major
Heistand General Chafee's chief OF stan.
This pass was taken up upon entrance
at the south gate and from the time he
entered until he passed out at the oppo-
site gate the visitor was closely watched
by three or four eunuchs as well as by
some OF Prince Ching's soldiers. A very