The Savannah morning news., 1902-02-16


ed twenty Days i'm Transferring
the Treasure From the summer
poIace to the WOmens Quarters
IN tie Imperial City Just Before
,he, Arrival of the Allied Troops
Inst Ycar-Most of the Coolies
were Bcheadcd in Order to Keep
,re secret, but One of Those Who
Escaped Related the story of the
rrcaSure to "a scOtchman Who Had
Befriended Him.
BY j. E. Boeck.
copyright, 1902, by j. E. Boeck.)
only the other day there was cabled
from Pekin, China, the news that $780,
ooo 200 worth of the imperial treasure
had been dug up from its hiding place
in the womens quarters of the For
hidden City, and, to at least two peo-
nile the item had pecliar significance.
If the plan of these two people had
heen carried out, the affair would have
interested several millians 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 de-
Law. incidentally, also, two men would
have been enriched by some hundreds
of thousands of dollars.
According to the best report, the
Empress Dowager is an exceedingly
thrifty old lady and for years past
stantly augmented by presents ard
mart of the court income, until at the
time of the Boxer uprising there was
i said to be a total value of 100000, Op0
Pekin taels about $140, 00O,O0O) stored
away. Before the trouble in Pekin all
of this vast treasure was kept in the
summer palace, just outside of the I'M
nerial City. About twenty-five days
hsfore the allied troops appeared, now
ever the Empress Dowager conceIseu
the brilliant idea of transferring the
measure to the women's quarters III the
inner city and, under the pretense pI
Guarding the concubines or the EN-
naror thus avoid the danger OF lootihg
at the hands of the Boxers. 1t was
NOT because the Imperial party feared
tho seizure of the treasure by the allied
troops Indeed, the Empress believed
Yunr In and others IN the story that
the foreign devils had been driven INTO
the sea. The sudden departure or the
court, with only a scanty supply ol
clothing is another proof OF the state
ment. r.
ices feared fine Boxers would find the
treasure in the summer palace and so
very stealthily and carefully she
planned new hiding place. One nun
drsd picked coolies were employed
twenty days in the moving, each coolle
carving 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 PACK OF the
great wall is an artificial hill tamil
farlv known to the foreigners as Coal
Hill" from the summit of which al
most the whole of the Imperial City
can be plainly seen On this elevation
soldiers specially chosen for the mis-
sion watched the process of transfer
of the treasure. When the entire TASK
was completed. the one hundreds coolles s
who hatla engaged IN the-labor We're
Summoned before the imperial execu-
toner Dead men tell no tales and,
If few of the coolies had not escaped
in the general confusion, TINS story
would not have been written. 1t nap
pened, however. that one OF the 1ortu-
nate coolies was, in times OF peace
the head gardener OF the inner CITY
and it was from him that my friend,
Thomson. heard the tale. Thompson,
Scotchman. who had lived in Pekin for
wears. once befriended the head gar
dener When l arrived in Pekln
fev DAYS after the occupancy of the
city by the allied troops, Thompson re-
pcated the story of the treasure TO me
and together we formed our great plan.
Following the arrival of the troops
1anqnPS6
troops were placed on guard at three
Of the gates of the Imperial City and
the United States troops had charge
of the one remaining 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, it was not dis
turbed. Prince Ching had been in
trusted by the Empress Dowager with
the guarding of the treasure and, as
soon as he could do so, he hurried to
the allied commanders and informed
them that a number of the EmDeror's
concubines were still in the Imperial
City and, if they were molested in any
way, the Emperor and court would
never return to Pekin. Naturally
enough, it was the desire Of the Allies
TO obtain the Emperor's return as soon
4 as possible, and, for this reason Prince
Ching'S threat had the effect OF clos
ing up the northeastern part of the
city where the treasure was concealed
to everyone except the palace officials.
Prince Ching's soldiers and the en-
nuchs who had remained there
throughout the investment of the city.
Any reputable foreigner could obtain
pass within the gates of the Imperial
City from Maj. Heistand Gen. Cha
ices chief Of staff. This pass was
taken up upon entrance at the South
Gate and from the time he entered
until he passed out at the opposite
gate, the visitor was closely watched
by three or four eunuchs as we'll as
by some of Prince Ching's soldiers. A
very few of the smaller buildings were
open to inspection, but the gates in the
inner walls, particularly of the entire
section in which the treasure was con-
cealed were tightly locked.
When Thompson had related to me
the story of the head gardener and
we had made maps of the route taken
by the coolies in carrying the treasure,
we could have located the particular
spot where the great wealth lay in the
night as easily as in the day.
IL we could only get small part of
mat treasure" was the thought of
n both Of us, and then as the difficulties
ooned up, the diabolical cunning of
me Dowager Empress, the threat of
rIlnce Ching, and finally the plan
whereby we might enrich ourselves as