The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1908-11-14
DEATH CLAIMS
CRINA'S EMPEROR
THE poWAGER EMPRESS is ALSO
REPORTED TO BE AT
DEATHS DOOR.
EMPEROR WAS A WEAKliNG.
OF Limited Mental Ability He as
Completely Under the Domination
Of the Dowaeer Empress, the
Real Ruler Of China.

Peking, Nov. 14.--The emperor OF
China was reported dead Friday after
noon
Two imperial edicts were issued
from the palace Friday afternoon in
quick succession. The first makes
Prince Chun regent Of the empire,
aud the second appoints his son. Pu
Wei, heir presumpive.
simultaneously with the removal OF
the emperor from the winter palace to
the death chamber in the Forbidden
City, the members Of the grand coun-
CT assembled in the palace The
dowager empress was present at this
meeting, and is reported to have
swooned and to be dying.
Prince Chuu is a brother of the en-
peror. His name Is Tsai Feng. and he
succeeded to the title of his father,
Prince Chun. i'm 1891. He visited Ger.
many in 1901 as a special commits
sioner OF the throne.
This last Illness Of the emperor as.
sumed serious aspect a fortnight
ago. 1t was then declared that he was
suffering from a grave intestinal com.
plant. He refused to accept western
medical attendance, although medical
men attached to the legations here
stood ready to give their services.
His majesty has been suffering for
ten years past from chronic nephritis.
which recently became complicated
with diabetes and sciatica. It was ad.
mitted that his brain was affected.
The dramatic occurrences Friday at
the Chinese capital, If the cabled re-
ports that the emperor is dead and the
dowager empress dying are correct,
draw attention to two striking figures
in current history-the weakling en-
peror of China, dominated all his life
long by a stern woman who usurped
his power and position, and the dow.
ager empress herself, a woman OF
sanguinary record, relentless, cruel
and ambitious, whose demise renders
impossible the fulfillment of the in
trigues of her old age-still to reign
over China after the death of Kuang-
Hsu.
If the emperor and the dowager
empress both have died at Peking at
practically the same time, China has
lost two Manchu rulers, one nominal |
and the other actual, whose dynasty |
has endured for II generations. But |
unless the edicts Of Friday should be |
reversed the dynasty will be contin-
ued in the person of Prince Chun, a |
brother of the emperor, and the |
princes 3-year-old son, Pu Wei The |
dowager empress ruled the empire |
with will of iron. The emperor the |
court and the government bowed |
down to her and she kept the matter
of succession to the throne entirely in
her own hands for the purpose of be-
ing able to dictate who should sue.
Ceed to nominal power. She desired |
two things, that the present Manchu |
dynasty be continued and to control |
the successor Of Kuang-Hsu for her
.wn ends.
If Kaung Hsu is dead, he has lived |
without having achieved any remark |
able distinction as a ruler. Were not |
this due to the fact that the dowager
empress permitted him no voice in the
affairs of the empire, the same prob
ably would have resulted from his |
limited mental ability. II can be said |
of him, however, that he rose to the |
height of demanding and receiving i'm.
perial power from the dowager
empress for a period of four months
in 1898, and that he was the first |
holder of the title OF emperor Of
China to adopt and proclaim western
reforms.
KaunG- Hsu succeeded TO the throne
IN 1875, In 1887 the dowager
empress intimated that she considered
him fit to rule, and two years later
she married him to her niece.