The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1908-11-14
His Mother, the Dowager En-.
press, Who Is Real Ruler,
Said to Be Dying.
SECRECY MAKES TRUTH
DIFFICULT TO ASCERTAIN
Two Important Imperial Edicts
Give Strong Color to Tenor .
OF Reports.

PEKING, Nov. 13.-The Emperor OF
China was reported dead at 4 CLOCK
this morning. 1t had, however, been
impossible TO secure official confirma-
tion of this announcement up to
clock this evening. His majesty was
transferred TO the death chamber at
clock In the afternoon At that hour
he was still breathing
Two imperial odicts were issued from
the palace this afternoon IN quick sue
cession. The first makes Prince Chun
appoints his son. Pu Wei, heir pre-
sumptive, The dowager empress IS also
reported to be dying.
May Be Still Alive.
simultaneously with the removal of
| the emperor 10 the death chamber III
the Forbidden City, the members OF the
| grand council assembled in the palace.
/ The dowager empress was present at
( the meeting and is reported TO have
swooned. At 4:30 o'clock tins after
noon palace official of high standing
said the emperor was still alive.
All the government offices were de-
serted. The palace is crowded with Of
ficials.
Prince Chun is brother of the en-
peror. His name is Tsai~Feug. and he
succeeded to the title of his father,
Prince Chun, IN 1891. He Is a lieu
tenant-general of the Plain White Ban
per corps, aud visited Germany IN 1901
| as 4 special commissioner of the throne.
Clung to Superstition.
This last illness of the emperor as
sumed a serious aspect a fortnight ago
1t was then declared that he was sui
fering from grave intestinal COM
! pIaint He has persistently refused to
accept western medical aid, although
medical men attached to the legations
| here have 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. 1t was ad-
mitted yesterday that his brain was
affected. The members OF the grand
council have been IN close attendance
at the palace for ten days. Statements
officially pazetted that his majesty was
in conference with the councillors were
! absolutely untrue and were made tor
the purpose of misleading the public.
The rumor that the dowager empress
is dying if true, would explain the two
edicts issued late this afternoon regard
ing regency for the empire ,, ~.
confused by the sudden developments
of today aud the various reports and
rumors emanating from the palace. Ii
is absolutely impossible TO obtain any
official confirmation Of the reported
death of the emperor and the condltlon
of the dowager empress. There IS
certain amount of speculation IN regard
TO what is actually transplrlng.
Keeping Truth Buried.
II is believed that the government
| a. h, l,-ip NJ
emperor. Il he is not already dead, to
screen the condition of the dowager en-
press. The edicts of today bear the
| name OF kuang Hsu, which indicates
that he was still alive at the hour the
members of the grand council were II
conference at the palace. This was a5
. clock this afternoon.
The second edict orders that Pu Wei.
son Of Prince Cbun, child five years
old, be trained in the palace for sue
cessiou to the throne. This makes him
heir presumptive,
The hour of the day at which these
edicts were issued shows that the I'M,
pcrial family, as we'll as the grand
councillors. before deciding upon the ap-
pointment of Prince Chm to the re-
! pcncv. awaited the return Of Prince
! Ching. president of tho board OF for
eign affairs, from the eastern tombo,
/ whittier he went to inspect the maueo'
| lGnm OF the uOWdEeI CuipItSS'
The death of the emperor or China,
| if it proves true, brings to the end the
reign of a sovereign, feeble In mind
! and body who has been dominated all
| his life by the all-powerful Influence
/ of the dowager empress. huang Hsu
'Ereign'' will be completely lost IL the
rule of the empress.
The emperor was born in 1870. His
succession TO the throne was one Of tho
many arbitrary and illegal acts of the
dowager empress, who adopted him into
/ succession from generation the same
MS that of his predecessor. although tho
conviction of the Manchu dynasty ana
precedent provide that the succession
shall 90 to tho next following genera
! tiou.
Kuane Hsu was four years old when
made emperor and his reign is the third
in point Of duration in the history of
the dynasty, Kuang Hsu and On Len
Lung each having reigned and ruled
sixty years.
Successor Vexed Question
The question OF the succession has
autumn of 1907, when it was perceived
that the health of the emperor wa5
seriously undermined. In January or
1900 the dowager empress adopted Pu
Chun. son of Prince Tuap. tho boxer
chieftaip. heir-apparent. but she disln'
herited him IN November l90l, at tho
bchest Of the allied powers Since then
the matter of an heir-apparcnt has been
in allowance, and the dowagcr, empress,
in whose hands the power Of election
was, gave no clue TO her purposes or
determination.
The dowager empress is, and tho en-
peror was, n Manchu; III otnor words,
foreigners in China, and under the hau
of Chinese patriots and an increasing
anti Manchu party, which has sought
the suppression OF tho dynasty aud
the restoration of Chinese emperor