The French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1896-1912, 1908-11-19
CHINA Is AFFLICTF9
Emperor and Empress Die a.
Same Day
THE PEOPLE TAKE IT QUIETLY
Shortly After O'Clock, saturd.,
the Emperor Breathed His 1a,+
Prince Chun, His Brother, Now r.
gent. May Be Accepted as succa.
sor.

Pekin, China, By Cable-Tb.
Emperor of China died shortly Aft
5 O'Clock Saturday evening. A.
early as 8 O'Clock in the Afternoon
it was reported that the Empeno,
was so low that his death was "a
garded as imminent. The Foreign
Board of the government has con
frmed the report circulated Fri.
day that the Dowager Empress ;e
also mortally ILL.,
The Emperor had been i'll for
long time and during recent aud;-
ences with foreign representatives ha
was unable either to sit up on the
throne or even in an erect position
It was evident for long time that
he would be unable to Withstand
crisis which sooner or later must de-
velop in the disease from which he
was suffering. Recent climatic ey.
tremes caused the develoment Of
fatal complications that resulted in
his death.
At the moment Of death the EN-
perer, the Dowager Empress own
death chamber chair was waiting in
the courtyard She, too, had been
in a serious condition, and word that
was brought her earlier in the day
that the Emperor was dying, caused
her to collapse. This has prevented
her from assuming the relationship
of grand mother to the successor to
the throne, which, according to the
Chinese system would enormously
augment her authority.
There is little indication of emo
ton among the people over the
events which have been transpiring.
The Emperor's death and the prob
able death of the Dowager Empress
within a very short time have had
but little effect upon the Chinese,
who are pursuing the even tenor of
their way without signs of mourn
ing.
Kuang-Hsu's later life was a pit
liable spectacle to his attendants. His
feebleness had rendered him a mere
puppet and he had suffered long
from i'll health, which was combined
with fear and despair. Latterly he
showed marked signs of mental dis
turbances, and even went so far
last August as to declare himself
mad
The foregoing dispatch from Pekia
sets at rest the conflicting rumoE Of
the past two days that have orig
mated In Pekin and been published
around the world. The Emperor Of
China is dead. The report from
London Of his Improvement probably
referred to a temporary "3: EDITION
only. The Pekin message is the first
unqualified statement to come from
the Chinese capital and it speclf-
cally gives the time of the passing
away of His Majesty.
The regent is Prince Chun, the En-
peror's brother, and if he is accepted
by the government before the Dow
ager Empress dies, the likelihood OF
any revolutionary outbreak in China
will be materially reduced.
Dowager Empress Dead.
Pekin, By Cable.-Tsze lHsi An,
the Dowager Empress Of China, the
autoeratic head of the government
which she directed without success
full interference since 1861 and with
out protest since 1881, died at z
O'Clock Sunday afternoon.
The announcement of the Dowager
Empress death was official and fol-
lowed closely upon the announcement
that Kuang-Hsu, the Emperor, had
died Saturday at 5 o'clock in the al
ternoon, but it is believed that the
death Of both the Emperor and the
Dowager Empress occurred consld-
cradle time before that set down In
the official statements.
An edict issued at s o'clock Sum
day morning placed upon the throne
Prince Pu-Yi. the 3-year-old son OF
Prince Chun, the Regent Of the En-
pire, in accordance with a promise
given by the Dowager Empress SOON
after the marriage of Prince Chun in
1903. An edict issued on Friday
made Pu-Yi heir presumptive.