Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1908-11-13
EMPEROR OF CHINA
Died THIS MORNING
An Edict is Issued Making Prince
Chun Regent Of the
Empire.
.Pv WEI HEIR PREsUMPTIvE.
.Pv WEI HEIR PREsUMPTlvE.
Empress Dowager swooned at
Meeting Of Members Of the
Grand Council.
Two Weeks Ago His Las, Illness AS
sl,mcd Il Serious Nspcct--Ilis
Brain Mas Injected.

Resin Nov l3.-1he emperor OF
China was reported dead ut ] ocock
mis- morning 1t had, however, been
Impossible TO secure Official confrnia-
ion of this announcement up to !.
o'clock this evening. Ills majesty was
transferred to the death chamber az
o'clock in the afternoon AT tha;
hour he Was still breathing.
Two imeprial etlicts We're issued from
tllo palace this afternoon III quick sue.
cessioi, The first makes Prince Chun
regent of the empire and the second
appoints his son, Pu Wei, heir pre-
suIntivr.
simultaneously with the removal nj
the emperor to the dead chamber ia.
the Forbidden city the members of the
grand council assembled in the palace,
The dowager empress was present an
the meeting and is reported 10 have
fwooned, At half past 4 o'clock this
afternoon a palace official of high
standing said the emperor was still
olive
All the government Offices We're do
serted. The palace Is crowded With
officials.
Prince Chun is a brother of the en-
!
succeeded to the title of his father,
Prince Chun, in 1891. He is a ieuten-
ant general Of the Plain White Banner
corps, and visited Germany in 1901,
as a special commissioner OF tho
throne.
This last illness of the emperor as
sunlcd II serious aspect a fortnight
ago. 1t was then declared that he was
suffering from grave intestinal COM
[Isla In & Siytn W.. E,,
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
~ years past from chronic nephrltis,
with diahr.H-nnd sciatica. 1t was adj
nitted yesterday that his brain was
affected. & The members OF tbs grand
t council have been in close attendance
4 ny the palace for 10 days. Statements
officially gazetted that his majesty was
IN conferences with the councillors were
absolutely untrue and We're made for
me p"rn"se Of misleading the public.
EAiPERoR,s RECREATION.
Washington. Nov 1S-According 10
members of the diplomatic corps in a
position to know about The life of the
emperor OF China, his delicate health
forbade free Indulgence in outdoor
sports. He found his greatest rccrc;l-
ton in the study of mechanical con-.
trivanccs. His ENJOYS and intinlatcS
arc able to please him immensely by
sending him models and notes of in
Ncntions, and none of his subjects stud
led more carefully than he the reports
ON inventions of mechanical devices.
which he utilized for the Improvement
of conditions in the empire.
Particularly attractive to the emperor
were clocks and watches. In the win
ter palace at Pekin and in the royal
summer residence, some miles distant.
were hundreds of clocks from all parts
of the world, nearly all of different
makes and styles. Nothing is said 10
have pleased the emperor more than
t" tear Il clock TO pieces and then re
assemble It's parts. He became quito
expert IN the udjustment5of these time
peces. His collections Of these CON
trivamces is said to lave been one of
the: most complete III the orient, not
only representing modern work, but the
development OF time recorders through
the centuries.
The Associated Press dispatches gave
tho first news of the death of the en-
neror When they We're shown to
Minister WI Tang Fang he COM
mented:
.Rut reports OF his death have been
received before" He added however.
that while he had not been notified,
such notification was not to be expected
Immediately after the death OH account
of the conmotion which would follow
the death of the emperor. Confirma-
ton OF the demise he continued. would
probably be made by the American
minister at Pekin.
Through nearly all of the 81 years
that the emperor was on the throne
he was in poor health, the minister
explained. and added that the en-
pero1's death at this time would not
interfere with the policy of reform
which had been adopted and partially
nut into practise by the Chinese GOV
ernmcnt. Mr. WI explained that as
the emperor had no direct descendants
the Infant son of a brother of the en-
pepor would probably be called to the
throne.
\ dispatch was received at the state,
department just before noon today
flotn American Minister Rockhlll at.
PclSiu, reporting that the emperor was
dying. The message was sent about :
o'clock this afternoon. Pektlt Time
Dow.NGER EMPRESS DYING.
Pcllin Nov. Is, 1880 p. MT is re-
ported that the doWagcr- empress alstE
Is dying.
This Fumor. If true, would explain
the two e,licts issued late this otter
pit't.
The foreign residents OF Pskin ate.
c1I:frsGd by the sudden development $
az today and the various reports ana
minors enanatlng fro nthe palace
II is absolutely impossible 70 obtain
any oflcial confirmation of the report
cd death of the emperor ard the ccii-
ditton OF the dowagerrcmpress, There
IS Il certain amount of speculation in
regard TO what is actually trans
bring,
u is believed that the government
Eiti utilize the dying condition of the
er1pefor. if he is not already dead, to
screen the condition OF the doWager-
empress The edicts of today hear the
naine of kuang-I1sli. which indicates
mat he was still alive at the hour
the members Of the Grand council were.
IN conference at the palace This was
ut y o'clock this afternoon.
rhe second edict orders that Pu Wei,
son of Prince Chrn. a child OF five.
Years old, be trained in the palace for.
succession to the throne. This makes.
him heir presumptive.