The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1908-11-20
FULLY DRESSED
AWAITING DEATH
+ asf Hours of the Emperor
and Empress Dowager
of Chinese Empire.
REFORM PROSPECT GOOD
OWING EDIcT ISSUED BY THE
GRIM OLD WOMAN.

p.l,ip Nov. 19.-An edict ordering
,.--bunous honors for the late dOwager
.r,rrass was issued today, and it
s,,r,oerates for a fourth time since the
5aath Of mis- majesty the program of
,eeorms 10 which the new regime Is
'.,r,mitted These political edicts first
baaan appearing four days ago when,
g., the name Of the emperor and the
.,-spd council. Two DEGREES entailinS
mon the infant emperor, Pu vi. the
arriving out of the reforms already
,Daueuratod by his predecessor We're
,1ibIished one of these, after speci-
wing a number Of the reforms IN ques-
ton says:
1--WE have received reVerently the de-
rec OF the duwager empress appointing
pr vi 10 be emperor. As this prince
sboyys promise Of being filial and intel
lige1t. he can count upon the care ana
,ilpDort of the dOWager empress, and
-brough his devotion to affairs of state,
l,s NAV bring tranquility to the empire
OnciaIs must purify their hearts, aban-
don all abuses and heartily obey pre-
ri0us edicts.
with regard TO the existing pro-
.,rafo. years of study have been given
ta its preparation. its purpose IS 70
establish q constitution for China at
,be end of nine years. and by complet-
Inc what IS left unfinished you will
ronifort your spirit in heaven"
Second Alleged EdIct.
Another edicr that was issued in the
name Of the late dowager empress
SAYS:
NV attention has been given to a
Dvriad Of affairs. and my strength
and my heart are exhausted. Since last
summer I have been i'll and not able to
assist in the multitudinOus affairs of
the government with tranquility. For
long | have been without appetite, nor
have l been able to sleep. On Nov. II
came the death of the emperor. and it
was then impossible for me to exercise
seIf-control Following this day my
illness increased until now 1 am not
able 10 rise tl4hn my couch.
Il look back today over nifty years
Of sorrow and trouble, and even at the
end Of my life my arXieties still are
with me and l can find no appetite.
Reform i'm the method of govern
ment has begun. and these ideas VIII
he continued and developed. The re-
gent and all its officials should exert
themselves to strengthen the founda-
tons OF the empire. Let the emperor
Pu VI make the affairs of the empire
Of first Importance, and to this end let
him be adequately instructed.
Reform and Progress.
These edicts. taken together, are con-
Sidered 10 commit the new regime con-
clusively to a program of reform and
progress.
Prince Chung was present at the pal
ace both yesterday and today. Thi
Forbidden City is crowded all day long
with officials Of various degrees anC
throngs of mOurners. and notable ii
the gathering is the dalai lama Of
Tibet and all his disciples. Tomorrow
morning at 10 O'clock there will be {
service of Tibetan prayers before tht
collins of the late maJest1es. The
TibetanS viii officiate.
Accurate information concerning the
last days of the emperor and the dow
ager empresJ was obtained today from
officials of the palace.
The various foreign legations in at
tempting to determine the causes OF
the death of the emperor and the dow
aSer empress. have abandoned the
poison theory and have concluded that
the symptoms Of the emperor indicated
that death resulted from neuras thenia
and cardiac weaknesses, together with
ear complications
No Poison Used.
The foreign board denies emphatic
ally and without qualification the ru-
mors that either of their majesties was
poisoned
The emperor made a speech less than
one hour before his death He passed
away during a period of the greatest
excitement and confusion. His native
physicians had been temporarily dis
missed under the impression that there
was no change in the condition of his
majesty and that he might live for
some time. There was a sudden turn
Tor th" worse. however. and they were
quickly recalled. They at once gave
orders. i'm accordance with custom of
l'e imperial family observed for cen
,'iieS past. that the emperor be dressed
"' death and that imperial yellow CLAW
~ spread over the road leading from
-le winter palace to the Forbidden