Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-11-13
CH|NA'S RULER OEAO2
Dowager Empress Also Re-
ported to Be Dying.
CONFIRMATION WITHHELD
Emperor Kuang-Hsu Believed to
Have Expired at 4 O'Clock.
TZU.HSI FAINTS AT COUNCIL
Prince Chun Appointed Regent and
His Son Heir Apparent by
Imperial Edicts.
CONFIRMATION WITHHELD
TZU.HSI FAINTS AT COUNCIL

Special Dispatch to The Star.
NEW YORK, November 13.-A cable
was received this morning from Pekins
the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking
Corporation. saying that the Emperor o.
China died this morning. but that the sit.
uation throughout the empire is quiet.
PEkING, November 13.-The Emperor
of China was reported dead at O'Clock
this afternoon. 1t had, however, been i'm
possible to secure official confirmation Of
this announcement up to 8 o'clock this
evening.
1t is also reported that the dowage
empress is dying.
At half-past this afternoon a palace
official of high standing said the emperor
was still alive.
Taken to Death Chamber.
His majesty was transferred to the
noon. At that hour he was still breathing
Two imperial edicts were issued from
the palace this afternoon in quick sue
cession. The first makes Prince Chur
regent of the empire. The second appoint.
his son. Pu Wei, heir presumptive.
simultaneously with the removal of thu
emperor from the winter palace to the
death chamber in the forbidden city
the members of the grand council assem-
bled in the palace. The dowager empires:
was present ct this meeting, and is re
ported to have swooned.
All the government Offices are deserted
The palace Is crowded with officials
The rum0r that the empress dowager i:
dyinx. If true. would explain the two
edicts issued late this afternoon regard
Ing regency and the succession for the
empire.
Situation Excites Suspicion.
The foreign residents of Peking are
confused by the sudden developments oi
today and the various reports and rumor:
emanating from the palace. 1t is abso
lutely impossible to obtain any confirma
tion officially of the reported death o.
the emperor and the condition of tn,
dowager empress.
There is a certain amount of suspicion
in regard to what is actually transpiring
1t is believed that the government will
use the dying condition of the emperor
If he is not already dead, to screen the
condition of the dowager empress.
The edicts of today bear the name o.
kuang- Hsu. which indicates that he wa
still alive at the hour the members O.
the grand council were in conference a
the palace. This was at o'clock in the
afternoon.
The second edict orders that the Pu Wei
the son of Prince Chun, a child five year.
old. be trained in the palace for success
sion to the throne. This makes him he'll
presumptive.
The hour of the day at which these
edicts were issued shows that the impe
rial family we'll as the grand council
lors. before deciding upon the appointment
OF Prince Chun to the regency, awaited
the return of Prince Ching, president O.
the board of foreign affairs. from tn,
eastern tombs. whittier he went to in
spect the mausoeum of the dowager EN-
press.
Regent Is Emperor's Brother.
FRINGE Chun. named as regent by edict
is a brother of the emperor. His name II
Tsai-Feng, and he succeeded to the it'll
OF his father, Prince Chun, in 1891
He is a lieutenant general of the Plair
White Banner Corps. He visited German,
in 1901 a special commissioner of tn,
throne
This last illness of the emperor as
sumed a serious aspect a fortnight ago
1t was then declared that he was suf
fering from a grave intestinal complaint
He had persistently refused to accep
western medical attendance, although
medical men attached to the legation
here have stood ready - give their serv
Ices.
His majesty had been suffering for te,
years past from chronic nephritis. which
recently became complicated with dia
betes and sciatica. 1t was admitted yes
terday that his brain was affected.
The members of the grand council hav
been in close attendance at the palac
for ten days. Statements, officially ga
zetted. that his majesty was in confer
ence with the councillors. were absolutely
untrue. and were made for the purpos
OF misleading the public.
Minister WI Not Advised.
When the report of the death of TIN
Emperor of China was communicate,
this afternoon to Minister Wu Ting FAM
he commented:
But reports of his death have beei
received before
He added. however. that, while he ha,
not been notified. such notification wa
not to be expected Immediately afte
the death. on account of the commotiol
which would follow the demise of tn
emperor. Confirmation of the death, N
continued, would probably be made b,
The American minister at Peking.
Through nearly all the thirty-four year
that the emperor was on the throne IN
was in poor health, the minister ex
plained He added that the emperor
death at this time would not interfer
with the policy of reform which ha,
= been adopted and partially put into prac
tice by the Chinese government.
DIR. Wu explained that. the EN-
peror has no direct descendants, the i'm
fant son of a brother of the empero
would probably be called to the throne
dispatch was received at the Stat
Department just before noon today from
American Minister Rockhill at Pekins
reporting that the emperor was dying
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