Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1908-11-16
Date of Death is Given Out as Two
O'clock Sunday Afternoon.
BELIEF IT OCCURRED EARLIER
Three Year.0ld Child is Formally
Proclaimed Emperor,
PRINCE CHUN IS THE EMPEROR
TsEe Hsi An Has Bceu AutOcrRtic
Head of the Chinese Empire since
Eighteen sixty-one, Emperor
BeinR a Fieurehcad.

PEKING, Nov. l5-TsEe Iis An, the
dowager empress of China, the autocratie
head OF the government which she directed
without successful interference since 1861.
and without protest since 1851. died at
o'clock this afternoon.
The announcement Of the dowager em-
press death was official and followed
closely upon the announcement that kuang
Hsu, the emperor had died yesterday at
o'clock In the afternoon. but IT is believed
the deaths occurred a considerable time be-
fore that set down in the official state
ments.
An official edict issued at O'Clock this
afternoon placed on the throne Prince Pu
w. the 3-year-od son OF Prince Chun, the
regent of the empire, in accordance with u
promise given by the dowager empress
soon after the marriage of Prince Chun in
1903 An edlct issued on Friday made Pu
vi heir presumptive
The foreign legations were notified this
morning by the Foreign board of the death
OF the emperor and the succession OF Prince
Pu VI Troops have been In readiness for
several days TO quel any disorders that
might arise on the death of Kuang Hsu.
and the possibility of uprslngs was made
greater because OF the fact that the death
of the dowager empress was known to be
close at hand Two divisions of troops
have been held in reserve and these are
now stationed in various quarters of the
city. Twenty genddarmes were dispatched
to guard the approaches to the legatlops,
but up to the present the duties OF the
forces have been slight 1t was announced
that the legation guard was ordered out
at the special call OF the legations on ac-
count Of the emperor's death"
| Orders 20 Nfeeroys
Prince Chun. the regent, has ordered the
viceroys and governors to take precautions
for the continuation OF the administration
of the provinces as heretofore. and he has
ordered hundred days OF mourning. The
court will go into mourning Tor three years.
Peking already has been greatly trans
formed; all red objects .lFsve beeu eusvcd
and blue substituted. The people learned.
this evening of the death OF the dowagor
empress and although tho Chinese are w
no wise emotional, they showed that they
were profoundly impressed by the passing
of their powerful ruler. The foreigners IN
the city are watching the strange cerc-
monies with great interest. At the palace
elaborate rites are being observed and a
flood of edlcts has been sent forth.
Deathbed observances OF 5000 years ago
marked the passing OF the emperor and
doWager. They died alone and unattende1,
although surrounded by circles of abjec;
spectators, who remained a rod distant as
on account of the sacred persons of their
majesties, they could not be approached
The emperor died he had lived without
minstration Of whatever kind or scientific
aid. For months he had refused to permi,
the service Of foreign physicians, and al.
though it was stated that he had gone back
to the old form OF medical treatment, IL is
believed that latterly he received no treat
ment at all.
RumOrs from the Palace.
The government has given out that the
dowager empress in a lucid interval on
Friday last received Prince Ching, who IL
a Manchu, and a member OF the royal
family, and approved the edlcts declaring
Prince Pu vi. heir presumptlve, and Prince
Chun regent Of the empire. Prince Ching
was, at the beginning OF the boxer out
break, lord chamberlain Of the court and
commander of the Peking field forces II
was on him that the foreign officials hung
hopes of the safety of the envoys. lie has
held many official positions and was high
in imperial favor.