Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1911-10-12
WI Chang Captured by Rev
olutionists With Aid of.
Troops; American Mis-
sionaries in Peril.
FOREIGNERS ASKED
4 OREMAIN NEUTRAL
Foreign Consuls Asked by
Government to Bring
Gunboats to China; This
Action Meets Disapproval

Hankow, China. Oct. 11-Revolution-
lists are today in undisputed possess
sion Of Wu Chang.
The capture Of the city was the
climax OF series Of sudden develop
ments during the last twenty-four
hours, all Of which came about as the
Nesult Of the tremendous feeling
0toused by the execution of four
rebels In front of the viceroy's yamen
yesterday.
The troops proved to be disaffected.
- within few hours after the first
tble developed, the entire city was
RsRn uproar. Fires were started IN
0Very corner OF the town The head
ofiarters of the vicerpy and OF the
Ikovincial treasurer were burned, the
military commander was killed by a
dynamite bomb, and the viceroy him
self escaped with his life only be-
cause Of his flight Among the foreign
ers known to have been in Wu Chang
yesterday are twenty-five American
missionaries.
lCommunication. with the city Is al
most completely broken and no word
1 y to the fate of the Americans had
Zen received at an early hour today .
with the revoluttonists In control Of
a#Great and important capital. It 1s
hard to estimate how fast or Tar the
movement will spread. The officials
are making every effort to keep. down.
the disaffection Of Hankow. Fives
foreign gunboats are stationad along
the Yang-Tse-K Kiang river between the
two cities and foreign volunteers are
patrolling the foreign quarter Of
Hankow.
The foreign consuls at q conference
later decided not to comply with the
Chinese request that they employ lot
eign gunboats to prevent the revolu-
tionaries from crossing the river to
Hankow The revolutionaries sent
circular note to the cohsuls asking that
foreigners remain neutral and assur-
ing them that they would not De
harmed.
Today the loyal troops fed across
qbe river followed by the bullets OF the
insurgents.
The proclamation of the revolutions
airy committee threatened with decapi-
tation any one who assaulted
foreigner.
The movement aims at the over.
throw Of the Manchus the reigning
dynasty.
According to the officials an ,upris-
ing in Wu-C Chang was planned for last
Monday night. The plot was discov-
cred early that evening and thirty.
two arrests we're made. Desiring TO
terrorize revolutionaries, four OF the
prisoners were beheaded In the street
before the viceroy's yamen yesterday.
The energetic action OF the author
ities do not appear to have had the
desired effect. After the execution
portion of the government artillery
forces within the city mutinied and
the uprising was precipitated.
The disaffection in the, artillery
spread to. other forces and the revolu-
ionaries took advantage of the situa-
0on The forces that remained loyal
Vlre overcome.
Seeing that further resistance was
Qoaless the viceroy fed the city ana
I'D refuge on private yacht that
- ayinp in the river. His headquar-
oael and those of the provincial treas
FER were burned. The military COM
mander was assassinated.
WI Chang is the capital of the CEN
tral province of Hu.Peh. and a town
Of about $4,000 inha bitants. It is sit
hated Just across the Yang-Tse Kiang
2yer from. Hankow, and in sense the
two may be regarded as one city OF
500, 900 souls. Hankow Is the great
trading center for all central China,
but WI Chang takes precedence. over
It in population Importance. AS the
capital of the province and the seat
Of government Of the viceroy, it has q
great population Of officials, including
all the high provincial mandarins,
and the mandarins are responsible for
the government Of the city and the
prefect.
The province Of Hu-Peh, a name
which may be translated north lake,
is considerably larger than England
and Wales put together and has
poplation of 35,000,000.
WI Chang and Hankow, as great
trade centers and ports for ocean
steamers, have both felt to consid.
erable extent the increase Of western
civilization ideas.
within the last five or six years
both cities have thrown their idols
into the street or into the river, clear
,~u po SN