Omaha daily bee., 1912-03-02
SOME DOUBT OF HIS sINCERsrTY
Real Cause is Not Known to Resi-
dents of Foreign Legations.
BIG FIRE NEAR NORTH GATE
Distant Shooting Heard in Evening
by Missionaries.
LoorING CONTINUES ALL DAY
Service ON Railroad to Tien Tsin In
terrupted by Mutineers who
Left the Capital Thurs
day Night.

PEKING. March i.--Yuan shi Kai this
evening issued a note addressed to the
foreign missionaries. merchants and other
residents Of tho capital. saying;
THE disturbance In the capital was
quite unexpected by me and has filled
me with sorrow. One OF my chief duties
is to preserve order In the capital. and
In this l have been uniformly successful.
Unto you who are strangers In 9 strange
land wish particularly TO convey my
sincere regret for the occurrence. Every
measure Of precantion has now been
taken TO prevent a recurrence"
In the vicinity Of the legations every
thing has been quiet tonight but bia
fire broke out near the north gate and
some distant shooting was heard.
A body OF 100 mutinous troops COM
mandeered a train this morning and de-
parted for Ho-Han.
Yuan Suspected.
Owing 10 the reaI cause Of the rioti
being unknown opinions are divided in
the foreign quarter as TO the outlook.
Some Of the most optimistic consider that
new situation has been created in or
der to provide Yuan shi Kai with an
excuse for not proceeding TO Nsnking at
the request Of. the republicans. conse-
quently II is thought that the disorder 10
not likely TO spread.
II Is believed that Yuan shi Kd has
lost some OF his control. None Of the
troops except the Manchus are to be de-
pended on. and they evidently care only
to defend the imperial and forbidden
cities.
Throughout the day looting Of stores
and residences has been going on In va
rious parts Of the city and there hsvs
been severe skirmishes>in the outskirts.
This maturity OF the muuneers how
ever, had left the central districts before
morning.
The looters captured ~ the act OF car
rying off properly wsto executed on the
spot BY loyal soldiers. several regiments
Of whom are patfollinx the streets
The incrndiary fires which were started
last night have all been extinguishsd or
have died out. The. loss Is estimated ap-
proximately at tlsooo.ooo
The number Of casualties that have
occurred among ths civilians and tho
soldiers IA not known. but II is believed
that the loss OF life has been heavy.
Rioting Along Raiirosd.
ITEM TsIN. March 1.-The Chinese
troops at Feng TAT. village twenty-five
miles out from Peting. on the Peldns-
Tien Tsin railroad. mutinied shortly after
midnight this morning. There was much
heavy firing In the native quarter.
Tho foreign community. composed en-
tireiy OF railway employees and thar
families, retired TO the British military
post nearby. where i50 soldiers Of thu
Somerset infantry are stationed to guard
the railway line.
Dispatches from Peking declare that
the situation there today is very serious.
No reinforcemsnts OF foreign troops for
the legation guard are required at pres
ent. however.
BY noon today II became evident that
mutinous Chinese soldiers were CAUSING
trouble along the line Of the railroad be-
tween the capital and this clty. The
morning train. which left Peking at SD
O'Clock, had not yet reached Feng Tai
(twenty-two mlles) at u:so O'Clock, and
an English officer with q detachment OF
Somerset infantry was sent In light
locomotive to ascertain the whereabouts
OF the train and II necessary escort II on
It's way.
The telegraph lines toward the capital
are badly crippled. Railway men believe
Feng Tai was looted during the night.
All train service toward Peking has been
suspended.
A train from Peking has arrived here
two hours behind schedule time. No
European passengers were on board. An
,ther train which left Peking last night