The Detroit times., 1912-03-02
FIRE is SPREADING AGAIN
IN PEK|Nj FOR FIGNERS
SEEK SAFETY IN LEGATIONS
President Yuan Shi Kai Orders
Troops From Nankin To
Put Down Riots
LOOTERS STEAL $1,000,000
Mutineers Break Into Palace of
Father of Former Dowager
=. Empress
LOoTERS STEAL $1,OOO,oOO

PEKIN, March 2.-President Yuan
Shi Kai tonight practically admitted
he was unable to preserve order when
he summoned the Republican troops
from Nankin to quell the mutineers.
II was said that Gen. Ii Yuan Hung,
formerly commander-in-chief of the
Republican army, would probably ac-
company the troops to this city. He Is
the most popular officer in the army.
Concentrating at Pao Ting Flu, the
Pekin mutineers today murdered sew
eral French priests stationed there
and burned the village. They then
started back to Pekin where the pal
ace of the father of the former
dowager empress was robbed.
The situation late tonight was again
critical. All foreigners have taken
refuge in the legation compounds and
the guards have been doubled. An
appeal to the foreigners at Tien Tsin
has been made and has met with the
response that 1000 heavily armed sol
diers are now enroute here.
II Is the concensus of opinion that
the time is near when the mutineers,
low countrymen, will turn on the for
eigners here.
In the robbery OF the palace of the
former dowager empress father two
million taels Isl i000iQ00l, was stolen.
The fire in the city. which for time
was under control, is spreading
through the flimsy constructed houses
of the native quarter. No effort was
made this evening TO combat the
flames. They were famed by strong
wind and 1t was considered certain
that a great part of the city was sure
to be destroyed. A number of Amer
leans who were in Pao Ting Flu when
II was burned have taken refuge
In the Methodist Mission compound
near there. They have been ordered
to come TO the capital as soon as IL Is
safe TO travel and will be quartered
in the legation grounds.
The charge was openly made today
that the entire trouble was started by
Yuan Shi Kai as an excuse for his
establishment OF dictatorship. At
had been planned. IL Is alleged, that
the uprising would be of mild char
acter but the mutineers, embeldeHed
with their success simply got beyond
control and looted and murdered at
will
Mutineers have been executed by
the wholesale but the rigorous meth
DDS of the officers seemed TO only in.
crease the disaffection among the
soldiers.
Agltators were seized and decap-
itated without trial. Rumblings of
discomfort we're heard even among
the LOYAL members of Yuans guard,
who claimed that many innocent per-
sons had been put TO death.
Pekin is a scene OF utter chaos. IL
il had been sacked by an invading
army the destruction would hardly
have been more widespread.
Hundreds of blocks are In ashes.
and the loss from fire alone viii
-Hruuut- TO 81, ..t,t,e1- -eee--7F,h historic
market place is in ruins and even
the great gate Of the Forbidden CITY
has disappeared
There is great suffering among the
pcople whose homes were destroyed.
Hundreds of them collected about
the ashes of their residences and
sarched for ,aluables that might have
escaped the flames In many In.
stances they were mistaken for loot
ers and were fired upon.