(4) The Board of Punishments reports the arrest of the traitors Hsii Chih-ching, acting Vice-President of the Board of Rites; Yang Shen-hsin and Yang Jui, Censors; T'an Sze-tung, expectant prefer Lin Hsié, and Liu Kuang-ti, Hanlin Academists; and Kang Kuang-jen, M. A., Kang Vu-wei's younger brother. A. their crime is most serious and the gravity of the situation critical, the said Board prays that some of the high Ministers of the Court be associated with it in the trial of the above-named traitors. We hereby command that the Grand Council and the Court of Censors join the said Board in trying the case in a strict and impartial manner. With reference to Chang Yin-huan, Senior Vice-President of the Board of Revenue, who has also been arrested, although he has been denounced by many persons for misconduct, it is known he is not a member of Kang Vu-wei's party and we therefore command that Chang Yi huan be, for the present, incarcerated in the prisons of the Board of Punishment to await further orders. Kang Vu-wei is the most guilty one. He has been guilty of treason and gathered around him a large party for treasonable purposes of his own, but to show that this dynasty is a most merciful one, with the exception of Hsii Chih-china and the others above-named who were the principal members of Kang's party, the Government will not implicate or punish the rest of the officials and entry who have joined that party in ching and elsewhere, -Although this decree looks as me justice was to he observed in the trial of the Refurmers arrested by the Board Punishments it may as well be here stated that, except the first named—Hsii Chih.—the remaining six patriots were sum executed two days after and made marty reform without a trial. A secret edict of the ger to this end was brought to held on the Board of Punishments, by Kany Vi, just as the members of the Court were assembling in the hal: to try the prisoners, and so they were simply mule to kneel before tive tribun, an-wertoth -irnames when called out, and then led out to slaughter. Tan Sze-tung and Lin Hsid called upon Kang Yi, who seemed to conduct the whole proceed ings, to hear what they hwl to say; but this sanguinary Minister waved them off and the unfortunate six were dragged out at once to execution by the myrmidon standing around. Iv has since transpired that the Empress Dowager wished for a trial and the hearing of evidence before the fate of the six martyrs was decided; but that Keng Yi was most persistent in his advice to behead. without trin', not only those already arrested, but also' every one suspected of having favoured Kang Vu-wei friends, and to sell their wives and ren ints slavery. This was strenuously opposed by Jung La, who advised moderation, but the Empress Dowager, overcome by Kang Yi's importunity, at last' gave way, 90 far as allowing the six martyrs' instant decapitation. Kang Yi in high spirits, waving on high the Empress Dowager's decree, thee ielumphantly marched into the hall of "justice" and heving read aloud the "sacred" contents to his Kneeling coadjutors and fellow judge immediately turned round and waved.
tims off to their death, As for the promise vot to implicate others, this, of course, was not kept.—Translator, 27th September, 1898.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.