AN EMPEROR IN TROUBLE.

Otago Witness, Issue 1898, 19 June 1890, Page 36

AN EMPEROR IN TROUBLE.

A few weeks ago (aays the New York Sun) the young Emperor of China had a narrow escape from a thorough trouncing, if not worse, at the hands of a party of beggars in his capital. It is a favourite pastime of the young Emperor to wander in ordinary Chinese clothes through the streets of Pekin, to lounge aiound the corners, and to drink his tea in the most crowded restaurants in order that he may learn what his subjects think of him and his Government. He runs no risk of having his identity discovered, for in Pekin the art of photography is not practised and consequently the people at large have no idea of the personal appearance of their sovereign.

The Emperor had got but a short distance from his palace on oue of these trips of investigation, late one afternoon in December last, when he saw a Chinese beggar picking the pocket of a respectable merchant. The Emperor promptly caught the beggar by the back of his blouse, cuffed his ears, and forced him to return to the merchant the stuff stolen from his pocket. Now, in Pekin beggarg and pickpockets are protected by a kind of unwritten law. Beggary is recognised as a legitimate employment, and the beggars constitute a guild which has for its prime object the mutual protection of all members of the craft. Anyone who interferes with a beggar in the prosecution of his employment exposes himself to the vengeance of the guild, and this vengeance generally takes the rough-and-ready form of the flogging of the interloper, by aa many comrades as can be got together.

Of course the young Emperor knew nothing about this abuse, which has obtained for many decades in his big capital. After cuffing the beggar's ears he went his way quite unapprehensive and brought up in a restaurant but a few rods from the scene of the row. He had hardly taken the first sip of his cup of tea when everyone in the restaurant was startled by a wild hullabaloo. The landlord went to the door. He found 50 beggars before his house, under the leadership of the fellow whose ears the Emperor had boxed. They ordered the landlord to hand over immediately to them the young man who had offended against all the unwritten laws and precedents of the Pekin guild of beggars. The landlord recognised their demands us perfectly legitimate, and hurried to quell the disturbance by delivering up the offender. The young Emperor, however, objected very strenuously to being delivered up, and while making his remonstrances spoke such superfine Chinese that the landlord perceived he had to do with the son of some bigwig. As a special favour, therefore, he offered to parley with the band of beggars till their) intended victim could summon some of his friends to his assistance.

The Emperor gladly accepted the suggestion. He dispatohed a messenger at once to the Governor of the Palace commanding him to hurry to the spot with two companies of soldiers. The Governor and the soldiers came, rescued their Emperor, and lugged the 50 beggars ofi to gaol. The landlord got £50 for his consideration. The leader of the beggars and three of his comrades, who helped him demand the Emperor from the landlord, were executed the next day. The rest of the rioters were imprisoned for terms varying between gfive and 10 years each. The Emperor has given orders to the Pekin officials that the authorised system of begging must oease.