No. 97.]
Legation of the
United States,
Peking, January 18, 1895.
(Received March 7.)
[Inclosure in No.
97.—Translation.]
A decree published in the manuscript Peking Gazette
of January 16, 1895.
The board of punishments, in obedience to our instructions, have
memorialized us fixing the penalty that should be meted out to the
degraded officer, Wei Ju-kuei, as a form of punishment. The board
further submits in detail the crimes of the said degraded officer, which
are considered of a grave nature, and it is requested that an expression
of our will be issued in accordance with the suggestions made.
The degraded brigade-general, Wei Ju-kuei, in ordinary times commanded
the troops under his charge in an indifferent manner, manifesting scant
kindness toward them, and failed to enforce any discipline whatever.
In the present instance he had command of the Sheng corps, and on the eve
of battle he gradually retreated, and thus defeated our cause. He
furthermore illicitly extorted the soldiers’ pay and rations and allowed
his men to run riot, plundering the people. The crimes he has committed
are indeed very great, and if the correct form of punishment be hot
inflicted upon him how can there be any respect shown for our military
discipline or any warning made known to others not to follow his bad
example.
Let Wei Ju-kuei, according to law, be decapitated, the sentence of death
to be carried out at once. The president of the board of punishments,
Hsüeh Jen-sheng, is appointed to superintend the execution.
