I am getting negative numbers when trying to empty the trash.

I am trying to delete files from an external disk where I had my time machine backup. I dragged the files to the trash and tried to delete them. It now says Items to delete: -99,661
What can this mean and how do I now empty my trash?
Thanks, Tim

Time Machine has its own mechanism for deleting files. The number you are seeing may represent a "underflow" or a number of files which exceeds the limit and becomes negative.
The best way to remove TM files is via the TM interface: select the files and click the Gear and select delete from all backups.
If you are deleting files on an external drive which once included TM files, it is best to use the terminal and just delete them directly. They go bye-bye without ever seeing the trash bucket.
Of course, using the terminal is not for everyone.
What you might be able to do is restore the files from trash and then delete them properly or in smaller bundles.

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