8
THE CANTON-HANKOW RAILWAY.
It is reported that the Board of Posts and Communications has sent a telegram to the Canton-Hankow Railway Company stating that the necessary funds for the construction of the Hupeh and Hunan sections of the anton- Hankow Railway have been raised and the loan contract executed. The cablegram urges the Company to hasten the construction of their section of the line and states that if there should be any further delay the Central Government will take over the concern and itself construct the line.
MURDER OF A FOREIGNER.
.
Recently, a most preposterous rumour was spread by the people in the district of Tsang Sheng that some foreigners have arrived in the district to extract the souls of children. On the 15th inst. & boy was found missing in the Ma Cha village, which is inhabited by a large clan all bearing the same surname. A foreigner happened to pass through the village on that day. The villagers on seeing the foreigner said he was the person who stole the child to extract his soul, whereupon a large crowd pounced upon the foreigner and beat him to death. trange to say. the Tsang Sheng magistrate did not go to the village to hold the post-mortem examination until the 19th inst. He Was satisfied that the foreigner was murdered. He then gave orders to have the culprits arrested and also put, pressure on the gentry of the village to deliver up the murderers. The villagers vigorously protested against the measures taken by the magistrate. Gradually, large crowds started to collect round the magistrate and his retinue and a riot ensued, when the magistrate and his men had to make a retreat for safety. A few days afterwards a villager was arrested for taking part in the murder. It appears that the clan were descendants of two brothers, and the offspring of one branch had always disagreed with the other. The man arrested is a descendant of the elder brother's branch. It is said that after he was arrested he made a statement giving names of numerous persons (descendants of the younger brother) who took part in the murder, and said that the descendants of the eldest branch did not take part in the dastardly
deed at all. This resulted in a clash between the two branches and a desperate clan fight ensued. The battle lasted several days and nights, the reports of cannon and guns were heard miles away and hundreds of people were killed on both sides. The disturbance was finally quelled by the arrival of a large body of [soldiers. The reports do not indicate the nationality of the murdered foreigner. Tsang Cheng is a district quite close to Canton.
W
27th June, 1909.
A JAPANESE MURDERED.
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
It appears that the foreigner who was murdered at a village in the Tsang Sheng District was a Japanese travelling agent. It is reported that he was representing a firm of Japanese chemists and druggists. The Japanese had a coolie with him who was carrying his luggage; the villagers murdered both of them and threw their bodies into the river. The Japanese Vice-Consul and several deputies of the Viceroy are investigating the matter.
PURCHASING A STEAMER.
The Viceroy is negotiating with a German firm here for the purchase of a steamer which will run to and from the Paracel Islands. The vessel, which is now anchored off the Shameen bund, has been inspected by Admiral Li Tsun.
COMPENSATION TO MISSIONARIES.
A few days ago $1,500 was paid ever to the United States Consul-General here by the Chinese Government as compensation for the destruction of a missionary house-boat by a mob in Koon Yew some time ago. The matter was
settled by the Peking authorities and the
United States Minister.
July 1st.
THE TAIWAN BANK AND AN ALLEGED DEFAULTER.
Viceroy Chang has received a dispatch from the Japanese Consul stating that the Taiwan Bank has discovered that Weihung alias Wei Long Shan, who is indebted to the bank in a sum of $20, 00, has made use of a fictitious name of Chan Kwok Kwong in an application forwarded to the Chinese Government applying for the monopolies of the Shan Pai and Po Pui
.
Lotteries in the name of a syndicate called the Tai Tak Koong Sze; in reality Wei Shung is the applicant. A cheque of 8100, 00 drawn on the Yau Shing Bank situated in Ta Tung Street was attached to the application. The dispatch further states that the Taiwan Bank has also found out that Wei Shung is now residing with a friend surnamed Lo in Kwong Nga Lane. In consequence of the above discoveries the Taiwan Bank has applied to the Consul to communicate with His Excellency the Viceroy praying that instructions may be given to the local authorities to detain the cheque of 100,000, and to arrest Wei Shung and have the case tried.
[July 5, 1909.
From papers found on his person it appears that the deceased was a German named Otto Boge, and it is stated that he was a clerk in Early on the after- the Norddeutscher Lloyd. noon of the tragedy he went to Schmidt's arms shop in Beaconsfield Arcade, and said he wanted to buy a revolver. The Chinese boy who was in attendance refused to sell him one, and then he told the boy that he had left one at the shop for repairs, and wished to take it away. On being shown a number of revolvers he selected one, paid $1.05 which was owing on it, bought a box of cartridges, and departed, leaving his name with the boy.
arrest.
the
Subsequently the police were informed that RECRUDESCENCE OF PIRACY,
a man named Otto Boge had called at the arms Since the escape of the convicts from the shop and departed with a revolver which did not Shun Tak Prison, many of whom were notorious belong to him, and a warrant was issued for his
robbers, there has been 8- pirates and
Then the body was found at West recrudescence of piracies and robberies in that Point as stated, and certain notes in German district. Here are aa few recent happenings found in deceased's pockets, it is believed, will A few days ago a Canton merchant went to explain the reason for his rash act. Financial Kwai Chow village in Shun Tak, where he difficulties are supposed to have been purchased a large quantity of silk. While the trouble. silk was being conveyed in broad daylight from the village to a junk for shipment to Canton a gang of robbers suddenly made their appearance from the Sam Yuen Koong Temple outside the village and attacked the silk people with swords After killing the silk merchant and seriously wounding eight of his men, the robbers made off with all the silk without any
and revolvers.
resistance.
OW
On the 24th ultimo, a boat loaded with fresh eggs was pirated at Loong Chung The pirates killed the boatman and his wife, threw their bodies into the river and took possession of the boat.
A large gang of robbers broke into the residences of two wealthy families in Shun Tak on the 26th ultimo. The robbers, not satisfied with having dispossessed the owners of large quantities of valuables, also carried away the eldest son in each of the families, for whom they afterwards demanded
enormous ransoms.
A SENSATIONAL RUMOUR.
No little excitement prevailed in Hongkong on July 2 when a rumour gained currency that the Governor of Macao had been assassinated by emissaries of the Canton Self-Government Society. It is impossible to say from what source the report originated, but the rumour was being passed from mouth to mouth early in the day, and though no confirmation was obtained As we the story spread with great rapidity. had received no telegraphic information on the subject by three o'clock, our representa. saw the Portuguese Consul (Mr. tive
at the time accompanied Leiria), who was by several Portuguese officers. Naturally they. were perturbed at the news, but as they conclud. ed that if there had been any foundation for the rumour they should have been the first to learn of the occurrence, they did not attach any great significance to the news bruited about so gener. ally. However, to satisfy himself, Mr. Leiria despatched a private telegram to Macao, the answer to which, received late in the afternoon, set at rest all doubts on the subject, so we are happy to state that His Excellency the Governor of Macao has not met with the untoward fate
so inconsiderate Was
to which rumour
suggest.
HS
ESCAPE FROM VICTORIA JAIL.
On the 25th ultimo over 200 robbers plundered the house of one of the gentry named Chan Ming Shek in Tai Ou Fong, near the Shun Tak city, Chan's house was considered by the people in the town to be impregnable, being built of solid granite. The robbers stormed the house for several hours, but failed to force an entrance. At about four o'clock in the morning the band. its broke into several of the grocer shops in the town and got twelve cases of kerosine oil which they took to Chan's house, poured it over the
NOTORIOUS CRIMINAL AT LARGE. building and set fire to it. Chan and his two sons and a concubine managed to escape from Notwithstanding the bolts and bars and vigi- the house when the robbers went to obtain the lant warders a Chinese prisoner with an unenvi- kerosine, but seven of the inmates were roasted able record succeeded in escaping from Victoria alive. The robbers succeeded in obtaining Jail on Saturday night or during yesterday entrance at about 6 a.m., and after ransacking morning. From the few ascertainable partic- the house for an hour they left with booty valuedulars its appears that the prisoner simply at several thousands of dollars. There were vanished, and that his strange disappearance eight guard boats and two military stations only has baffled all the officials within the walls of The theory which is considered 300 yards away from Chan's house, and strange the prison.
most probable is that he succeeded in scaling to say none of the officers and soldiers came to the rescue, although the report of the firing the prison wall which borders on the Old Bailey, of rifles could be heard miles away and the flames but to escape in this manner he must have had from the burning kerosine illuminated the assistance, either from without or within, for whole town.
the wall is between fifteen and twenty feet high, and is crowned with glass. But however he succeeded in breaking from prison, it still seems strange that he should be so long at large, for he departed with a suit bearing the conspic uous broad arrow, and unless this was promptly changed, his recapture must have soon followed. The prisoner who made this daring escape has served several sentences, including a few terms for returning from banishment. He is, apparently, an exceptionally smart man and a criminal who will stop at nothing in gaining his ends. On a previous occasion, when, arrest- ceeded to the Hotel, and on being ushered into ping a false queue which he was wearing, Sergeant Wilson immediately pro-ed, he contrived to elude the police by slip- a private room saw a man seated at a small and again, when confined in a cell at the West table, his head resting on his elbows. Beside Point Police Station, he endeavoured to gain him was lying a five-chambered revolver con- his freedom by scraping with a piece of wire taining four cartridges, two of which had been the cement which bound the bricks of the wall, fired, and there was a bullet wound in the man's
and then removing the bricks. On that occasion, however, he was not successful,
EUROPEAN'S SUPPOSED SUICIDE,
FOUND SHOT IN A CHINESE HOTEL.
After five o'clock on Saturday a Chinese em- ployee from the Kwong Tung Restaurant, otherwise known as the Shanghai Hotel, called at the West Point Police Station and informed during the afternoon had shot himself with a the police that a European who had called there
revolver.
right temple from which a stream of blood had trickled on to the table, and then on to the floor. Deceased went to the restaurant at about two o'clock in the afternoon, and remained in the room in which he was found, partaking of refreshment, until the shots which alarmed the inmates of the hotel were heard.
As soon as the prison officials learned of the escape the police were informed, wires passed from Headquarters to all outlying stations, and detectives were at once sent out in pursuit. So far as we could learn last night, however, the prisoner was not recaptured.