Saturday, MARCH 2, 1940.
Below, the "Telegraph" "publishes what is probably the most extraordinary story in the history of Hongkong-the story of a plot to prison the entire foreign community. The story below, which, aken from the old files
of the "Telegraph" was written by W. S. Wetmore, one of the per- sons who was actually poisoned,
The GREAT BREAD PLOT
By W. S. Wetmore
IN December, 1850, 1' returned to
China from a visit to the United States, and on reaching Hongkon found that Entities lind broken out at Canton between the English and Chinese which had resulted in the withdrawal to Hongkong and Macao of all foreigners from the place, and the destruction of their residens known as "factories". which for so many years had been in their occupation.
A very inimical feeling towards fortiggers was manifested by the Chinese generally, and the rowdy element in the population a Hongkong in particular, embracing tool: pirates and land rolibers,
advantage of the existing state of things to practise their villainles in the most open and bare ford which they were MUORET, doubtless Centraged by their own authorities.
Every steamer running between well Hongkong and Mao wak armed ad provided with guards, and foreigners travelling by them carried their own revolvers rendy for use, but, in spite of all prevaris flons, several steamers were cup- lured by rufans who hag smugged themselves on board in the guise of passengers.
Indeed, Luch was the condition of matters that foreigners had to go armed wherever they went, and to be contantly on their guard, and I remember dinners in Hongkong where each guest, ay he sat down, drew his revely er and placed it on the table before him.
en
I took up my residence ut Macao. but had frequently to go over to the business. Ext Hongkong possage to and fro was always
Chinese must anxious one; the passengers were put down in the hold and sentries with leaded guns stood over the hatchways, ready to fire upon them in case of any Indication of an attempt at rising.
On the
ONE day, in January 1867, 1 had occasion to go over to Hong- kong to despatch my mail letters, and put up at the Club. morning of the mail's departure I breakfasted curly with several friends, and we then retired to our rooms to finish our letters.
It was like a run upon a bank, the nssist- mits taking the place of cashiers and paying out doses of becaettanha ou fast as they could prepare themi, Instead of dollars, to the clamor- ous throng; but, active nu they were, we saw there would be no chance for t for a lont tira; mnd, as our sensallon were getting more and more digrecable, und the moments precious, we hastened to our doctor, and daugh he was bustly engaged in the same way, there were fewer there and we were soon supplied with the necessary remedy,
HEN ARD were enabled to collect our thoughts, and learned that nearly the whole of the foreign colony were in the same position as ourselves, including the Governor, Sir John Bowring, most of the Government nicial, and the offers and crews of
of
the vesels im port, wins in all Geen zupplied breath by the rame baker the principal une in the place, a Chinese anned Allum.
V
Probably ,1 more remarkable sight vat never witnesged than was seen in Queen's load that morning as people hurried to and fro, starcely kabw "ng where they were going or what they were doing all had a dazed at bewildered look, and no one could tell what would be the end of it.
Confidence was, however, gradu - ally rustertal as it became generally reported that the consequences were not likely to be so serious as was at first anticipated but still a very uneasy feeling continued to Prevail among the victims and in- stead of the usual invitation to visitors, "Have a glass of shivery?" It was "Take a little warm water and mustard," and the latter was almost the sole beverage of the day.
Very fortunately the einge put in the bread was so heavy-there being enough arsente in an ordin- ary stice to kill three or four people
that its presence was fell in ah unmistakable way before it had time to be absorbed into the sys- tom, so that in most cases It was removed without much mischief being done, though several deaths that occurred soon after were sit- fributed to the poisoning. If the dose had not been so large as to lead to the prompt discovery of the attcmpl, the tragedy would have been one of the most terrible recorded in history, as nearly all the foreigners in Hongkong must have perished, and the place been rendered so defenceless that it might perhaps have been easily captured and occupied by the
was intended.
I sat writing for a little while, when I began to experience such extraordinary sensations that I felt certain I was going to have a serious attack of illness of some kind. I attempted to go on with my letter, but could not do so, and --Chinese-which-is-probably what brought it to no abrupt ending saying "I am suddenly taken ill aid can write no more."
As I placed it in the envelope I heard sounds coming from the next room, which, fundi we been afloat and in gole of wind, I should have thought indicated desperate
case of you sickness.
It at once flashed into my mind that my neighbour was suffering from the sume enuse as myself and inat, perhaps all the inmales pt the Club had been poisoned in some way.
1 hastened to the room of one of my friends who had break- fasted with me, and opening his floor without ceremony, found film sitting back in his chair with an unfinished letter before him, til eyes protruding and a be wildered took on his face,
"Have you felt well since brenk- fast?" was my immediate question. "No." he wild "on the contrary 1 have been feeling very badly, und was just going to speak to you about it,"
I'
"Come then," I replied, let us go and see a doctor at once, as am sure we have been poisoned." With that we both left the room, and as we came out on
lap corridor
met another friend who called out, "If you are going to breakfast don't touch the bread as it is full of arsenic,"
OUR
WO
UR sensations then can be better imagined than described. We Ihastencil down the stairs, and, as,
THE perpetrator of the deed es
caped to Me early in the incrning, with all his family in a sunil steamer he had elmlered. f returned to that place in the afternoon, and, soon after our ar- rival there, Allum was arrested on the demand of the Hongkong auth- cities, and conveyed to the Station of the Praya.
I was present, with a number of other victims of the poisoning, when he was brought in and such was the excitement that I an certain he would have been lynch- ent on the spot had he not been well guarded, but the angry crowd had to content themselves with flourishing their sticks in his face, and expressing their opinion of him in the most forcible pidgin English at their command.
He was at once conveyed to Hongkong under a strong escort, and, in due course, was tried under British law, before a British Jury, and as the only evidence available was that of men in his employ, of course, none of them knew any thing about it, and much to the general disgust, he had to be ne quitted of the charge made against him.
He was, however, deported from the colony as a dangerous chatac- ter, was well rewarded, it was reported, by his own Government and went to Siam where, it is said, he flourished and became a rich
mon,
The incident Intensified the feel we reached the hall below, founding of uneasiness existing among foreigners, and the dread of ng- sussination was ever present.
a group of fellow sufferers, to whom Captain de Bussene of one of the Woosung oplum ships, was administering copious draughts of mustard warm water and he cheer- ed us up by saying that this would But us all right, as he had gone through a similar experience dur Ing the previous war, and had successfully used the same remedy,
With us, however, it did not seem to prove efficacious, and we started for a neighbouring chemist. to procure a more powerful and dote, but found the place crowded with foreigners each waiting his turn for a dose.
Many people would not touch toud that had passed through Chinese hands, and even oranges, Kgs and such like were subjected to careful examination before.being eaten.
Certainly, life in that neighbour- hood was not pleasant in those daye, but strango to say, the reln- Uena existing, between foreigners and Chinese at the more Northern ports continued to be perfectly friendly, and were not at all affect- ed by the hostilities at the South.
TELEGRAPH" - WEEK-END MAGAZINE
HONGKONG TELEGRAPH-PAGE 7
E
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TO-MORROW OF COURSE YOU KNOW.
Carnage is rampant, tyranny
is rife,
Havoc is threatening framework of life:
the
Yet do we walk beside a
tranquil stream
With justice, hand in hand.
The tortured dream
Of greed and power shall
fade, as the shallows
Merge with the pool. Lill
silence hallows
Their friendly union. So
liberty shall find
Her day of joy, transcendent-
ly enshrined.
For, beyond this passing eve
of sorrow
Lies a great and glorious
to-morrow.
These things endure: The quiet faith that heeds
no weakening fears,
Courage that lifts higher
than soothing tears;
The shining grail of honour's
deathless creed;
And love's immortal king-
dom
And little things, that clothe
our everyday
With jewels fairer than the
flowers of May.
The singing kettle on the
hob; the chink
Of shining spoons when cups
are set to drink
Good tea; the spicy smell of
new-baked bread;
And smoke clouds wreathed
about your head
From friendly pipes; the
eager stumbling gait
Of infant feel; low chairs
that patient walt
About the fire-lit hearth; the
soft star-shine
Of loving eyes; and loyalties
that deep entwine
Tendrils unbreakable about the constant heart,
No temporal' power Can stay the bud from break-
ing into flower
When springtime calls. Nor
can man's puny might D'er quench the undying
fires that light
tear
The altars of the soul. These
things remain Though strife
may asunder, rend in twain The outward life; the spirit,
undlamayed.
A
To none shall bow, save
Victory's accolade,
ARVON MOWBRAY.
-BUT ARE YOU SURE?
Just to give you a break. I've avoided all references to war in this week's teasers. As far as this column is con cerned, the war has ceased to exist,
The scoring, in war or in peace, remains unchanged. Take two points for each correct answer. Thirty is good, 40 excellent, and 50 mngnißleent.
If you found an extensive deposit pitchblende In your backyard you would be pardone: for your undue display of exulta- tion because the stuff-
Is of great value to makers of paint; contatus substances material to the manufacture of explosives, contains radium and other rare minerals; hus o rendy sale to asphalt malcers. 2.—Popular at parties a few years ago was a gadget called the planebelle. People used to have fun with it:
Mixing strange drinks; com- manicating
the with
spirtt Euring-in for distant stations; transmitting messuyes
by thought transference.
3
Most Famous writers of ple- aresque novels are Defoe, le Sage
and Fielding Plearesque novels
written abo
are
about:
Love chivalry-history- romaner, rogues; contempor- ATY ZVANNtra.
You may have a camera or you may not. Anyhow, the word photosphere. Is used scientifically in respect of
The effective range of hip- photographic tenses; the human, vialon: the atmosphere envelop- the the
2001; the method of meustring light intensities.
scope
fumingres
5. Slr Jolm Mandeville. Baron Munchausen, Louis de Rougemont and Ananas all had one thing li common. They were:—
throws back
body has one; to keep them from deteriorating; to teach everybody how to wear them.
13. Your canary its end when drinking top-s
Keep watch for enemics; swallow the water; keep the water out of its nasal passages. 14.-England in the paliny days used the bridle a horrible con- traption of Iron, as a punishment for a particular type of evil-duer. specifically, the
Vagrant; dishonest trader: drunkard: scolding
rinter;
switch.
woman;
15-furgatroyd is going in for the cultivation of picotee. carna- tions. Now, the peculiarity of the pleotre carnation is thati-
It is groum duly from cut- tings; the edges of in petals
from iri colour
difer
the
ground tint: thep are most
adaptable to the ne10
science
of hydroponics; they are har dier than other varietice. 10.Lewest form of life in the antmat klugdom-pitysically,' not
socially or murally thic:
Proton, protoplasm; pro- rol; protozoa; protein.
17 Protein. That reminds me that we members of the animal kingdom get the proteins se vitat to healthy existence from:-
While meat; red meat; vege- table substances; mineral sub- stances; sunlight.
18.-Paramaribo is one of those towns in South America I'd like fo visit because I like the sound of 1. 34 -
Intrepid explorers; gay ad- penturers: colossal turs; pai- lant suldiers; famous lovers.
Otto Lifienthal was a Ger- hian,
but still he is entitled to honour
anu because of his valuable planeering work i
Medicine; physics; aviation; telerition: marine en-
Ferding fele
giaegring.
-The oldest wrillen consiitu-
Slam in the world is the:-
British; American, French: Australian; German.
8. When an athlete, in fervour of competitive effort, tears a liga- ment and is obliged to relire from the fray, actually lie has:—
Sprated a muscle; ruptured blood-vessel; broken the
猿
tisane which - spùng the joint between tino bones; atrained a tendon.
-One peculiarity, about the wood lignum vitae your pronon- elation depends on which unlver. klly you went to—is that Il-
is the Ughtest in existence; has no grain will sluk In water; is used to make pips for raspberry jam.
10.Since you seem to know so ́inuch about lignum vilac, you wiți
guess at once that lignite is variety f
Timber
Д
coal; metal; dress material, explosive, 11-An almost forgotten man. Tho hizh official of the Soviet Re- pubile who approximates to Pre- sident is:
Stalin; Varoshitov; Molotov; Kalinin; Lanacharsky: Lit vinov. 12340 man or woman is re- garded as properly dressed in the United Kingdom without A mark, The authorities 'are up against a serious problem in deal- ing with gas masks, 'and that In:--
To get women to wear them; to make certain, that every-.
CAR
Brazil; Argentista; Parugnayi Uruguay: Bolivia: Dutch Gui-
19. The nathe of the glands witch supply saliva to the mouth 1.
pincal;
thyroid; parotid: thymus; ductless: pituitary. 20.-Geddess of health in Greek mythology was:--
lo: Dia: Hunela: Juno: Deme- ter; Persephone.
21.Dest thing a person amleted
with hypermetropia can do is to:--
Have it cut out immediately:
take a long holiday in a dry climate: unicar glasses with convex lenses; make a
will and prepare for death 22.You debaters should know thai in legic the process of arguing from what is known to "what is unknown is called:—
Deduction; induction; elim- luation; diafcetle; intuition. 23-You've got a rought idea what an incubus is, bus actually
meals
^
weight between the shoul- sters; an unwanted load; drmou which causes night-
mares; a pain caused by fu #igration.
a
24 Be careful not to contract chinitis in this weather. It's un- plestant, but mal fatal. In other words, il İsim
Rheumatism; neuritis; arth- ritis; hay fever: peumonia 23.-Tlie tramp of Sir Georgi Jallus, New Zealand reientist should be known became of his work to perfecting:
Long-distance radio recep- tion; the railway signatting system; the totalleator; the mercury vapour lamp; the Neon sign...
Answers on Page 8
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