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Her Majesty's Consulate,
Canton, March, 19, 1900.
Sir,
I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your despatch No 407 of the 15th instant, referring me to a paragraph headed "Chinese Sailors Tortured" in the Hong Kong Telegraph of the 19 instant, and informing me that His Excellency the Governor would feel obliged if I would ascertain whether the facts as stated are true.
I have referred to the paragraph in question which I find appeared in the issue of the "Hong Kong Telegraph" of the 10th instant, and I have no doubt it relates to the capture and execution of 5 of a gang of pirates who attacked and robbed the British steam launch
"Lily" some weeks ago.
I was informed of the arrest of six men by the Canton Hsieh T'ai Colonel Li, himself, when calling, and that five of them would be executed, and I subsequently received a despatch from His Excellency the Viceroy tell- ing me that 6 men had been arrested, that they had all been condemned and that five of them had been executed, one being reserved to give further information,
These men were in all probability guilty of the charge brought against them and I do not think that the statements in the HongKong Telegraph' nor the rumours which . I now hear are in circulation, are worthy of credence.
It is certain that any official enquiry, supposing under
the circuntances I could make them, would certainly not lead to their confirmation.
The Honourable F.H. May, C.M.G.,
Acting Colonial Secretary,
HONG-K ON G.