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guilty parties and quieten the people, with the result
that matters had now reached such a critical stage that
work was practically suspended on Suction 2 in the neigh-
鎏
bourhood of Shektau, and luichuen (Shaka) and the British
11⁄2 engineers in charge of this district had refused to
continue their construction work until they were afforded
proper protection by the local authorities.
In a report from one of the district engineers,
Mr. Boothby, it ma stated that a foreman named Teli
Chơn Ch'i, a native of Muntung, had been brutally
murdered by the villagers of Shektan on June 8th. on a
ridiculous accusation of stealing young children to lay
in the foundations of railway bridgos.
Later on, in the fifth moon, a Japanese was
murdered near Shekha, his assailante believing him to
be an employé of the railway.
The Engineer-in-Chief states that, unless his
staff receive proper protection, they will certainly
resign their poste and work on this portion of the line
muet