1925-09-07 — Page 5

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CANTON BOLSHEVIK OUTRAGE.

BRITISH SUBJECTS CAST INTO A FILTHY PRISON CELL IN CHAINS.

THE HONGKONG DALLY PRESE, MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 7TH, 1925

DRAGGED THROUGH STREETS AMONG MURDEROUS CROWDS.

The latest outrage of the Bolshevik authorities in control of Canton takes the form of the seizure and imprisonment under disgraceful; con- ditions of two British subjects during the week-end. The two Englishmen, who have now been released," are Messra. F. Oliver, of the South China: Morning Post, and J. S. Cox, of the Hongkong Daily Press, who went to Canton on Thursday last on the the sh. Honam for their respective, papers, and fell into the clutches of the Labour Army on the same eran- ing. Mr. Cox, who returned to Hongkong with his colleague of the Fonam yesterday, tells the following story of the outrageous treatment to which the pair were subjected:

Dirty coolies, many of them carrying With the host Vinoressing hourby] bandoliers of ammunition, lay about ou hour, who with day, ungamu, sowly trestle boda or on the beards of the on, and the weight of our chains, and floor, spitting and making the offensive their tightners around our "becks, be naises common to their kind. Food was came well-nigh intoleranle Feering eyes * of Chingo outside could be seen at all ecoking on a brick fire-place in the lower chinks in the walls, and when- corner, and cooking pots, greasy foodeves my companion or I readjusted the bowls, and clothing lay in a disgusting Jumble all oveK, the place.

chain shift the weight of the heavy padlock, loud and gleeful laughter rang out from the hidden watchers.

Suddenly our nondescript guards

RELIEF AT LAST. closed round us again, and we were

Then at 3.15 came the and of the morn marched through the gardens to un-

At other, and slightly moto ornate, build-horrible period of our captivity. ing. Here two more officials But writing that hour precials, two men. at desks in the one large room which hurriedly into the cell, and quickly re moved the chains, which they lost no time comprised the edifice,

camo

On one of these speaking to us in conveying out of sight. Our next imperfect English, I as once protested visitor, who arrived some ten minutes vigorously against the treatment we had later, was an educated Chinese in Euro

Ke received, and this led to a further pro-pean clothes and a brown topec. mise that passes would speedily be took us out of the gnol to a waiting motor car, and with a guard of soldiers. given to us.

on the splash-board, we were conveyed westward along the Bund for a shora distance, to the Staff Headquarters of the Kuomintang,"

FRIENDS IN NEED.

To bo scized, searched forcibly by a AN ENGAGING CHINESE

Meanwhile, a strong party of tattere demalion soldiers in blue uniforms and eries of offensive Chinese of the labour-'

If we had known what was in store sandals, and armed with rides and long ing class, dragged at crawling pace in for us during the next forty hours or bayonets, had been marched into the -rickshaws "inder armed guard through so, we would have swum ncross the creek, room, and a huge crowd outside had

started a tremendous clamouring. Tho The portentous salutes given to our. the open streets for three-quarters of an but what we actually did was to go back walls of the building, which were ces new companion, showed him to be a hour followed by a murderous mob num to the Bund in the hope of getting a structed of bamboo poles closely Inshed considerably important person. Ha ua bezing several thousands, chained by the motor boat from the Hotel Asia. It was together, reached only about halfway to hered as very politely into a neat room. the ceiling, and repeatedly numbers of and proceeded to explain in excellent Jacek, and then thrown in shackles into about 9 pm, when we got back outside coolies clambered up and looked in at English how sorry the Government " za retül Chinese prison cell with fourteen the Customs Wharf, and at this point us, shouting, and spitting in our direc-wad for what had been done to us. The

coolie prisoners, with whom we were

an engaging little Chinese in a sun-proof tion. As often as they climbed up, howevernment, he added, had only that forces to remain for over sixteen hours--coat 'addressed us in very fair English.'..

so often did the soldiers push morning heard of our capture by the the back, sometimes using the butte of Labour Army, and had hastened to re- such were the experiences of Mr. Oliver

Hc enquired who we were and what their rifles. The uproar of the crowd lease us. They had great trouble with and myself, prior to our release by the we wanted, and we replied that we were outside increased in intensity until it the Labour Army, who were very Kuomintang officials." These officials were

obstinate, he said, and be bad had to two Hongkong journalists who had come became a tamult, extremely apologetic over the mandero Canton on the Honum on behalf of

"spenk many good words" to the Labour Army lenders before they would agree to in which we had been treated. As soon

give us up. He had sent a messenger tu as they heard of our imprisonment they

Sir James Jamieson, Consul-General at Shameen, to say where we were, and that communicated with Shameen and stated

he would releaap us if Sir James would that we should be set at liberty when

send a representative. representative from Shameen could be

.sent for us.

The whole radley of horrors, frush though they are in the memory, take on the incoherent character of a night- mare, and but for the fact that I con- trived to jot down notes from time to Lime," would be difficult to set forth in their correct succession. As it is, they emerge as follows:-

ever,

-", "TO-MORROW GO HOME” One of the officials at the desks got out hurriedly, and even up and weat to the door. He looked more hastily dorted back nguin. Then he came over to where we were sitting on a plank bed, here tonight. Tomorrow go home and said "Pleats trouble. You stay

our respective papers, and who wanted to return to the ship, which sailed on her return journey at Sam. next day. By this time a party of youths in dirty trousers and singlets, with bandoliers of German, ammunition strapped » round; It began to grow apparent to us that their waists, and who were armed with this would perhaps be actually the best rifles, had closer in on us, and on the course, for even had we then and there been granted our liberty, it was in the instructions of the sun-proof-coated in highest degree doubtful whether we dividual, these pushed us into a singular-should- have got back along the Bund

unavoury-smelling salt-fish shop 3 or even out of the Gardens alive. And

then was struck the first real note, few yards away..

horror.

i

of

This statement was true, for after a fairly comfortable night in a clean room, with facilities for washing our hands and faces, we regained our freedom shortly after noon next day..

Mr F. A. Wallis, H.BAL Vice-Consul at Shameen, who was accompanied by Captain G. A. Clements, the Commis signer of Police on the Island, arrived at about 11,43 am, and heartily thankful we were to aco them. They were received After landing on Sharmeen, from the" This, the sun-proof coated person ex- A surly looking Chinese officer, in aby General Wong, Chief of Staff to Gen- Henim shortly after 4 p.m. on Thursday,plained, was A branch office of the khaki uniform of American "cut" and a tral Chang Wai Shek, who is commander and conducting curtain necessary business *Chinese Labour Army," and added that Sam Browne belt, who had been in the of the Whampoa Cadets, and virtual Gov-| o the island, we arrived on the Cantón we should have provided ourselven with building for about half an hour with- Lernor of Canton. After a short parley, Bünd at 6.30 p.m, in a motór-bout kindly | ““passes” before coming into Canton, out speaking us, renddenly gave an General Wong banded as over, and our Jent us by a European resident. This This omission, however," could, he said, förder in Chinese. Two men at once kindly rescuers brought us back to Sha gentleman promised to send the boat back be rectified in about fifteen minutes if went behind a partition, returning men ́for us in an hour's time, which he duly we would go before a "gentleman" who almost immediately with two thick and bus a very unpleasant experience had did, but we were not at the appointed would provide us with passes." Then, heavy chains about 10 feet long. place (the Customs' wharf) to meet it, he said, we would have no difficulty in ile personally returned with the launch getting a motor-boat from the Sincero several times during the ryening, but on Company. He would, in fact, order.one these later occasions, as wiit be seen, we for us himself, and we should be buck had been captured

ou the Honam in about half an hour.

These they quickly padlocked tightly round our necka, while our aima, wers held by other men

S.S."HONAM."

a happy ending, but I could wish that Comrades Kirkwood, Maxton. Lansbury I and other advocates of Bolshevisni at Home could have shared our adventures. Despite our violent protests, the might have made them change their chains were not removed. They were view Our object in landing in the City was

Here, we thought-how wrongly we not taken off until 5.15 p.m. on Friday, to despatch to our respective papers were quickly to discover-was a very and they were clamped on at 19.30 a.m. cabies, anouncing the ste arrival of happy solution of our difficulties; and I happened to look at my watch and the flama, from the Chinese Telegraph we readily agreed to interview the noted the time. Administration, which was recently re-gentleman" and obtain pasca Wo Wo sat in the chains for about half were then asked to wait a few minutes, an hour when, on another command from while rickshaws were obtained, and we the Chinese in the Sam Browne belt, wo it down, the object of the interested were jerked without any warning to our scrutiny of a huge crowd of people of feet by means of the chaina. the coolic class who had by this time A double file of soldiers formed up on collected on the Bund.

ench sil of us, and we were marched Matters then begun to change their out of the building a soldier holding complexion rapidly. A Chinese in na-one end of our chains,

MOST HOSTILE CROWD. tive costume and a Parama hat suddenly appeared, and that, he was a personage

moved from Shameen to Canton;.

We had considerable trouble in locating the office, but we managed to arrive there, guided by a coolie, nt 7.30 pm. The place was in the heart of the City, and was reached through narrow lanes which had to be negotiated on foot, taking some fifteen minutes' sharp walking from the Band. We wrote out our cables, paid for them, and were informed that they

10 p.m.

At the sight of us the mob outside set

The &am, which left for. Canton on Saturday morning on her second trip since the strike, took over 400 Chinese passengers, who all disembarked without incident on the vessels siyival at shout;

3. p.

The Honam, which anchored in the stream off Shameen, returned to Hong- kong yesterday bringing 36 Chinese pas sengers and 65 bales of silk. 2

She passed on the way 6 steamers pro ceeding to Canton with goods, 2 Nor-

1 French, believed to be from Saigon with

would be delivered in Hongkong at about of some casequence was, shown by the up an absolutely fiendish yelling, and wegian, 1 Japanese with coal, 1 Chineso, The business af writing out the cables rapid stiffening to attention of the in- had to be forced with threatening rice, and the Kronprinz Olaf, Bying no

#

ROUGHLY SEARCHED..

4

pasange."

into

making Through this bustin! rabble, langing ang...

us with all manner of crude weapons,

we were taken as speedily as possible "GREAT to another building not far off, which quickly revealed itself as a gaol.

MASONIC FESTIVAL IN

LONDON.

and obtaining receipts from an excep-dividuals with rifles, who at once closed bayonets tionally slow-moving Chinese official took in on us again. half an hour, and we were back at the Customs wharf at 8.45, long after, the time appointed for the return of our. Haads were thrust into our pockets motorboat. We naturally concluded that and passed roughly up and down our the vessel's owner had presumed that bodies. Our legs vero slapped with

Here we were pushed into a long room,SUPPORT. FROM THE FAR EAST we had returned to the Honam by some enormous guste, and even the turn-ups of split up into three partitions with bam other means of conveyance, and had gone our trousers carefully scrutinized. Pro- boo scaffolding. Each partition was back.

testing vigorously, we were subjected to about 15 feet by 10 Feet, and we were a thorough and unnecessarily violent put into the middle one, which contain

ed the recumbent and very dirty forms scaret..

of fourteen. balf-naked Chinese of the Inbouring class

..

Here our money and other property

[FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT].

London, August 15th. At the Great Masonic festival held at Olympia.on Saturday, when nearly 8,000 grand officers and brathṛen sat down to

a luncheon over which The Duke of

Anticipating no trouble, for we had jed freely through the streets without any sign of hostility whatever from the

We were then bundled into rickshaws Chinese, we attempted to, obtain one of the zampana which had been disembarking and dragged at a slow walking pace Chinese passengers from the Honam along the Bund Eastwards, guarded on during the afternoon. It soon became all sides by our rather motley armed were checked, but nothing was taken Connaught, Grand Master of English abundantly clear to us, however, that while party, who now and again had much from us, and after writing down on Freemasons, presided, the following subscriptions дл the owners of the same pans would convey difficulty in keeping off the huge crowd, paper the amount in the possession of were among the Chinese, they steadfastly refused to take many thousands strong, who were fol- of us (the official was particularly nounced as having been received from insistent that we should add the words Districts overseas. The term, Hall Englishmen.

lowing the procession.

{"in my pocket"), we were left with our Stone Lodges," means that a minimum

anavoury companions.

of 10 guinea per member was sub- of four or more ruffianly individuals I have been in some fairly horrible scribed aimed with stares and bamboo-pales, situations, during the late war and at were stalled off only when our captors, other times, but I do not suppose I levelled, rifles Imprecations filled the shall ever lose the memory of the stark air on all sides, and hundreds of coolies foulness of that night spent in shackles brandished fists, poles, and all manner in Chinese prison cell.

Several times "ugly rushes by partica

Number

Lodges

83

Bengal

Bombay Burma Ceylon China, Northern

B. Archipelago HK. & 8. China Japan

2

Total

£10,386 1 31

£5,805.13, 5 2.7,002. 2.6 £1,773.7.30 £2,400.14

It then occurred to us that it might be possible, at the expense of torn cloth ing, to clamber across either this French or the British bridges over the Bhaki creek There was nobody to be seen on the Shameen side of the French bridge, hut when we arrived at the British bridge two shadowy figures in white answered of implements as us. It was a very ugly Rats and other smaller vermin of our hail. We gave our namez and des- situation, and it lasted for about three various kinds were present in numbers, criptions and explained our plight, quarters of an hour.

and the dim light shed, strangely 47 asking if we might be allowed to attempt By this time we arrived at a place enough, by an electric light bulb high 16 to crawl under the barbed wire and along called the Tang Yin Gardens, which wo in one corner, showed the ghastly grane8 the parapet of the bridge. This we were soon found out to be the headquarters of bodies of the Chinese, glistening with 12 old emphatically we must not do, but the Canton Labour Army. Here we got sweat in the torrid beat, some writhing 16 one of the figures wid that he would try out of our rickshaws, the guards with awake, and others moving unensily in 10 to get a boat to come to the Bund for difficulty keeping off the hostile crowd, storing slumber, on the filthy matting 5

33 Madras The two then went away, returning and were taken hurriedly into a very covered floor in a few minutes to say that no bent could dirty matahel edifice, where two in The stench was horrible,and there 25.

5. Punjab be got, and that we had better try to dividuals were sitting, behind a sort of wore other conditions which, if not in- The great object which the Craft has get a campania

bamboo grille. By this time it was 10:45 describable, are quite udprintable høresses out to achieve is the raising of We replied that we had already been p.m.

At about 10 am, the Chinens prisoners," milion pounds to erect a Masonic Peace refused by practically every sampan The men behind the grille proceeded all of whom were Hongkong strikers Memorial which will be the home of alongside the Band, and the helpful reply to write out in Chinese characters several serving sentencas for attempts to return Freemasony in London, and also, servei was then wafted to us across the water enormous documents which they stamped to this Colony, were given a very gon- as a memorial to brethren who made the that we might posibly get one at the with proportionately huge red chops,erous quantity of Chinese food, and at great sacrifice in the war. The result of other end of the creek A farewell an adding in some cases tiny chops? here about 10.00 man who appeared to be the festival was as follows:-Districts nouncement as the figures faded away in and there. This process took up forty spoke brought us a tin can of tepid and ather lodges abroad. £60,001-15-3 the darkness was “We can't be expected five minutes, during which time we had water and two bowls. This was follow provinces, ~; £331,523-17—6; Loudon to unwind five miles of barbed wire for leisure to examine our surroundings," ed in about half an hour by four boiled £413,008-49; grand total, 826,014-

which were hardly edifying.

--Feggs and soms dirty, salt..

-£' 2,403,15, "I 23,309, 28 322,440.18., 8, 3£2,685.10.81 978.12-4

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