L
July 23, 1906.]
Cash in Hongkong and Shang. hai Banking Corporation... Cash in hand,
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
Three of the injured Indians returned to 229,948.69 Hongkong yesterday afternoon, and were con-
3,574.50 | veyed to the Government Civil Hospital.
Tls... 6 884 587.75
LIABILITIES.
30th April, 1906.
By Shareholders for 55,2′ 0
Shares of Tls. 160 fully paid up
Reserve Fund
Uncollected Dividends,
15
Sundry Creditors
Balance from Profit
and Loss Account
Tls.
5,520,000.00 1,000.000,00 5,040,00
134,749.77
224,797.98
T18.
6.884,587.75
E. & O. E.
Shanghai, 30th June, 1906.
JOHN PRENTICE,
H. v. RUCKER,
C. J. DUDGEON, JAB. H. OSBORNE,
Secretary.
Liquidators.
We have examined the Books, Vonchers, Share and Mortgage securities and other documents of the Company and have satisfied ourselves as to the accuracy of the Bank Balance. The accuracy of the Stock and certain Trade Expense have been certified as correct by the Liquidators. We are of opinion that the above Balance Sheet is a full and fair Balance Sheet properly drawn up so as to exhibit a true and correct view of the Company's affairs.
GEO. D. SCOTT,
J. E. BINGHAM, F. I A. N Z. Shanghai, June 30th, 1906.
Auditors.
MURDER ON THE WEST RIVER.
FOREIGN PASSENGER BLAIN BY PIRATES.
The Canton Daily News published the following "Express" on Saturday :-Yesterday (July 13th) at 7 p.m., while 50 miles below Samshui, the s.8. Sainam was plundered by river pirates. The desperadoes came on board as passengers and at Kautong surrounded the saloon while the passengers were at dinner. Missionary Dr. Macdonald, wbo was Н passenger, was shot dead on the spot, and the Captain was severely wounded.
VICEROY BEMARKS" I TOLD You so!” H.E. Viceroy Shut was, like our corres- pondent, away from headquarters when the news came of the piratical seizure of the 8.8. Sainam, His Excellency received a cablegram at Wham poa, advising him of the occurrence, and he at once telegraphed to H. B. M. Consul-General at Canton.
Our correspondent ascertained the contents of the message to be as follows: —
“(I) Received a telegram stating that the 8.8. Sainam had been pirated, the captain and crew wounded, and doctor killed. Deeply grieved to hear of it. Have given instructions both civil and military officials to capture the ¡ robbers and recover the stolen goods. Deputed Wen Taotai and Kung Taotai to call on you to investigate the matter.
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"The Kwangtung Province has always been infested by robbers and pirtes. Year before lagt when I was in Wachow I proposed to Consul Wei [Wilkinson) to place Chinese soldiers on board of all foreiga vesels and also to have braves to search all the passengers' luggage before the steamers leave port. This to afford entire protection to foreiga vessels.
Consul Wei [Wilkinson | refused to donsent to my proposal. Your Honour is well acquainted with the conditions in Kwangtung, and I sin- cerely trust you will thoroughly discuss the mitter with Taotais Wen an'i Kung, and devise some means of preventing such sad affairs in future. I hope you will entertain my former proposals, which I believe would afford great protection."
The Canton Daily News, as the result of au interview with Chief Engineer Seggie, was able to add the following to its first report :--
but in spite of this they fired on him and shot him through the head. The Captain had got in a passenger's cabin and laid down on the bed, when the pirate; rashed in to search the room. They saw him lying with the wound exposed. and kicked him. But as he did not move, they thought he was already dead and tore off his onat and the ring off his finger and then left him. until I got him ont
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During the whole affair the steamer was in the hands of the pirates, who forced the men on watch in the engine-room and the pilots on the bridge, who were all covered by revolvers, to carry on according to their orders.
"As I came on the bridge, I found out that we were only 12-15 miles from Samshui, and I told the pilot to make for Samahui. Arriving there, I want at once on board of H. M. gunboat Moorhen lying there and told the Comminder about the outrage. He and the doctor from the Moorhen went with me back to: the Bainam. The doctor attended to the wounded. A'l four of the Indian watchmen were wounded, two of them very badly, also the compradore, who got a nasty blow over his head and several Chinese.
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HO GRONG CHINAMAN'S EXPERIENCE. Following the outrage on the 8.8. Sainam by Chinese pirates comes another startling story from the turbulent province of Kwangtnog in which a foki employed by Messrs. Hoang Cheong and Co.. tailors, of Queen's Road Central, played a prominent part. Lai Ching-fuk left Hongkong last week to visit his parents at Faichiu a village some miles distant from Can- ton. He was not destined, however, to spend his holiday with his parents, for on the night of his arrival a gang of armed robbers visited the village, broke into his father's house, and with other booty carried him off captive. They also raided other houses, secured more valasbles "The pirates are supposed to have come on and two other mea and marched to a board at Kaukong partly, partly at Kumchuk, more distant village called Taipingsha. and some might have come already at Canton. Here the prisoners were chained together They had no rifles, only revolvers; they fired in a hat, at the door of which an armed recklessly, but were very bad ahots. We had sentry was placed on guard. They were our dinner finished, the Captain, Mr. Joslin, informed by their captors that unless ransom to Dr. Macdonald and myself were standing outside the amount of $4,000 was forthcoming shortly. my cabin door when we heard some shouting. they would not have their prison alive. Dur We turned round to help the Indian Watchman, in the first 2 hours of their captivity they thinking some Chin run amok, when a crowd
were roughly handled by the robbers, who of Chinese rushed on us firing revolvers. Then
possibly thought that ouffa, blows and atarvation we realised- fùat it was piracy. We tried to get would hasten the payment of the raasom. As to the wheelhouse for the arms, but were stop-night closed in on the second day, however, Theed by another crowd of the pirates, which came from the starboard side, also firing with revolvers. We rushed through them into the saloon. As we got in, the Captain said that he was shot, and laid down on the sofa. Dr. Macdonald attending to him. I closed the doors and the windows on the starboard side and crossed over to the port side to shut the windows there, when the pirates appeared at the windows and fired a number of shots in the saloon. I put the wounded Captain underneath the table and then Dr. Macdonald atd myself went also there. 'The robbers threw now a burning stinkpot in the saloon, which severely burnt the Captain and myself. The fumes became un- bearable and we had to get out of the room. "The Captain and Dr. Macdonald left on the
through the firing pirates and went to tas stokehold. The robbers followed me up, but I managed to hide behind the boilers and remained there until they had left the vessel. On board of the steamer was such a noise of shouting, crying, and revolver shots that one thought the whole ship was filled with pirates. When I came out again, the firemen told me the Captain was dead, and I went up on the bridge to ask the pilot where the Captain was. He answered he was dead, but could not tell me where his body was. I went down below on the deck and saw a dead body lying, which I took to be the Captain. Then I went to the passengers' rooms to look for Dr. Macdonald. Looking for the switch to turn on the light, I heard a voice calling my name. Is it you, Seggie" I did not believe it was the Captain, supposing he was shot dead, and ask- ed, Who are you ?" "I am Joslin." answered the Captain, and then we shook hands congratu- lating each other on having escaped such a great danger. The Captain told me that the dead body was Dr. Macdonald's; he had seen him shot. Dr. Macdonald was talking to the pirstes in Chinese: "Don't shoot," "don't shoot,
Chief Engineer took refuge in the engine. room, where he hid behind the boilers, from where he was later rescu-d, badly injured by the intense heat. Those of the native passengers who offered r-sistance were killed by blows on the bead, and four Indian watchmen (ship's guard) were also badly injured. The whole ship was plundered, doors broken open, truns and furniture smashed. The ship presents a horrible spectacle. After completing their dastardly work the pirates dropped anchor, and left the ship by Chinese junks that were awaiting them. The crews of these junks were entirely naked and painted in fantastic colours.
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H. M. gunboat Moorhen, stationed at Samsbui left at once for the scene of the robbery.starboard side, and I on the port side rushed Commissioner of Customs von Lindholm at Samshing at once wired details of the atrocity to B. E. the Viceroy and the Commissioner of Customs at Canton, and sent to-day by first train a deputy to e mmunicate with the authorities. At once upon receiving the news of the outrage Mr. von Lindholm sent word to the Chinese Admiral in Samshui, who considered his full duty done by sending a mandario of lower degres to investigate the matter. The Sainam is expected to arrive here at noon to-day, carrying the remains of Dr. Macdonald. Dr. Macdonald leaves a wife who resides at Washow, where the deceased was for years oue of the most respected and popular residents.
The funeral of the Rev. Dr. Macdonald, M.D., was to take place on Saturday afternoon about 2 o'clock.
Captain Joslin, who was brought to Hong- kong on July 14th, is at present in the Govern- ment Civil Hospital, where he was successfully operated upon on Sunday by Drs. Bell and Koch. It will be remembered that the Captain was shot in the stomach, sad the bullet has been extracted by the medical, men. His progress towards recovery is regarded as satisfactory.
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the brigands were not so watchful, and the sentry, probably thinking his captives were secure, left them unguarded while he went for his dianer. Meanwhile they were not idle, and discovering that the Chinese locks which fastened the anklets were not strong, managed after a little exertion to susp them. When freed they lost no time in forcing open the door of their prison, and they were making for the river when an alarm was raised and the robbers pursued them. Lau, with one of the other prisoners, was recaptured, but the third took to the water, and managed to elude his pursuers, who shortly afterwards gave up the chase and retu 'ned to their homes. The prisoners wore confined in more secure quirters, and again shacklei, while a new guard was placed over them. They appeared to be olucky fellows, however, for notwithstanding, the greater difficulties against which they had to contend, they decided on a second attempt to escape the same evening. Fortune favoured them; their jailer got draak, the locks were again broken, and once more they sucéseded in breaking open the door of their prison. They escaped from the camp without observa- tion, and continued their flight through the night, patting as any miles between them- selves and their pursuers as possible. At dawa they met a coolie who directed them to the nearest village in the vicinity. From this village they travelled by boat to Sainam, at which place they caught the train for Canton. Strange to relat, they did not report the the matter to the authorities, but the story will probably be conveyed to them through other channels. Their adventure is but one out of many illustrations of the inadequate control of the provincial government.
A census of the inhabitants of the Colony is to be taken on Tu-slay, November 20th and Mr. P. P. J. Wodehouse has been appointed census officer.
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