An attack, which, from circumstances detailed below, it will be seen was evidently premeditated, was made yesterday forenoon, by a large mob of Chinese peasants and labourers, upon Mr. 0.. Hill, while on his way along the new road now making bets..n Hongkew and Woosung. He had arrived at the village of Kungwang, about four miles from Sh hai, at about ton o'clock, and had sat down on a bank on the road to write an order for $100 for a man to take back to Shanghai, when he observed a well-known old woman of the neighbourhood, named Sw', with whom there had been' several previous disturbances with reference to the new road, coming towards him at the head of some forty or fifty men, armed with bamboos and hoes. The old' woman raised the ory, "Kill him! kill him in response to which the mob, which was rapidly increasing in numbers, made a rush towards Mr. Hill, who had hardly time to get up and stand on the defensive before they whereupon him. He retreated, facing them, towards Woosung, the mob raising loud' cries and screaming one to another, working themselves into a'state of wild excitement, and crowding in upon him from all directions. By dexterously mangsuvring, he managed to keep on the outskirts of the crowd, now increased to over 200, until he reached the banks of a creek, across which he succeeded in leaping, while for a time it operated asa barrier to the progress of his pursuers. 'The rearmost of these, however, soon pushed the foremost into the water, and they were all quickly across, giving utterance to the wildest yells, and rapidly continuing the pursuit of Mr. Hill over the adjoining Bold' there was another creek, scram addy field. At the further side of thi
which he knew there wasarude stone bridge; towards this bridge Mr. Hill made his way, and succeeded in getting upon it just as the now infuriated mob closed with him a second time, numbers of them, beating and punching him with their bamboos and hoes, tearing his overcoat to pieces, smashing his hat, and otherwise seriously maltreating him, He, however, managed to keep off many of the blows with a Penang cane he was cartying, and also wrested a bamboo from the man who carried it. With these in his hands, he made a stand on the stones forming the bridge, and soon Inid nalé-a-dozen or more of his assailants on the ground; numbers, however, continuing to beat at him, amid shouts of "Kill him kill him! "Foreign devil! Throw him in the creek Near this place, there we a number of Chinese workmen, empl on the road, engaged in driving piles for culvert, all of whom came to the spot, and though they seemed afraid to fight the rioters, exclaimed, " Dou't hurt hin, he's a good man, pays us money." Some in the crowd replied, We don't want his money, we've got others." A large namber of the mob at this point turned their attention to the workmen, attueked them violently, and, after beuting them for nearly a quarter of an hour, left two of the headmen, Wong and Hussey, for dead on the ground, After lying for some time in a state of insensibility, the removed to i it and their inj the other workmen all ran away, feeling their lives were in danger by having shown sympathy for Mr. Hill, "They made their way to Hongkew, where they excited great consternation by spreading the report that Mr. Hill and his two headmen were murdered, While one portion of the mob was beating the workmen, the other continued the attack on Mr. Hill, but seeing one after another fall under his blows, they gradually drew off, and he took the opportunity of continuing his retreat towards the river—hutless and covered with mud and bruises, Fortunately he was not again follower, and pursued his way with difficulty on foot until he reached the house of Mr. Vail, at the Hongkew Wharf, where he was immediately put to bed and bruises examined by Dr. Macyowan, fearful of internal injury having ed from the punching with the b:
ordered strict quiet to be maintained both by the patient and. those around him, and the room to be darkened. manner in which Mr. Hill defended hima There can be no doubt that the plucky
joss-house bridge, alone saved fe; for there was no help near, and but for this, and the fact of' the mob separating to attack the work men, the chances are that an atrocious murder would itave had to be recorded. It is, however, proper to state that some people working in the fields on the other side of the joss-house creek, shouted to the mob, "Do not come over here, or we'll beat you," der cover of which friendly remonstrance, seconded as it was the knock-down blows some of them had received, Mr. Hill succeeded in getting away as above described.
The excitement in the Settlements when, by the arrival of some of the workmen, it became known that such a dastardly attack had been made upon a foreigner, coupled by their report that both he and two of his workmen were killed, can be easily imagined, The report flew like lightning, and_ many per-sous prepared to hasten to the scene. The news was immediately conveyed to the U. Consulate-General, and Mr. Seward at once telegraphed to the various police stations for all the available men to be sent Kungwang. 'The arrival of Mr, Hill shortly afterwards, however, showed that this step was not needed, and the order was countermanded. Mr. Seward, Dr. Yates, and Mr. O. B, Bradford,' with several other gentlemen, and followed by Acting-Superintendent Stripling and Inspectors Fowler and Wilson, with several constables, however, hastened to the village.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.