May 9th.—The Governor of Shensi reports the following case of the murder of three members of one family. Liu Ch'iiancheng, whose native place was Ch'i-chou in Hupelt, had been residing for sume time in the Chen-an District in Shensi, where he Brother, Liu Ch'uan-pain, who had a sepa-pursued the occupation of a farmer. His rate establishment of his own, borrowed in 1879 eleven strings of cash from Wu Féngyun for which he agreed to pay interest at the rate of 36 per cent. When the time for payment came, Liu Ch'tian-pain, being unable to discharge his debt, asked his security Fang Pang-hua to advance the amount for him. Liu Chuan-pain died Taat yeas, and as he left no issue his pro-Ghiten-cheng. Fang Pang-hua shortly ty devolved upon his brother, Liu afterwards summoned the latter to his house, and demanded repayment of the and the standard cash should be as one of; sum he had advanced for Liu Ch'tian-pain, against the injustice he had suffered from which, with compound interest for ren extortion in the levy of the grain tax. By ears, amounted to 95 strings of cash. Lit established custom the money commutation 'h'iian-pain, having inherited his brother's for this tax was fixed in Honan at the rate property, was responsible for his debts. of 35 cash per sing of rice, but in recent As, however, he refused tied up and beaten by Fang Pang-hua's Baymont, he was times a ko or siao of rice was assessed at the same amount as a sheng. Forinstance, two sons, Fang Ting-chun and Fang Ting-the appellant and his three brothers origi-By the advice and intercession of nally lived together, and were liable for tyro friends Liu Ch'iian-cheng assigned to commutation payment on their common his creditor a plot of ground valued at 36! and 6 fe, which was subsequently treated holding originally ealeuated on 2 sheng clearuff the balance of the debt by rising strings of cash, and eventually managed to as 8 skéug. Not only this, but when landed property. Fang Pang-its, seeing money upon the mortgage of some other retaining the same land, each of them they set 2 separate establishments. still that Liu Chilian-cheng was a soft and pliawas eld responsible for a payment based ble kind of man, claimed from him a fur-upon 8 sing. This was his own case and ther debt of 60 strings of cash, represented it was only an example of what, prevailed as arising from a gambling transaction with over the entire district. The fixed con his late father. This was compromised by mutation assessment of Lé Yang was payment of 30 strings of cash.
Liu} 1,000, while the amount now levied Chiinn-cheng felt keenly, however, the way in which he had been defrauded and stripped of all he possessed by Fang Pang-hua, and he determined to have his revenge by killing the man himself and his two sons, To carry out his purpose, he sought the assistance of one Ts'ai-hsin and of a Kinsman named Liu Chitian-shan, to both of whom he related his grievances. The latter, having himself a grudge against Fang' Pang-hua, readily "assented, but the former would not lend his assistance until Liu Chuan-cheng promised him large reward and agreed to take the whole responsibility of the adair. Chilian-cheng then went to Fang. hua's house, and, pretending that he had ffim to come across with his eons at noon together the balance of the debt, asked
on an appointed day to receive it. To do 80, Fang Pang-hua had to travel by an unfrequented road; and in a wood which bordered the road the three assassins lay in ambush to await the approach of their victims, Liu Ch'iian-cheng himself being armed with a musket and his two com Fong in their hi snions with bill-hooks.
They were not place when Fang Ting-chun appeared riding on a mule, followed by his brother Fang Ting.
The first Was immediately shot down by cheng, and the latter, after atte make his escape, met with " similar fate, The father not having made his ance, it was arranged that Ts'ai-should go and entice him to come by the same way on the pretext that his presence was necessary at the payment of the money. The ruse succeeded and Lit Chilian-cheng, who had in the meantime taken up another position on the road, fired at Fang Pa hut on his approach. The shot having missed, the unfortunate man was knocke over with a stone and then despatched with Liu Chilian-shan's knife. Two men who were passing at the time ig given the Mare [in Ch'len-cliteg surestlared. to the authorities, but his two companions effected their escape. The law lays down that any person guilty of the murder of three ins of the same family shall suffer death y the slow and painful process, and that his property shall be handed over to the family of his victims. It further provides that the murderer shall at once be executed, the fact being at the same time reported to the Throne. "This sentence has been carried out in the case of Liu Chitian-cheng and efforts are being made to bring the other two criminals to justice.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.