March, 6th—The Governor of Anhui reports the execution of three men who had been guilty of abducting a woman and murdering several persons, The principal criminal was one Chang Hsiao, the owner of a boat, in which he and three companions were in the habit of travelling up and down the rivers in the northern part of the province, robbing and plundering as opportunity offered. One day the summer fore last they arrived at a quiet spot in the neighbourhood of Meng-chen Hsien, One of the party, Tu Chu-san, went on shore for a stroll and saw a woman cutting grass. As she was quite alone, he determined td carry her off and' sell her. Coming up quietly from behind, he threw her down on her face, tied up her eyes and mouth with cloths, and carried her off to the boat. As soon as she was untied she began to scream, but was reduced to silence by a threat to kill her. The kidnapper told his companions what had happened, and promised to share with them the money got by selling the captive. They sailed away down stream, and anchored for the night in a desolate place. Chang Hsiao, who was taken with the woman's appearance, gave her kidnapper some money,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.