Shénpao.
loured among official circles that in connection with the importation of arn in which the Customs officer Magen is implicated, the Customs authorities have discovered an official despatch from General ordering the 36 cases. But even a General has no right to order a lot of arms on his own account. The truth is, as reported, that the General did order 36 rifles, but as he could not read Chinese writing his scribe—most likely to effect some object of his own—had altered the order to one for 36 cases, The General in ignorance attached his signature and seal to the order and never suspected the fraud until the every wasniade recently by the Customs, However, E Tung-ling has been deprived of his command and rumour says that the Board of Admiralty has wired to Nanking to have the General sent to Peking for trial. Of course nothing definite is known yet.
Our Soochow correspondent w: 8 that of Into crowds of beggarly-looking strange having the appearance of monks and priest are making visits in this plice. When in they so x fine residence seeming to be the abode of a wealthy man, they rush in deumuding large sums of money. If their unreasonable requests are refused they help themselves to everything they can lay hands on, Abvut a week ago early one morning eleven of their number went to the house of Yang, a rich master-of-arts and handing in a curd said they came to pay " complimentary call, The door-keeper said his Min bed, and tuid them to call later on, whereupon they stormed the entrance, drew their concealed swords, which they stuck in the floor, and ransacked the rooms. Nothing of value escaped their vigilance, Before their departure. to show they were not wanting in polite: nose they left their cards on the table.
Some soldiers attempted tu extort. money from a fan-tan gambling den, in Canton, They were asked to give reasons for the squeeze, but the warriors had no reason to give except tht they ware out of funds The gamblers laughed at them, whereupon a fight began. Weapons were used by both sides and the fight was kept up for a while, No wound was sustained among the combat ants, but an unfortunate beggar passing by the door received " stray bullet and gave up the ghost without a groan, valinut braves and the plucky gamblers immediately joined hands in face of the terrible catastrophe. Luckily for them the dead beggar had no relations to demand redress. His comrades came in crowds to clamour for money, but they were easily satisfied, sher Chen Kin-lung, Tong-san, another sioner and a woman have been sent on board the Chinese gunboat Pony-ying-chow to be taken to Nanking for The Cantoneseseem tohave been frightened by a rumour that a terrible and deadly epidemic would produce rent havoc in the 9th and 10th moons and that o avoid the calamity it was necessary to alter the moons into the Ist and 2nd moons. As if by one accord the people made out the last duy of the 8'h moon to be the last day of the year and the Ist day of the 9th moon to be the Ist day of the new year. Congratulations were to be heard on every side, Fire-crackers were exploded at every door and butchers did a brisk business. The delusion was certainly carried far enough to deceive even the most astute of the gods of sickness.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.