22nd June.
The residents of Hankow wore groatly shocked on Tuesday Inst when it became known that " tragedy had been enacted in their midst in the early hours of the morning. Whilst riding round the outskirts of the Settlement shortly after 6 two Englishmen came across the body of a foreigner lying ina stagnant pool at the rear of the Russian Con sion, and closely adjoining the Russian Consulate. They dragged the body out of the water and immediately gave the alarm, and within a very short space of time Dr. Roose and the police were on the scone. The man was quite dead, however, and the body was immediately removed to the German police station. The body turned out to be that of Christian Muller, sub-manager of the Rifle Factory at the Hanyang Iron and Steel Works.
How the unfortunate fellow came to be in the water there is no evidence to show, but circumstances point very significantly to murder. The clothing had boon ransacked, the pockets being turned out the contents stolen. Near the body lay a handkerchief, which belonged to the deceased, and which had evidently been turned out of the pocket by the thief, or thieves, and cast aside. Dr. Roose made a caroftl examination of the body, and gave it as his opinion that deceased had met his death by drowning. drinks together. The party broke up midnight, the deceased declaring his intention to return to Hanyang, despite the protestations of his friends. But he would not be persuaded to remain in Hankow for the night, and set out for home slone. That was the last that was seen of the poor fellow until the following morning, when his dead body was dragged from the water.
The place where the tragedy took place is just outside the Concessions, against the old city wall, there being a considerable drop from the roadway to the pool below. There are no lights in the vicinity, and it is possible that deceased lost his way in the darkness and walked over th bank into the water, the robbery being committed by Chinese who afterwards discovered the body. But the opinion of many is that deceased, being slightly intoxicated, was set upon by roughs, robbed, and then thrown into the pool. The police are hard at work on the case, and we hope to hear of an arrest very shortly.
Mr. Muller, who was 44 years of age, came out to Ohina from the Krupp factory for the Hanyang Iron and Steel Works in 1897. Si: after hi arrival in China, his wife died, leaving three children, one son and two daughters, to the care of the father. The children, who are still quite young, are at present in Germany, being educated. Mr. Muller was well known and highly respected among the residents of all nationalities in Hankow and district, and much sympathy is expressed for the children left to mourn his loss.
The funeral took place at the Old Cemetery, Hankow, on Tuesday evening, the corrige being followed to the grave by " large number of sorrowing friends. The burial service was conducted by the Rev. A. M. Sherman, of the American Church Mission. After the last rites had been performed, the rev. gentleman offered up a touching prayer for the children in the homeland.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.