'A Canton dispatch to hand states that at a meeting in that "ity of a Joint Com-jon of French and Chinese officials ate R. C. claims for the destraction last summer of churches and houses and property of converts in the district of Shunt# (coll.: Shun-ak), in Canton prefect ture, it was found that the total value of those destroyed by the mob in that district amounted to "ver $275,0¢0. Tt was further agreed to pay a cash indemnity for good and chattels destroyed, but that churches and houses should be reconstructed by the Chinese Government and restored to their owners, many of whom were driven out of their villa-es and are now ing to return to their homes. The returning refugees are, it is reported, to be escorted by a force of soldiers to their reconstructed homes, when the time arrives. As the indemnity demanded amounts to large sum, the Chinese authorities have decided to make the gentry and notables of Shunté pay it out of their own pockets as a punishment for their inability to prevent the riots last summer. The dispatch further adds that a French gunboat which had captured two of the mob leaders of the Kanteuh rioters, brought their prisonera the other day to that town and decapitated them on the banks of the river bef. re " large number of inhabitants. The two heads were then stuck on poles erected for the purpose in the centre of the town to serve as a warning to the people round about.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.