Harbin, Jan. 24. The most sensational murder er of murders known in Harbin took place yesterday evening in the same street as that in which the Commissioner of Customs resides and within a stone's throw of the railway station.
Soon after 11 o'clock last night, a boy's cries were heard asking for help from the house where lived the family of General Tsao, monly known as Tsao Erh-ko, famous in Manchuria for his _expeditions against Hunghutzes. This family actually occupied the upper flat of a large house, and from the nature of the alarms it was thought that many bandits had entered the flat and murdered the inmates. Drs. Wu Lien-teh and Tang of the Chinese Hospital were telephoned for and motor cars sent for them. On arrival they saw a scene which baffled description.
On the floor in various parts of the spacious flat were seven dead bodies lying in pools of blood, while the general himself was mortally wounded with four deep wounds through the skull, cheek, shoulder and stomach. The other three wounded persons were his first wife, his concubine and a lady frien The wife had received a_ pistol wound through the neck, while the 1 two other ladies were found to be shot through the head from behind.
All the seven dead received deadly wounds through one part or another of the head. Little hope is entertained for the life of General Tsao, and it was a wonder to all who saw his wounds that he has managed to live so long. This afternoon an operation was performed upon him at the Russian Central Hospital. It was found that a bullet had penetrated the large bowel. An attempt was made to sew up this tear, but it is feared that he will not survive the ordeal. At the moment of writing he is still alive.
Who inflicted these deadly wounds? The wounded general and his wife, both conscious, testified that it was their elder son of who fired the shots.
It is alleged that this son was a wastrel and although two wives had been given him, both of whom were among the slain, the young man demanded a third wife—this time a Russian ballet girl. To this the father objected strongly, and perhaps hard words were exchanged in consequence. A few days after the quarrel, this wholesale murder took place.
The son is now in custody, but he denied any knowledge of the crime, showing as evidence a wound on his left arm. He maintains that two Russians visited
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.