Lastly Friday night and Saturday about 1,000 disbanded soldiers and other like-minded tutes took possession of Luihsien, 55 Ji west of here and were more fierce in some ways than thay were more than a month ago at Kueitehfu. Both the civil and military officials flee, leaving them ful!' sway in that city. Practically every family of any wealth robbe? and some 200 persons, men and young women, were led away captive, the men for redemption, the women for worse. Much less destruction of property and life took place than at Kueiteh fu. - They went towards Tse-cheng, 60 Zi northwest, but were met 12 1i from here by Feng Yuhsiang's recently arrived troops and had quite an encounter, the latest report being that the soldiers got the worst of it. The tufei seem to have decided to go northeast and they are now reported at Wuhsiangchi, the biggest market town midway between here and Kueitehfu, and are apparently having their own way. Troops have been asked for from Pengpu and it is hoped they may arrive in a day or two.
A report says that Gen. Chang, before departing some 15 days ago for Kiangsi, left open big loopholes for these rascals to do their work, so that it might be apparent that ha had kept down what Governor Feng can not. A report says that he let regular tufei have 200 quick-firing guns! This is a man of some rank and paid by the Ghinese Government? Colour is given to this report by the fact that, last Saturday evening, four horsemen, armed to the teeth, came into this walled suburb and impressed a grain dealer's place to stop in instead of seeking an inn. This raised suspicion and the magistrate had them arrested on Sunday morning and found in their possession much loot, one yuan pao, and also papers and letters from Gen. Chang that they id wera his men.
They are being held and a message has been sent to Gen. Chang at, Wuhu. I think the officials will be foolish ever to let them free, whatever message the great general may send, for, but for their timely capture, this city would probably already be in the bands of robbers.
The Lui military offer lete here late on Sunday in a quartered mo-for car for Kucitehfu railway station and Kaifeng and the car has not yet returned. Our situation is the more serious because Pochow is wedged in between several of tha Honan cities and if vigorous measures are taken in these cities we shall be specially exposed and en. dangered unless Anhui troops come to the relief. Just now, even if people were anxious to go away, the roads to the railway are quite unsafe. One report about the tufet at Wuhsiangchi is that they seem to have set up a sort of centre there and make whatever requirements they Wish of the people. Oh, for the rapid establishment of a central government with some real authority! I have had a letter from our evangelist at Lui, saying that. our property and Christians were untouched. Ho puts the number captured as above 100 and six persons were shot. Word now comes that the army of tufei are going toward their nest, where no province has jurisdiction place that knows no law nor officials.
I think I have never known so high a temperature for so long in June and it has been accompanied by much high wind. People are waiting cagerly for rain to plant beans after wheat.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.