One of the bandit strongholds in southeastern Hunan has been in the vicinity of Kiaho. Many people in this district have been robbed of all they possessed, the members of their families have been scattered, many have been brutally beaten and stabbed, while others have been caitied to the hills and held for large ransom, and not a few have been done to death, One of the peculiar developments of this lawlessness is that many of the local people, through fear, or poverty, or desire to have a share in the rich loot, have become identified with the ex-soldiers in terrorizing the country. This is the worst form of brigandage and the hardest to stamp out. Men mistrust their neighbours and the members of their own clans. Enemies find this a convenient time to reap revenge. There is danger at every step of the pro-verbal snake in the grass. While passing through a part of this district recently farmers left their tools in the fields and fled from us, load carriers and others when they -saw us a long way off would leave the road and hide, evidently thinking that we might be connected with the bandits.
The local military official recently offered the bandit chiefs to reinstate them and their men in the regular army. The bandits agreed en condition that they be appoinsed to act as guardians of Ichang near the Kuangtung border. The reilitary authorities agreed and since then the bandits have been collecting around Ichang. A_ few days ago the bandits evidently thought their time to strike had) come and made a sudden attacks upon the city. It was first reported that the mayor had been killed, but later reports indicate that he was able to escape by small boat across the border into Kuangtung. The two bandit leaders ere. relatives, being uncle and nephew. Before the looting had gone very far the two leaders; quarrelled and the younger of the two was killed. This together with the report that regular soldiers from this city were on the way caused the robbers to beat a! hasty retreat. Now the people of Kiaho district are fearful that the
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.