The Military College was concerned in another affair, which has excitel a god deal of indignation among the official: of the city. Some time ago one of the College students was coming from Wuhu on beard the Yainyang, a steam-launch belonging to a Chi comp: ny, which lies Between Wahu and Nganking. The ey was on his way t" join a pert of his fellow-students about to start to Jabin to ec-plete there their military edu aties, He had with him his father snd younger brother, with a considerable sum of money intended to defray the expenses of the trip to Japan. The money was kept in a Cantonese limbo box, the father king his scyt on this for safe-keeping. Their care of the box must have excited the suspicion and the cupidity of the Chinese officers and crew; for on the trip the two boys were enticed below, where they were upon by the crow, beaten and finally tied up by the queues to the stanchions of the boat. The old man, hearing the noise, came running down, and was horrified to see his sons in this predicament. So far from his remonstrance being heeded, however, he was himself beaten and prevented from returning to the deck. When at length ho was allowed to go back, he found a bole cut in the bottom of the bamboo box, and a hundred and fifty dollars gone.' When the launch reached Ngankin the elder boy went to the Military College, and told his story to Mr. Tang. This gentleman, acting with characteristic promptness, took steps to certify himself of its trath and then placed the matter immediately in the hands of the Nganking magistrate. The chief officer of the launch, now took fright, and telegraphed to his company at Wuhu that the launch was liable to detention by the officials on account of a robbery. Apparently on the receipt of this telegram the Chinese company arranged a sale or transfer of the launch to the German Steamship Ca. whose Chinese name is "Suichi," and got them to make application to the Customs for a new licence for the launch. At any rate, such a licence was issued, bearing the date of the 27th of the sixth moon. This, however, was the day aiter the robbery and beating occurred.
The Consul took no further step for some time, except for an occasional telegram, but he finally sent the Vice-Consul to interview the Nganking officials, and followed some days Ister on a gunboat himself.
In the meantime the chief officer of the Isunch had been arrested and on being examined before the magistrate admitted that no soldiers from the Military camp had boarded his Iaunch, that no damage had been done to his engines, and no money been stolen from his safe. The second officer later on made substance tially the same confession, adding that the Iaunch at the time in question was the property of a Chinese company, and that his own former statement at Wahu was a fabrication. The German Consul, now, having no ground left to stand on, withdrew his claim; but continued to bring such pressure to bear as resulted in the provincial officials restoring the licence of the Isunch and consenting not to punish the officers and crew.
This giving in on the part of the officials was contrary to the urgent advice of Commander Tung, who insisted that as in this case all the right was on their side, no concession whatever ought to be made, otherwise it would be simply inviting Germany to seize other pretexts for interference.
The substance of the whole matter seems to be that on account of pressure brought to bear by a German company, backed by a German Consul, the victims of this undeniable outrage wore unable to obtain redress, and the perpetrators escaped punishment. The officers and students of the Military College made up purse of the amount that the boy had lost to enable him to carry out his plan of going to Japan. But when the Provincial Treasurer hoard of this, ho refused to allow it be done and paid the money himself from provincial fund This is, at any rate, the official side of this affair, and I have reason to believe that it is substantially accurate. I hat written of it at this length because it is 'a matter in which we are all concerned.
All foreigners share the odium of such occurrences, and Boxer uprisings do not discriminate.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.