Fengtien Military Fall Out Over Small Consignment: Significant Incident on S.N.R.
Trouble was reported to have Jansen between two forces of Gen.
[Chang Chung-chang's local troops Jof the 1st Fengtien Army on Tues-Cay evening as the result of an tempt on the part of a few members of the 81st Brigade to smuggle some 200 Ib, of opium into Shang hai. Other reports said that. the Jopium weighed 700 oz. and was beting taken from Chinkiang to Soochow by a military officer of the Bist Regiment, to whom it belong Tt appears that military detect ive-inspectors placed on the tr between Shanghai and Wusih, the Judicial Department of the Ist Army come across the officer con teemed, who was accompanied several members of his staff. The Jdeteetives searched the party and found the drag as stated. After some trouble they brought. the Joficer and the bodyguard to Shanghai, where they were immediately removed to headquarters at the Hu-Jchow Guild, Chapel, and detained.
When the news of this reached Chinkiang an officer of the ist Brigade named Hou, accompanied by "M4 troopers and two police guards, commandeered and boarded 1 special train for Shanghai, All the men were wearing uniforms, 11 carried machine guns, and four had rifles, They stopped' and searched fall trains bound for Nanking and took into custody a number of tee tives of the Judicial Department, Jard a number of troopers and several officers who were taken into custody, fon board the special train and beaten, A number of trains were delayed as a result of their depredations.
When the train reached Shang pai the members of the party immediately arrested five members of the military railway guard and placed them on board the special train, They are said to have filled their guns with ammunition and made preparations for a fight but there was no necessity for this. When they were ready to return to Chinkiang, a number of comrades of the prisoners wanted to go to their rescue but several friendly officers intervened with the result that the train left at about 8.90 p.m, prior to which, however, all the prisoners were released.
There is no definite information as to where the opium has gone—some say it is still in the hands of the military detectives, whilst others say that it has been returned to the members of the lst Brigade as the payment price for the release of the prisoners Telegrams were sent to Gen. Chang Chung-chang reporting the matter and the officer Hou was detained for some little time before being
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.