Since writing my last letter we have had a change of government and are now under the jurisdiction of, The army for settling Kueichow." General Yuan Tsu-ming is the Commander, and Brig.-Gen. Wang Tien-pei is his deputy.. The change was made without bloodshed so far as the city of Kueiyang is concerned, but some of the other places were not so fortunate. The} fiercest fighting was at the city of Anshun, and the following is the report received here.
On Monday evening March 27, 20 or more wounded soldiers passed through the city from the west, and it was reported that they had been fighting with robbers in the Chenning district. No one thought much of the matter at the time but the gentry and others soon began to make arrangements for having their women folk placed in positions where they would not likely be in danger. The rumours on the street gradually became "fay from reassuring," and the truth leaked out that the soldiers had really been fighting with the advance guard of the " Settling Kueichow troops." That night all the troops who were in the city left in haste after taking away a handsome sum of money from the business folk, and the city fathers. The next day the city was comparatively quiet and no one knew what was to happen next. On Wednesday the remainder of the troops from the Chenning side arrived and, -learning that their commander, and comrades had left, they began to make preparations for leaving on the same terms as their comrades had made. While preparing to take what they wanted by force the news came that; their enemies were almost on to the city, and the "braves" took leg bail instead of hard coin.
The newcomers were quiet and orderly and settled down without making any disturbance.
Tureat or BoMBaRDMENT.
Up till daylight on Friday morning everything was awat and the residents were beginning to hope that there would be no_ serious trouble, but about 11 o'clock in the forenoon rifle-shots began to be heard, and gradually the~reports drew nearer until they were close up to the city wall. For 48 hours there was steady firing and the bullets flew everywhere, injuring and killing a number of the city folk Bullets were picked up in all directions and some slight damage was done to the houses on the China Inland Mission Compound. However, it is reported that there were not many casualities on either side, but' the wounded men and officers inside the city were carried to the Mission Compounds for safety.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.