The bandit district to the northeast of here is much quieter at this time than is usual. As a general thing, the growing up of the kaoliang is the signal for all robbers, big and little, to come joyously forth to carry on their depredations. On a visit to Yucheng, however, a few days ago, 1 found things quite peaceful in that district for a change. Gen. Feng's proclamation calling on the wandering soldiers and robbers to turn over a new leaf and become good citizens is having some effect. A band of 2,200 men, about half and half defeated soldiers and bandits, are gathered about seven miles east of Yucheng and Gen. Li, our new military commander, has been carrying on negotiations with them) for some days. It has now been agreed to incorporate them into the army—the Honan First Division—and send them off down south to vin the other we-thios under Gen. Chang. In the meanting, they agree to suspend their r bing and kidnapping operations and the town of Yucheng is supplying them with provisions.
Tue Vittace HaMppens.
The idea at first was to have this band move into a large village and quarter there. The inhabitants of the village were to move out and find homes elsewhere. In happened, however, that this village has a good wall round it and some resolute men within, and, although it has several times been attacked by robbers, it has never been taken by them. Once, with their old "hare" guns and miscellaneous shooting irons, they stood off an attack for a day and a night, with the loss of only two men killed, whilst the attacking force suffered severely. When, therefore, orders: gambling dens! came for them to move out and make room for this mixed crew of China's hopefuls, they naturally refused to move and explained it. meant destruction to them to do so, as there was enmity between them and the robbers.
They suggested that Yucheng had more room for the visitors than they had. As regards a threat to shoot if they did not comply with orders, their answer was that they would fire back, They might as well die inside their village as be killed outside. The situation was reported to Gen. Li amd ho sent orders that, since matters stood thus, the villagers were not to be forced and so they still triunpliantly hold the fort whilst their enemies prowl around onutside. If only these 2,000 odd men can be got out of the district and kept out, certainly the outlook will be better than it has been for years, The leader of our militia in the Kueiteh district, Ching Tung-ling, has been shot by orders of Gen. Feng. He had a quantity of arms and ammunition concealed in his house, in his mother's apartments, and foolishly thought that he had so much " face' that his house would never be searched. He did not realize that times were changed and that " face" alone will not carry one far under the new regime. Then, naturally, of course, after his arrest, his friends and relatives thought that it was only a question of spending enough money to secure his release, That had never failed in the past, but it did not work this time, and Ching had to face the shooting party one day at dawn. Gone but not regretted. The evil that he did lives after him and no one has a good word to say on his behalf.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.