Soldiers Defied by Women:
Widespread Looting Fre OWS Connestoxtaxt Anking, Apr. 27.
Anking has had its share of ex citement the past week, Early in the week we heard that 2,000 of Vu Ya-lung's'men had again taken Seo-sung and Taihu and were advancing on Anking. One wild report wat that these bandits had sent a letter to a high official saying that they were going to take the city at twelve that night! Strange to say, this was widely believed and. many a family. spent a sleepless night 02 account of it. A day later it was circumstantially reported that they bad reached Shihpai, 100 li away, that they had behaved most circus spootly, demanding only money and that in a respectful way! Had you none to give, then that was all right, but were you rich and refused, then you were made prisoner and carried off! Later the same day, your correspondent was assured by the Hsien official, seen as a patient, that the soldiers had never reached Shihy Truly Dame Rumour leads an easy in China, Later more accurate news wus forthcoming. It seems that these Soldiers, which mutinied here in September and have been living off the countryside ever since, have re sisted all efforts to bring them back to the Nanking "rice bowl." Much money has been given them on several occasions and each time they have taken the bait but refused to be hooked. Now being made to minate them. Troops are being sent doth from Hankow and Anking to try to surround them in that Hupeh-Anhui corner. For the nonce, they have retired to Hupeh, thus removing the threat to Anking.
About the middle of the week' there was great excitement of local origin, Owing to the marked increase in the price of rice the municipality started a rice cooperative society. The plan was thas, rice was to be aald at §1 a feo, $10 1 fon, but each fanily wishing thus to buy must first purchase a regis tration ticket at $1, giving them the, right to buy at this price as long the ce-operative lasted. This Ww started, burg the plan was not suflciently explained to the poor people for whom it was intended, and the management seems to have made its, little squeeze by selling large num-hers of tickets to rich people.
During the distribution Wednesday afternoon, one of the staff, besides being rather high handed, was seen to, sell many tickets to a well dressed man, ahead of poorer people who had been waiting some time. Immediately a riot started. The mob, composed largely of women, badly beat several of the staff and, after wrecking the distributing centre, made for the residence of the mayor, whom they considered responsible for the bad management. He and his wife escaped just in time, but they lost all their possessions, as the mob completely footed and wrecked their house. The people did of steal the things, but destroyed most of them in their vindictive rage, dumping silks and furs into a pond and breaking up everything, even to chopsticks, 'The mob spirit' held full sway, lasting to the next morning, whea the crowd gathered again and proceeded to loot the rice shops. The feeling was widespread that there was a good deal of hoarding and that the price had been unduly ndvanced. Almost every rice shop in the city was looted and great excitement prevailed. The first shop at-tecked is said to have contained 3,000, fan being held forva still higher, The crowd was fairly order-nothing but rice was taken. But they meant business. The police were powerless and soldiers, though they fired a few shots in the aiv, never dared to shoot to kill and were brushed aside by the determined w2- men.
All day the excitement lasted, Soldiers later restored order and the few unlooted shops were glad to dis-rose of their stocks for $L.a (ce, Today the situation is much easier and all the shops are open, minus their It was interesting to see this long. suffering people rise in their might and take the power in their own hands when their "rice bow!" was made|munisis made golden ure of lawlesenise ne due to their ment.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.