Several shots were fired shortly before dawn this morning on_ the outskirts of the Chung Hsing Mine compound, and at first it was thought that a concerted attack was being made by the bandits upon the relief train quartered within. It appears, however, that there were several bandits who arrived with a double object, first of carrying off hostages from a girls' school situated within the city of Tsaochuang and the second the posting of notices warning civilians not to have any dealings with the military.
The Chinese Red Cross train arrived at noon to-day under the command of Major W. L. New of Shanghai. The unit consists of a complete medica] equipment and includes two doctors, three nurses and five internes. Major New is returning to Shanghai in the morning after having completed all the necessary arrangements.
Word breucht down in letters from the captives to-day on their twenty-first day of captivity indicated that their morale is_ still good. In_a letter to Mr.
Tours, H. M. Consul General, Mr. William Smith, of Manchester, states that, he is much better since receiving his" eye-glasses, and that, he can read without eye-strain In a letter from Major R. O. Allen, U. 8. who with Major Pinger and Mr.
Solomon is incarcerated on the summit of Paotzeku, he states: 'To-day I received the drugs and' surgical instruments T had asked for and am now pretty well supplied for an_emergency: All T lack now is some Epsom salts and castor oil. Thank you for your prompt service. We three up here are all well and will try to remain so. I believe we can. I hope the men down below will know enough to be scrupulously careful, for if
ill.'
are they can avoid becoming
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.