and Pillage Hongkong, Sept. 21.
A Catholic priest who has just returned from Waichow gave Reuter a graphic description of the way in which the Kuangsi troops are making war.
Tamsui, a large walled market-town, was visited by 300 soldiers of the "Popular Army," volunteer troops who favour General Chen Chiung-ming. The volunteers engaged the Kuangsi troops but, finding themselves outnumbered, retreated to the north, leaving 70 prisoners and a number killed. The Kuangsi troops entered the town and, besides committing outrages on the population, pillaged the town, doing approximately $500,000 damage. Only few shops escaped the attention of the looters. The private house of the chief elder was looted and four persons killed, including the elder's aged wife. About 400 men, women and children, Christians and others, have taken refuge in the Catholic Mission compound.
Pakmongfa, half a day's journey overland from Bias Bay, has been burned and looted, the pawn-shops suffering the most severely. The damage done there the priest estimated at two lakhs.
Between the market-town of Moon and Pingshan numbers of villages have been burned and the countryside presents a scene of desolation.
Stavourer or THE INNocenrs, Piangtam, a market-town seven miles from' Moon, has been burnt to the ground. The leading elders and shopkeepers were shot dead.
At Niamao Christian women who had taken refuge in the church were dragged out and shot. One of them was carrying a baby, strapped to her back. The mother was killed but the bullet missed the infant.
At one stage of the journey to Waichow, before reaching Tamsui, a company of Kuangsi troops were seen regaling themselves with tea at a roadside stall. Upon observing the approach of a foreigner they promptly stood up in file in order to' screen the dead bodies of five innocent villagers who had been shot a few minutes previously.
A large number of Kuangsi troops were posted along the hills for a long distance, armed with machine-guns and rifles.
Famine tHe Porvace.
The priest saw several bodies of villagers and soldiers floating down the East River at Waichow, and concludes that the fighting' must have been severe, and continuous, for wounded Kuangsi troops were being brought into the city every lay.
The priest called on General Ma i, who received him courteously and promised full protection to
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.