We regret to announce that telegrams "have been received by the Asiatic Petroleum Ca. to the effect that Mr. R. A. Covil, a member of that firm, has been killed in Szechuan. Mr. Covil is well-known in Shanghai, where he was resident for several years, and his death will be exceedingly regretted.
The first. telegram received by the Asiatic Petroleum Ca. was despatched at 3 p.m. on the 18th instant from Wanhsien, a city near Chungking, and read as follows "Covil killed by soldiers to-day while crossing river. Burying im-
Further details were contained in a second telegram, sent at 7.40 p.m.. from Ichang, as follows "Captain of the Hungkiang on arrival to-day reports from Chungking that Mr. Covil, while crossing river in motor boat, was shot by soldiers and killed instantly. Report appears to be reliable b we will telegraph again later."
There unfortunately appears to be only too much reason to fear that the report is accurate. Mr. Covil's death probably occurred at Chungking, but on account of the fighting in Szechuan, telegrams to Shanghai are in the meantime being despatched from Wanhsien.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.