Frost OcR, Owy Contsroxoest to effect the release of the captured Peking, Nov. 29
A telegram' from Saratsi states that Mr. H. D. Hayward, an American, and Miss E. Gomersal, British nurse, who left the China' Inland Mission station at Lanchow towards the end of October en route: to Peking, have been captured by women, Mr. Oberg wired from Paotouchen yesterday stating that the women, as far as could be gathered, were at present not exactly in the hands of bandits. Eight Mongol soldiers were protecting them, but the tele gran added that 600 band: ts had sarrosnded the party.
'Mrs. Hayward had been critically 411 in Lanchow and it was considered advisable to send her to Peking for a surgical operation with all haste, "under the care of Miss Gomersal, Last week, when twenty' miles west of Paotouchen, when travelling on rafts in the' Yellow River, the ladies fell into the hands of bandits, who robbed them, stripped them of their clothes, and carried them off. Considerable anxiety is felt for their safety, Since the weather is freezing and nothing forther hes been heard of their whereabouts. Fellow missionaries are attempting to negotiate their release, 'A rescue party composed of Mr. G. Findlay Andrew, the well-known famine relief worker and a member of the China Inland—Missio tenant C. J, Kanage, American, end Captain F, H. A. Staples, British, are leaving Peking on Sunday morning to attempt their re-Yense, Mr, Findlay Andrew, it will be recalled, has spent twenty years in Kansu province and isa very in-Atuential person among the Kansu Mohammedans. He is a personal friend of Mr, and Mrs, Hayward, >The China Inland Sission _in Shanghai has received no additional information concerning the sad plight of Mrs, Hayward and her travelling companion and nurse, Miss Gomersal, except for confirm: tion from Tientsin that they have fallen into the hands of bandits.
Mrs. Hayward left Lanchow on October 28 upon the advice of her physician to proceed with all speed possible to the Peking Medical College for an operation. So serious was hor condition that it was necewary to take a nurse with her and Miss Gomersal volunteered, Phe paix let under Chinese provection, no foreigner being available at that time due to the urgent necessity for speed, Fighting between a force of troops and the bandits occurred in the same vicinity on Saturday, and a result 40 soldiers were killed. Despite these chaotic conditions, Mr.
Oberg is making an attempt to get through to the I
The rescue party, consisting of Mr. Findlay Andrew, Captain Stab es and Lieutenant C. J. Kanaga, is due to reach Paotouchen to-night.
The British and American Legation have wired to Nanking and to General Shang Chen, who is no-finally in charge of affairs in Shansi, urging that steps de taken to secure the release of the ladies and to afford them protection. However, General Shang Chen has replied to the British Legation state ing that he is rot responsible, the incident did not occur in' his territory but in tha of General
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.