Seven Maryknoll Mission sisters end a Catholic Father were taken by pirates in the West River and imprisoned in a cabin on board the str. Wai Hol. jonaties, most of whom boarded the str, Wail Hoi from Koongmoon to Young Kong. During the trip, the ship was eudd.nly seized by a dozen pirates, who, as usual, got on board as passengers and succeeded in gaining control of the vessel. They shot dead the soldier guards, the purser, and a clerk, The steamer carried in addition to the seven sisters and Father Fletcher many Chinese passengers All of whom wore deprived of their valuables and most of their—he-
Jongings. There were all packed in the hold, while Father Fletcher and his company were locked up in a small stateroom for more than 60 hours, The pirates ordered the captain to steer the ship to Chok Pei when she went aground on account of the low tide, After taking the passengers? Jongings and valuables, the Yhreatened death to should they withald anything. Some of the passengers were dragged ashore without sufficient clothing to withstand the bitter cold of—the night, and the missionaries believed they were taken for ransom, The steamer was subsequently floated with the turn of the tide, and proceeded back to Koongmoon with the missionaries and the crew. Apparently, the rest of the passengers were sent ashore. Ignorant of the locality, the captain ran the ship into mudfats. During this second mishap, another gang of pirates boarded the Wai Hot and Fifled everything that the previous gang did not take including the shoes of the sisters and Father Fletcher's hat and coat. Losing everything except what they ear-ried on their backs the party returned to Koongmoon from which they came to Hongkong on the U.S, S. Pampanga,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.