Hankow, July 9.
Wuchang has been much agitated these last three days owing to a strange. happening in market garden out at the Purple Sun Bridge near the Chang Hu Dyke behind the city. It is the custom of the market-gardeners to go out late in the evening to gather egg-plant and other vegetables so that they may make an early start for the town in the morning, 'A. man named Wang went out in the dusk accompanied by his nephew aged 18 and when they reached their ilotment the nephew was a little head. As he was stooping to ther the vegetables, some strange east sprang at his throat and ious injuries, The youth fell to the ground and his uncle sprang forward, picked him up and started to run away. He was attacked in turn by the deast and badly scratched on the shoulders. During the forenoon the wounded men were taken to hospital, but the nephew Wa Such a' parlous state that doctors were unable to save his life. The wounds of the uncle were dressed.
What the animal which made the attack was will perhaps never be Known, but a story soon spread that it was a venomous ghoul. One rumour said that a soldier who the garden had been another described—in-old woman Who went near the place. The most prevalent rumour is that the Mounds of the two men did not A'coroner was asked to view the body of. the nephew, and while he certified that the death was due to story of the ghoul. Crowds bogan to. view the allot ment from afar an were. made for a exorcism of the ghoul by Taoist priests. But the Bureau of Social affairs objects to this revival of ition and has ordered the prevent the crowds from gathering and the Taoists from chanting. igned by the Bureau is that it casts an aspersion on the dead boy to say that he w slain by a ghoul, and the suggestion is made that a' much simpler ex. the tragedy may yet! is a strong uneducated people thi is in the wrong in its action.
After the abnormal teat broke, Hankow was visited by torrential rains which are still "continuing. Tha donne have, proved" quite inadequate to carrying off the water and most of the streets are flooded few inches deep. In some parts: "of Wuchang it has been necessary to erect gangways on trestles for the use of pedestrians, "Yesterday two small children fell off these trestles into an open drain and were both dead when extricated.
'The Han has xi gen suddenly and fits water is pouring out into the Yangtze great'. force. A Theavily-indan. lighter was swept from its mooring and carried out into the Yangtze to, the peril of small craft. The laodah of a steam ferry pluckily went out and managed to throw a line to the men on the lighter and haul them into safety, but he had to take them right to the Wuchang side of the iver as the current was too strong. for his engines, large number} Those execut-bed as Communist brigands or soldiers who have sold their weapons. ided_ properties near the Goddess of Mercy Corner in Hankow, at the Temple of the 'Old Official' in Hanyang and in one of the concession areas and claim
the' Communists gang who ere importing arms for have secured all the' members of During the raid there w were side hold-ups of all pedestrians and motorists, but foreigners did not, suffer any inconvenience, The duties of the new Hankow Municipal Council have been defined. All matters connected with Jaw and order are now to be con rolled, from Wuchang, as ore all finances. 'The new Council. is to promote philanthropy and suppress superstition; to investigate labour troubles' and to.care for public
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.