Remnant's Alliance With Bandits: Two Towns Looted Bfukden, Mar. 8.
The "Big Swords" seem to be a hard nut for the military authori ties to crack, In spite of General Wu's drastic measures, as x result of which it is alleged 1;200 people were put to death, there are still said to be 800 of the insurgents renining the country around Tung-hua and Linkiang, and they are said to have entered into an alliance ith some 1,000 bandits from Hei-
The prefect of Fusung reported to Mukden that, on the 27th of last: month, "Big Swords" from Weng-Kiang, aided by 400 bandits, eaptured and looted the towns of Yehtuhua and Hsiashihhsi. Rei foreements from the adjoining country were ordered to the place, but as yet the sequel is unknown. Ex-Prefect, Yuan of Linkiang, who hag for some time been under arrest at the local yamen is reported to have been convicted of collusion with the insurgents, By order of Chang Tso-lin he has now been transferred to Mukden and the provineial authorities have been en-Joined to deal with him with severity.
A recent report says that, at the recommendation of Yang Vu-ting and Wa Chun-sheng, General Ma Lung-tan, ex-director-general of the Taonan-Stupingkai Railway, has been appointed Military Commissioner of the Eastern Frontier, pre~ sumably with the task of ending" the "Big Sword" the eastern part of Manchuria us to be gaining in strength in spite of the efforts of General Chi En-ming, the commander of the government troops, to subdue them or win them over." The total number of insurgents is reliably placed at 6,000.
There is news that the govenment: troops suffered a serious re-verte on the February 26 at Eotienkou, whereupon the insurgents, re-infareed by 800 bandits, advanced fon Tunghua city. All available forces were ordered out to attack the invaders, but the attempt failed, and they hud to retreat inside the walled city.
Shantung immigrants are report. ed to be. Joining the movement in iderable numbers. The author!- live to the dangers of thi new development, have been forced to prohibit the Mukden-Hailung Railway to transport any more of and the refugee home been closed down.
Both Feng Vu-hsiang and Yen Hai-shan are said to have sent' plain-clothed officers to aid the insurgents and to stir up trouble in other parts of Manchuria as well.
Tt ig stated that General Wu Chun-sheng is again to be put in charge of the suppression campaign, Reuter. after his return from Peking.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.