Further details of the recent hold-up on the Kin-Han Railway by brigands are given by one who was through it ax follows en route Peking-Hankow, Oct. 27-28.
The Peking-Hankow express has been held up 24 hours on account: of an uprising of brigands who have infested the area to the west of the railway extending for about 100 kilometres to the south of Hsuchow. These brigands aye reported to be the soldiers of Chao; Ti, ex-Tuchun of Honan, whose numbers have been augmented by the regular brigands of the mountainous districts to the- west of the railway. On the afternoon and evening of the 27th they threatened Yencheng and so the express with other south-bound trains was held at Hsuchow for safety. They transferred their operations on the 28th further south, where they burned several villages. It is reported that they had with them the three foreign prisoners whom they are holding as hostages—two from the railway. and a missionary from Juchow. They j Were reported to be some 10,000 strong. They tried to get some trackman of the railway to destroy the track and thus stop trains, but failing they took three of the men off with them. General Chen Shao-k'ang, one of Wu Pei-fu's generals, with some 6,009 troops, fiually cleared the neighbourhood of the railway of these fellows. who are reported to have retired some distance. to both sides of the railway, but most of them are thought to have gone east to some of the more wealthy cities near the Anhui border where there is more to satisfy their appetite for loot. One h. Soldier told us they had lost, only four' killed while he knew of 80 having been killed on the other side.
Nothing was seen of the effects of this brush except villages which were still smouldering, and bleaty of soldiers. all of whom seem to be well in hand and quiet. They were expecting further trouble tonight but we are now past the by danger zone and are making up some of the 24 hours we have lost.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.