Hankow, Dec. 27.
Booty amounting to $3,800 fell into the hands of a gang of armed rebbers on Christmas Eve wher the Chang-yn Native Bank was held up. The Bank is situated in the Yun-song-ping passage off the main street of the city. At six pin. a man from another bank called. to collect the sum of $2,000 in dollars and when the iron grille door had: been closed the money was counted out in piles on the counter. The counting was nearly finished when tone of the assistants in the bank had to go out and the grille was unlocked for his exit. Two immediately sprang out of the dows and held the gate open while six armed men entered the bank.
'Two of there mounted guard' over the assistants while two packed up. $1,800 in notes and cash from the safe and the other two gathered up. the money on the counter. One of the cooks, of the Bank seeing what. was going on went up on to the roof, snd got down into another shop, from which place he telephoned the police. The message was a long. time in getting through and when the police arrived the robbers bad left with the loot.
Over at a small place called Kuo-kou near Wuchang eight armed men went into the principal shop after dark and held up the inmates, whil? half heir mumber searched every cranny for portable valuables. The inmates were too scared to follow them when they left. And when the Likiang passenger launch was near Yokow on its way to Hankow some men put out in a boat and shouted that they were coming on board to search for contraband goods. As soon as they had boarded the launch three of the men held up the wheelhouse while the rest opened all baggage, searched the office for money and then made the passengers surrender such garments as the robbers fancied. One woman resisted the removal of her gow! and was shot dead, so the others al submitted without struggle and let the robbers ro ashore with their loot.
Two months ago a boy aged six years and rejoicing in the baby; ame of "ten catties" was carried off by kidnappers. His father is a. widower managing the Yin-ping, Hotel near the railway station, bu: the boy lived with his foster-, mother in a small house outside the railway. The kidnappers injured the foster-mother when she tried to protect the boy, and left her lying in a ditch near the house. During the interval the father has received several letters demanding money, all of which he has handed to the police, but it was not till last weet: to meet the kidnappers. letter they said tha they would bring the boy down to Hankow and that if the sum of $9,000 was int sent'to a rendezvous named, the lad would be drowned. Just before the day named the police got word that
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.