From Our Own Correspondent, Pochow, An., June 16.
A motor car left Kueitehfu station yesterday at 4 p.m. with five Passengers and two mechanics, one driving the car, coming here to repair some damaged cars. At six o'clock, 35 Jo from here, where they have for. a long time had a most unsavoury name, twa men dressed: in long gowns were walking just ahead and as the car drew near. they took the middle of the road and turned facing the car, and gave order to stop, but began ta fire at once with pistols, putting a ball through the head of a man who was just arriving as a new and efficient mechanic from Shanghai. They then put another bullet through the murdered man, left the five passengers to walk into the city and required the driver to take them with the baggage of these passengers some 30 Ji away, where they made a full examina tion, and finding no money, remarked that their murder had bee in vain! ''They- then released the car and took whatever of the luggage they counted worth while and left. The driver had to spend the night in a village, no country. man being willing to show him the road back to Kueitehfu. It la apparent on every hand that many of these robberies now ara for opium or for money rushing here to buy opium. We hear, too, that after the Governor has secured his $5 per mow—$240,000 they: naw say—then the greedy gentry! form in with the soldiers and press another heavy tax out of them. Report says as high as $48 pen mow in some cases!
This car was one of the several cars of the Honan-Anhui Mobile Ca., which has been doing a very! thriving business. This is a great trial on the manager, Mr. Chen. He is thinking of suspending for a few days. He says this incicentl will algo cause this rush here fon opium to abate. But the city is reeking with it and if they cannot sell it out its price will decima and will be a constant bait to tha tufet to take the city.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.