After looting the mint here of more than $100,000-in coin and bullion, equipping his tatterdemahon following with uniforms, arms and supplies belonging to the local garrison and otherwise generously provisioning himself at the expense of the northern army and the native population, Chou Hsi-cheng—General, insurgent and freebooter—has bolted from the Yang Sen forces and taken to the hills on the Kweichow-Szechuan border. The bombardment of the city with which Chou covered his raid and retreat has been so effective, in spite of the strong garrison here, that the gates have been closed and practically all traffic stopped including much of the foreign shipping. The bolt is the second with which Gen. Yang Sen has been faced in the last few weeks, and although it is now regarded as scotched, it has had anything but a healthy effect on the morale of the northern forces. Gen. Yang himself is reported to be in the vicinity of Luchow, preparing for another drive upon Chengtu.
Chow Hsi-cheng has for a number of months been stationed here in command of a detachment of 5,000 Kueichow troops brought up from the eastern part of that province to reinforce the invading northern armies. Although he is a youth of very uncertain temperament, neither his own Joyalthy nor that of his troops thas heretofore been questioned. He is reported to have refused a number of tempting offers to desert with his following and join the First Army, defending Szechuan, with which most of the Kueichow troops engaged here are allied.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.