Russian Guard Fight Pluckily, but Overwhelmed by Numbers: Youngsters' Splendid Behaviour Hongkong, Feb. 3, IPHE Butterfeld & Swire s. Tungchow dropped anchor in Hongkong harbour at one o'clock yesterday morning on her arrival from Honchai Bay, where the pirates who had seized her near the mouth of the Yanetze on Tuesday decamped with their loot. She was found by two seaplanes from H.M.S. Hermes and escorted in by a British warship.
Before the Tungchow reached port, a police launch had conveyed ashore Mr. Kenneth MacDonald, the Second Engineer, who had been seriously wounded in the chest by the pirates. Mr. MacDonald was placed in a waiting ambulance and taken to hospital.
When the planes from the Hermes appeared, the pirates made what everyone took to be a very serious threat to murder all the children if there was an attack. Capt. Smart. Master of the Tungchow, is given credit for having talked them over.
'The United Press states that, when the pirates evacuated the ships. they took ashore with them' two hostages. One was the Chief Engineer, Mr. John Roxburgh (two of whose sons were passengers fon the vessel), and the other the radio operator. The two were held but a short time, however, being released almost immediately upon landing by the wrecking of the small boat on the shore, so great was the haste of the pirates. Capt. Smart immediately put' over another boat and picked up the two men.
According to a Rengo message, when the Tungchow steamed into Honekong she was the "Toa Maru," and her black funnel had two wide red bands painted on it. The pirates had painted over the name of the vessel and added the two bands on the funnel so that searchers might believe she was a Japanese vessel.
The Tungchow is leaving Hongkong for Shanghai at 3 p.m. to-day.
'A graphic account of the piracy was given to Reiter's Hongkong correspondent by Mr. P. J. Duncan, the master In charge of the 73. children aboard the vessel. who were bound for school at Chefoo when the ship was. seized. Mr. Duncan said the pirates disclosed themselves soon after the vessel lett Shanghai Tuesday morning, when the Tungchow was about ton miles northwest of Shaweishan Island, at the mouth of the Yangize. The six Russian guards aboard the vessel offered re sistance, but the pirates outnumbered them and they were soon subdued, the Sergeant In, charge being killed fand one of his comrades and Mr. Mac~ Donald wounded. The children were frightened, but there was no panic, even when shots were fired and some of them thought they would be killed "The children took the matter well," said Mr. Duncan; "in fact, say pluckily. Children were all over the ship when the piracy occurred, Hearing the sound of scurriling near leader of the pirates, and shown consideration,
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