The Shanghai office of Messrs Batterfied & Swire has received a message from Harbin stating. that Messrs. E. M, Burton and I. H.C.
Godfrey, who were captured by Manchurian bandits about a fortnight ago, have been released 'The two captives are insurance inspectors, Mr. Burton being in the office of Butterfield & Swine, Harbin, and Mr. Godfrey in the Harbin' branch of the Commercial Union Assurance Ca, Ltd. They were engaged upon' the annual inspection of sub-agencies and were kidnapped at Kiamusze, on the Sungari River, 280 miles north-oast fof Harbin. The Chinese interpreter, who was travelling escaped the bandit formation of what had occurred. immediate steps to secure the of the two men and the Heilungkiang Provincial Government despatched a brigade under Gen, Wang Nai-ping to release them. It was reported at the time that the bandits had made exorbitant demands for the payment of ransom and it is not yet known on what terms the we optives were released, The Chinese press reported that Messrs. Burton and Godfrey were taking photographs near the Ho Kwang Coal Mines in Kirin when they were surprised by the sudden appearance of bandits, led by the notorious Hai Ching and: Ping Hsin, There was no possibility of escape land they were caried off.
Both Burton and Godfrey were formerly in the London offices of their companies. Burton, who is 36 years of age, served for a time with the Rhodesian police and obtained a considerable reputation asa big game hunter, Godfrey, who is aged 28 years,' is an old Sedbergh School boy.. His father was formerly Commissioner of Public Works in Shanghai and. is now living in'retirement at Heather-dale, New Milton, Hampshire,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.