to the police of Hankow, we do not see why, og our correspondent there vaid yesterday, "the motive of the Eidnappers ean-hot even be guessed" in respect of a case he reported. It will be remembered that the little son of an ex official was kidnapped; a few days later his parents received a letter saying that the boy would be har I over if $500 were sent to a ain tea-baure. The money was ent, but no one was thre to take it. Two or three days lnter_another letter came demanding $800 and naming another tea-house: but as before, no one was there to ceive the' money when sent. Still a few days Jater a third letter announced that the kidnappers had decided to keep the boy and train him for an acrobat. Nothing could be done, but a few days later the boy's dend body was found in a creek near Hankow, where he had been thrown after being strangled. The apparent mystery is why, the kidnappers refused $800 and, then Killed the boy. But surely in. this instance the object must have been, net money, but vengeance. The father, it will he remembered, was an ex-official. No doubt he had made enemies in this capacity and one of them, we might assume, was
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.