Harbin, Aug. 20.
Little or nothing has appeared in the local press regarding the encounter between the crew Japanese gunboat and a number of outlaws at Mulan, situated about 100 miles down the Sungari from Harbin, An official announcement was issuetl jin which It was stated that 23 mon were killed by the outlaws, these including the Japanese commander of the gunboat, four officers and elghteen sailors, eight of whom were Japanese, but according to those who live at Mulan, there were more It is almost impossible to ascertain exactly how the fight began, but from the loss of lives on the Japanese side, it Is evident that the outlaws must have been well armed and in such numbers that they wore not in the least afraid of the gunboat, Villagers in the district state that the fung was very heavy. In any case, this Is the worst loss that the Japanese have suffered from outlaws, or as they are called by the Chinese, "Anti-Japanese volunteers," for some con-Siderable time, and the loss sustained will make the' crows of the gunboats more careful in future, specially the success achieved by the outlaws will make them bolder, Victims of Narcotics couple of days ago a 28- year-old Russian" woman, fell ead in one of the main streets of the city, and on being examined by the doctor, It was found that she had died from heart failure owing 10 the use of heroin, Tt seems that she had been employed in Pristan shop, Dut was lately discharged, taking heroin to forget her troubles. This one of the many cases which occur in Harbin, owing the easy pur~ chase of narcotics, On the other hand there Is now a special department of the Central State Hospital, which devotes itself to curing drug addicts of their vice and only three days ago, 31 former drug, addicts were sent off by steamer to begin a new life on farms down the river, having been cured by this depariment, The steamship company gave them free passage and the Social Department of the Municipality gave them sufllelent money to tide aver the time until they are able to Epidemic of Snakes Information has come to hand that near Pokute Station on the Harbine Manchuli Line, of an epidemic of snakes. A Russian gentleman, who was on holiday there, on going aut for a walk, was faced by nine snakes simultaneously, these not hesitating {o attack him." He succeeded In killing eight, but the last bit him in the foot and then escaped. Snakes have been found sleeping in beds of visit~ ors, and one was caught on the stage of the Jocal school. A large party carrying with heavy sticks went out exterminate the raptlies, Bean stocks on the railway lines Ju North Manchoukuo on August 10, totalled 5,737 metric tons, showing 106,708 tons less than the total stock fon the same date of last year, which was 112445 fons. The current. bean stock is the smallest recorded in ent years, recording {0 a survey conducted by the North Manchuria Economic Research Omice,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.