He turned his back on the detec-tivo, drew his weapon, and wheeling, shot the other at. the base of the skull, the bullet emerging from the forehead. The police and. detectives below, hearing the shot, rushed! up Jand in the narrow passage a fusillade of shots were exchanged between police and bandits who had joined first one of the fanding. Cheng Tai-san rolled down the stairs, dead, with five bullets in his body. One of the bandits was killed, augher was wounded, and a police officer was badly hurt. One bandit' jumped. through a rear window and was hurt by the fail, Two bandits wore shot, two Were arrested, and one escaped. That ended a tragic five—minutes Five women were arrested in. house. One said she was the wite Of the Taiwan who ran the opium den. Another said she had rented a room there and her husband was employed in the Water Police. third said she had come from Swatow on a holiday, and the other two said they ame from Changchow. The two men who were arrosted* stated that they came from Halton, near Shimah, to look for work in Amoy. They had come to the house to visit the husband of the woman" who said her husband worked with the Water police, Later in the day detectives search-the house and found two Tevolvfers and 60 cartridges. A. notebook was also found which—contained valuable information concerning. the bandits, The detective was buried yesterday, the whole police fore Ationding' the funeral,—Another detective is in hospital, still alive, but not expected to recover. "TWO more men and y girl have been Jzested, while the bandit who escaped was identified as the son-in-law of the proprietor of a shop in the city. Detectives interviewed " the family and were told that he would give himself up, which he. subsequently: Idid. He stated that he rented a room in this house, was out at the time of the struggle, but on returning was told that his wife had been arrested.
Tne dead bandit is said to be the nephew of the head of the Taiwan syndicate that Snances the majority of the Taiwan opium dens in the city. There are said to be over 400 fof these in town, The Fukien Gov-Jernment, following advices from Nanking, has prohibited the use of opium.
'A conference was held in Foochow recently, attended by delegates from Jevery district of the province and recommendations were made to open opium-cuting clinics in every town and to take drastic measures against all who continued its use after being cured. The effort is praiseworthy but the obstacles to be encountered are almost insurmountable.
/sirument to one who has no inside information upon the real state of affairs. Tt does not show the Teal business conditions and ought to be supplemented with facts, figures and places of origin relating to seizures. Then the truth, approximately, would be known.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.