A serious gaol-breaking affair took place in Yangchow on October 6 when 100 convicts broke gaol and 56 escaped. Forty others were recaptured, one was killed and two were wounded when they refused to surrender. The majority of the men were serving long terms of imprisonment, Several days before the outbreak, reports the Chinese press, about half of the 30 warders were transferred from the District Gaol for bandit suppression duties. On October 6, ]which was the Mid-Autumn Festival, the convicts subscribed a few dollars among themselves to buy meat and wine, which. they offered to the warders as "festival presents" for their kind treatment.
Whether or not drugs were administered it is not stated but, fat about 6 o'clock, the gaolers had drunk much more than was good for them and they fell into a deep sleep. The warden likewise decided to celebrate the occasion left his office to go with some friends to the Shou Hsi Lake on a beating! trip.
Seeing that an opportunity pre sented itself, the convicts, more than '100 in all, removed their shackles and, arming themselves with clubs, attacked the warders, from whom they seized four rifles. Forcing open the door, they fled in all directions but as some passed the district magistrate's yamen, they were challenged by the guards there, who opened fire on them when they refused to surrender. Two of the convicts were wounded and one was: killed,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.