Heroic Effort to Avert Capture of Chinese Youth in Avenue Foch: Struggle Against Thiee Armed Men After undergoing the horrid experience of having shots fired in his face at point-blank range in a heroic attempt to avert the daring armed kidnapping of a young Chinese boy on tke French side of Avenue Foch carly on September 24, Me. H.C. W. Richards of Weeks & Ca. is to-day receiving the congratulations of many friends and those who witnessed the deed on having escaped with his life from a situation that seemed to promise certain death. In spite, however, of "his single-handed attempts, the robbers succeeded in making off with their prey.
Temporarily stunned, Mr. Richards was forced to let go the child's leg, and in the brief ensuing instant the chauffeur sprang into his seat and shifted the gears preparatory to getting away.
Mr. Richards, however, was not to be disposed of so easily, and ran.to the back of the car with the idea of carrying on the fight with the two in the rear seat who were now in complete possession of their prey. He was interrupted by a pistol being thrust out from the back seat through the small window and fired directly at him, so dace as alniost to blind him with the flash, Mr, Richards had left his home, No. 90 Route des Soeurs, just before eight o'clock and was on his way to work, in his riesha, along Avenue Foch when the affair occurred.
When opposite the junction of Moulmein Road and Avenue Foch he noticed a somewhat dilapidated motor-car containing @ chauffeur in the front seat and two men in the rear parked alongside the curb, His attention was drawn a missing front door on th" dhiver's left and he surmised the car to boa Ford, At the same time he noticed coming up the street from the opposite direction: a private ricsha in which rode young Chinese of perhaps some 12 or 1 years, Then as the riesha reached a" point between Mz, Richards and the motor-car sudden. ly the three heretofore quiet men Decame all activity.
The Ball Opens The chauffeur sprang from his seat, lunged at the coolie, and Succeeded in soiashing him over the head with a small blunt. matrament Terembling a hart length of iron pipe." The other two reached for the boy, and despite his screams dragged him from the seat and started across the street with him to the waiting ear, Instantly taking in the situation without thinking of the poste
That the three were armed, Me, to himself, though he plainly Richards leah to the ground' and struggled swith the three for pos-Beinion of the chil "The chauffeur immediately turned his attention to the plucky Enlai man and thrusting his platd in the newcomer's face fired, but missed. 'The boy put up such' a resistance that the other two. kidnappers hnd ore trouble than they anticipated snd had. ifieutty in 1fting hen Into the ear, "So much so that when Me. Richards had brushed away the Giver he succeeded ta greapiag the hilt around. the ankle and was tugging him away from the, two when the chauffeur regained his Feet and set on him again.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.