Hankow, Nov. 1.
Threatened with tortures and possible death, exposed to cold and given nothing but cold rice to eat, the Rov. Ulrich Kreutzen, American Catholic Father attached to the American Franciscan Mission at Wuchang, is now a prisoner in the hands of a band of Chinese Communist bandits somewhere between Tawangtien and Weiyuankow, about 20 miles below Huangshihkang on the Yangtze. 'The outlaws took the priest from his church at 'Weiyuankow on November and is holding him for ransom, declaring that they will put their' captive death unless ths sum of $10,000 is paid within 10 days, Father Ulrich Kreutzen is anative of Kalumet, Mich., and has been in China many years as a mie sionary.
Weiyuankow, where the priest was kidnapped, is a small town in Kast Hupeh on the northern bank of the Yangtze. Swarming down from Kuangtsi, another East Hupeh city in the grip of Red terroris: n, the Chinese Communists numbering nearly 2,000 and claiming to pelon to the "Fifth Red Army" made a surprise attack at about five o'clock:
the morning of November 9 on the town and took possession of it without much fighting, There was only a small number of - garrison soldiers and they were overpowered, The River Police Bureau was first government headquarters to stormed, the outlaws succeeding la disarming without difficulty the 4 entire government fore. There was a.terrible panic and wholesale looting took place. "The gang broke into" "Father Ulrich's chapel and dapfored, him together with his "Chinese servant and five garrison sbiiiers, Then they made a hasty departure and marched their prisonfers to a place about seven miles from Weiyiankow.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.