From eye-witness accounts of the bombing given to a "North-China Daily News" reporter, it appears that about 7.30 pum. the door of the tavern was thrown open suddenly, a Chinese appeared on the threshold and threw something with great force into the room. Immediately there was a loud explosion as the object burst near the window and broken glass flew in all directions, injuring some soldiers and Royal Marines who were sitting directly facing the window, In the general alarm which followed the explosion, the thrower dashed away and although he was chased by a member of the Seaforth Highlanders and a few pedestrians on the street at the time he managed to escape. Meanwhile, inside the tavern the injured people were picking themselves up from the floor where they had been hurled by the force of the detonation. Ambulances were immediately summoned and they were removed to the hospital. Pitt and Ray, who is the youngest Marine aboard the Birmingham, appeared to have suffered most and a taxi was summoned so that they could receive immediate treatment at the General Hospital.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.