About ten days ago three young went out to th on. the ide of the river and were attacked by' bandits, one of them escaping, "another being - allowed to-go free because he had only one leg, while the third was taken into captivity, Though none of them had any means the bandits demanded $7,000 for his release, a sum which, of course, was not to be thought of, Yesterday new that the bandits mailer sum, but at the same time! they sent one of the ears of the cup= tive, wrapped up in & piece of cloth, with, "the statement "that unless $2,000 were paid within five days they would. kill him.
From this fact it may be taken that the bai ina very Fkward position and finding theme selves. short of money. are using extreme measure, under the "ime Dression that by doing so, the money will be forthcoming quicker.
These bandits are living on the other side of the river within easy fistang ofthe own and are mem ers of the gangs which have liv there" for' Several", years. Lately great. efforts have been. made on the part of the military and police to-exterminate them, but apparently there are still some'left, "who are carrying on their business as before, "As it is hardly' likely thatthe sum" of "$2,000" can' be raised mong the friends of the captive, he has already written letters" to several people in the town, Wish-Ming them good-bye as he has Tittle hope of ever seeing' them alive. as formerly, an officer in the 'Tears' Army und fought with Ata man Semenoft at the time that this Keneral attempted to stop the ad~ vance of the Bolshevik Army towards the east. "In the letters that he han now written, he reminds his friends of what he has been ash have prepared for him.
bandits into whose hands.
fallen are Chinese, of the fiendish kind, who, no doubt, will him to death by'torture and not shooting him.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.