Residents of the Hungjao area yesterday were greatly intrigued by the appearance of that rare phenomenon, an inland waterspout. Common enough at sea, waterspouts are rarely to be seen inland. This particular waterspout lasted from 4.30 to 4.45 p.m. and was clearly. visible to residents to Macleod Road. It appeared to reach from the horizon to a low layer of clouds overhead and seemed to be SE from Shanghai. Activity in the vicinity of Macleod Road came to a standstill as Chinese and Foreigners alike gaped at the peculiarity. It is presumed that the phenomenon occurred over one of the small lakes which dot the country in that part of the Hungjao. rounds of mah jongg with some friends at 14 Deli Lung Fang. He went there early in the evening from his home in the same street, but preferred not to return home after the game. He was shot at point blank range four or five times and killed outright. "His body, covered with a mat, still lay in the lane at a late jour when a representative of the North-China Daily News" visited the place.
His colleague, who was also in the Jane and was shot in the leg was said to be also connected with the Cotton Cloth 'Merchants' Association, and it was thought by those living in the Jane that the attsek on him was not nial. He ran faster than Chen and so he escaped from serious wounds, it was stated.
As the crime was committed in Chinese territory, an inquest will be held today by the procurator of the Nantao District Court, Three Greater Shanghai policemen who were armed with only batons and who were near the lane when the shooting occurred, could not give any reason why it had occurred. The victims, it would appear, were left entirely to their own fate, since no adequately armed officers were there.
It was believed in Chinese circles that the crime might have a political background since the registration of the cloth merchants' association with the new Chinese regime might have caused divergence of opinion among the merchants,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.