'A gang of Chinese of the loafer type followed and seriously attacked 4 Chinese coal merchant shortly after midday yesterday in Chang ping Road, The Vielim, Loh Yi, aged 48, was riding in a rickshaw bound for his house in the French Concession when he was overtaken by three men, likewise in rickshaws. One of the men fired a shot from a small. calibre automatic pistol, which struck Loh in the neck. As the rickshaws all halted, another of the gang went over and' struck the coal dealer in the head with an axe. The result of the blow was a compound fracture of, the skull.
Their victim was taken to the Lester Chinese Hospital ina Fire Brigade ambulance. He was able 10 make a statement "yesterday afterhhoon to detectives from the Gordon Road Station. He related that the three bandits had approached him several days ago asking for New: Year's "cumshaw."" He refused to tive them more than $1 and. they loft, angered. Yesterday they apparently followed him from a Chinese temple in Nanking Road to the comparative seclusion of Changping Road, before they assaulted him, is believed that Loh will recover, He is the manager of a coal hong situated in Changping Road,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.