The band of pirates who attacked he Butterfield & Swire coastal steamer Wuhu in the Yangtze Delta on the morning of December 1 were Chinese the "North-China Daily learned yesterday. The band, about forty in number, were armed, having in their possession four machine guns in addition to lighter weapons. The guerillas had been operating in the vicinity of San Ho Kwang in the Yangtze Delta and were desperately in need of food.
In order to obtain provisions they resorted to piracy, picking on the s. Wuhu which, ironically enough carried a cargo of cotton. The attack was staged at 3.20 am. when the' guerillas surrounded the steamer in sampans, junks and other small craft. While machine guns blazed away at the ship the pirates boarded the vessel being resisted by the ship's Russian guards and the officers.
The defenders were forced to retire here they defied t after ight from the hunger-driven invaders. At daybreak he tide of battle turned in favour of the courageous little group of defenders and the pirates were forced to retire, leaving two of their group lying on the deck. One of these was dead while the other was seriously wounded in three places.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.