Japanese or Koreans Also Beat Hire-Car Driver Another kidnapping in which the detectives yesterday.
Tt. was reported to the Police that four men who were either Japanese or Koreans abducted a retired Chinese merchant at his house in Fokien Road, near Foochow Road, at 10.40 am. on Saturday and spirited him away in a car bel to a Japanese garage in Hongkew.
The four, with a Chinese accomplice, first searched the former merchant's house Exciting Scenes at Corner Of Avenue Edward VII as Hotel is Threatened All available fire engines in the French Concession were rushed to the scene of a large fire at Lane 14, Rue Tourane near Avenue Edward Vil, shortly after 2 o'clock yesterday afternoon when five houses were gutted and considerable damage was done to adjoining houses. The Da Chung Hotel, at the corner of Avenue Edward VII, was threatened by the flames which were being fanned by a light breeze and the hotel's fire-fighting equipment went into action thus preventing the roof from going tp in Sames before the arrival of the Billboards facing Avenue Edward VI also were destroyed and all traffic, with the exception of buses, had to be suspended for about two hours in order to enable the firemen to tackle the flames without hindrance. Ten-large hoses and innumer. able smaller ones were played on the blaze and in less than an hour
tening the densely populated which of times appeared to vicinity, was put under control although a few firemen remained on the scene until evening in order to prevent smoldering debris from doing further damage.
Up to late last night, investigating Police officers had found no casualties but two women who lived in one of the houses stated that their husbands were missing. It was thought likely, however, that these men had run away as is often done by the Chinese when their homes go up in flames, While the cause ofthe fire is still being investigated, it was believed that an open charcoal stove which had fallen over was responsible for the outbreak of the blaze,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.