Shanghai, Mar. 3.
Sergeant Lafont of "the French police in the French Concession in Shanghai accidentally shot himself yesterday at noon while returning! home from hunting in Hungiao, He died later' in hospital, He was entor~ ing his car when the accident occur-the shots piercing his chest, The dead officer was. very popular among his colleagues, having been in the force for 10 years, He is survived by his wife and two children, Suspected Robbers, Shanghai, Feb. 28, Detectives from the Central Police Station smashed two more gangs last night and yesterday. taking Into custody 30 Chinese, among them three women, Five men were taken in connection with robberies of Chinese entertainers. while the other 25 have been connected with various armed robberies committed in the Settlement, Five pistols, two hand gran: des and a large quantity of ammuni ion were seized In the course of searches conducted in various lodging houses in Settlement, French Concession and Settlement, Acting on information gathered from suspeels arrested on previous occasions, a party of detectives went toa Chinese house in Kin Wo off "Nanking Road, at 8 pam. on Wednesday and arrested two. men, 'The party' then proceeded to another Chinese dwelling In Lane 24 Tamsui Road and here. too, they found a suspect, The next place to be ral ed was a house In Sian Dah Yuh Loong on Tute Latayatte. where they took two more persons into custody.
Questioning the arrested suspects brought new information and a. call was made on the Wel Cheong Hotel In Hankow Road, Another member of the yang was apprehended there.
Later in the night, at about 1 pin. the detectives. with' the ce-operation of Chinese authorities. raided another house, this time In Ching Li Kah Nantao, where they arrested one mans seized 'a pistol and a magazine full of ammunition, The party" returned to the station at about 4 ami. but were "soon out after other members of the gang.
The Wel Cheong Hotel was visited for the second. time and another gangster was seized, From inform: tion obtained from the arrested robbbevs, the detectives visited four more hotels in the Settlement and returns ed with three women and four men, Watchman's Hut Searched Further questioning brought to light more information and Siu Dah Yuh Loong on Rue Lafayette was raided for: the second time, This time no arrests were made. but the detectives earched the watchman's "hut and found four "pistols, two" hind grenades and an amount"6f amunuih! oft of the hut, ling and sven more" suspects Were taken. some of them from the Yangtze Hotel.
Eight of the arrested persons were brought before the First Special Dis+ trict Court yesterday morning and were remanded in custody pending further investigations, The pistols and hand grenades were sent to the ballistic department of the S.MEP. for examination, The remaining suspects will be brought to court this morning.
The other five gangsters were taken in connection with several crimes committed in the Settlement recently, in which Chinese girl guides had boon victimized. A' party of detec tives raided 604/11 Foochow Road and arrested all. the suspects there. 'A fur coat was seized on the pre mises, According to investigations, the robbers would telephone for a Chie nose girl guide and would then await her arrival in a lane in the vicinity the majority of the cases, the victim would be stripped of her over= coat and robbed of her money.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.