Shanghai, Feb. 4.
SECOND attempt to force the Shanghai Municipal Council to abandon the Ratepayers' Spe jai Meeting was made early yesterday morning when two Japanese crashed a Taylor taxi through the bamboo fence from the Race Course Road side of the Recreation grounds and raced toward the Ratepayers' Pavilion in an effort to set on fire. Their attempts to do so, however, were frustrated by members of the S.M.P. Russian Auxiliary Detachment, who challenged the offenders and exchanged shots with them, putting the Japanese to flight.
Following the shooting at the Rat 'The chauffeur was then ordered to payers' Meeting on January 23, when Jdrive on to Vu Yuen Road. Arriving Dressrs. W. J, Keswick, 1. Okamoto, Jat the railroad erossing. the driver and IE. Tkeda were wotinded by Mr iwas told to stop. The Japanese Y. Hayashi, the Russian Auxiliary Jumped out and gave the chauffeur Detachment received orders to detail five yen for taking them there. two sentries to guard the matshed Driver Reports Case day and night. Two firemen and a The taxi driver went to the police arly were also in attendance there Bubbling Well police station and re-'AL about 230 om. yesterday, one ported the case to the detectives fof the Russian sentries noticed 9 car From his report, it was believed that advancing without" headlights and the Japanese were connected with going approximately 25-20 miles per the Japanese forces as the chauffeur hour, The sentry, without suspecting Jot the taxi saw them cross the rally the sinister aim of the occupants of road, approach a Japanese sentry and the vehicle, tried to stop it by bar-salute him. The tye remained with ring its way. The, however, the sentry for a little whfle and con opened the fights suddenly, blinding imued on their way. the sentry, and continued at the same "The alertness of the Russian sen speed. tries was praised yesterday, since but Bottle at Matshed for their fast action, the matshed would have been completely destroy-To avoid being hit, the" Russian Jed, Their disregard for danger since auxiliary Jumped aside, The car they were easy targets for the Japan-Drushed by and the sentry saw one jose bullets was also lauded by the for the occupants throw a bottle at JoMcials of the SMP. the matshed, Tk caught Gre im-'Yesterday's attempt to burn the mediately and the ex-soldier ron Ratepayers' pavilion was taken as an toward the pavilion, doing his winest evident effort of the Japanese to pre-to extinguish the flames. "The vent the adjourned meeting from occupants of the vehicle, meanwhile, aking place, The meeting, however, were spraying gasoline at the matshed: will be held tomorrow afternoon, Two 'The second sentry, detailed to guard platoon of the Russian Auxiliary the matshed at the other end, some Detachment will be detailed to guard two hundred yards away, also saw the speakers' stand from behind, the approaching ear, His alfempt to although no trouble is ant{eipated this stop st met with the same résulls as those of the first sentry.
Tt was learned yesterday afternoon "The Japanese in the meantime were that the Shanghai Municipal Council throwing matches at the matshed in ]was awaiting & full police report on an effort {0 set the pavilion on fr. the attempted arson. " Representations The: second Russian also' rushed 10 to the Japanese authorities would be stop the blaze and at that time, the then made, Tapanese ear went up in flames.
Seeing their efforts. wasted, as the: amall blaze was being extinguished by the quick action of the Russians, the Chinese Accountant Japanese reversed gear and attempted form. the burning car into" the pavilion, Here, too, they were tune Kidnapped Atiecessful as the velilclo émiished through the railing, and stopped: Shanghai, eh. 4 The two Japanese jumped out of Mystery surrounds the kidnapping the eat, while the Russians rushed of Mr, Lee Plu, also known as. toward ihe vehicle and pushed it out Morgan Lee, chief accountant of the fon to the racing track, Tt was then American Trading Company, yester-That the Japanese fired two shots aay morning at 9.15, when' he was tone of the Russians, who retaliated forced into a waiting car outside Lane by fung twice at the escaping.
452 Taku Road by five men, all beshadows. Duo to the darkness, his Tieved to have been unarmed, shots went astray. Helped by' the Mr, Lee has been with the Ameri-Garkness and the inability of the jean Trading Company for more than Russian sentries to pursue them, since '30 years, having Joined the firm in they were busy in extinguishing the 1910, The car, in which the victim flames, the Japanese ran toward the had been spirited away, could not Bubbling Well entrance and escaped. be found yesterday, Bearing licence No, 4015, the ear was found to belong Ho's Fire Extinguishing to u Japanese, who, it was presumed, Firemen from the Sinza fire station used the vehicle for hiring out, were called out to extinguish the "The mystery was further deepened Durning car and it took them over the fact that Mr. Chang Wei-ting, an hour to do their job. Examined fag assistant of Mr, Lee and a book-this morning, the vehicle presented a Keeper employed by the same firm, sorry" sight, having been badly was missing from early morning yes-damaged. The woodwork and the upterday, Mr, Chang, it was learned, holstery of the car, as well as its left his home in the French Conees-motor, wore destroyed, lon early in the morning and had "According to Investigations, the two hot been heard of since, Whether he Japanese hired the taxi from the us kidnapped or not could not be Taylor Garage in Ezra Road, One of faseertained, but detectives believed them was carrying a parcel. Inside that such might have been the case, the car, the passengers told the The most probable supposition was chauffeur to proceed to a gambling. that he had been lured away by the] house in Avenue Haig. Reaching the same men who kidnapped Mr, Lee. den, the Japanese told the driver 10 An Interesting factor In the ease oon, "Aj the corner of Avenue Haig fs that the American Trading Com-fud Route Ferguson, the Japanese pany Is the firm whose copper coins, asked the driver to lend them the Ingots and copper bars were removed taxi by Elly Widler from the Commercial 'When this was refused, one of then: Express godown, pulled out a pistol and' ordered the An order for the arrest of Widler river to proceed to Great Western Inad been issued by the Swiss Consul-Road, where they forced the chauffeur General, but the police were unable: to leave the ear. One of them took to effect his arrest because of the} the driver's place and the ear proceedpearance of Japanese gendarmes, td {0 the Race Course, entering it by who defied Settlement officers, smashing the bamboo fence on the Later, the police arrested Wilhelm Race Course Road side of the Re-Bender' in his home in Park Lane in creation Ground, half way between {the Hongkew district on suspicion of Mohawk and Vu' Ya Ching Roads. having participated in the alleged They then drove toward the theft of the copper, but he was re-pavilion, using the race track for the leased after being detained for about purpose. Coming behind the speakers a fortnight, stand, the Japanese tossed a small Widler, on several occasions, con-Doltle, with inflammable liquid and firmed the fact that he had removed a burning fuse at the matshed. the copper from the godown, but Surprised by the Russians and their claimed that it had been confiscated vehicle on fire, the Japanese left the bby the Japanese authorities on the ear and dashed toward the Bubbling [grounds that it was the property of Well Road entrance. Once outside, the Chungking Government, they stopped another Taylor text and Mr. Lee was to have appeared as a fired a shot into the alr, although witness in the civil case of the! could not be ascertained whether it American Trading Company against was fired to intimidate the chauffeur oF to deter any attempt of the Russian sentries {0 pursue them. the Commercial Express Company in the U.S. Court for China on Feb-} ruary U1,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.