MANCHURIAN PERILS

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 361, 24 October 1932, Page 2

MANCHURIAN PERILS

HUNDRED PERSONS KIDNAPPED j AFTER WRECK OF TRAIN. WORK OF BANDITS. Harbin (Manchuria), Oct. 12. Twenty-four person s were killed, upwards of 70 injured and an undertermined numfaer kidnapped and 600 robbed in a series of three combina- , tion bandit raids and train wrecks 5 near here, within 24 hours. 1 | In addition to these casualties, more j I than 200 were killed and several ; I wounded in a battle hetween Japan- j | ese troops and Chinese bandits 60 j miles further south, near Tahsing. The Japanese clashed with 700 bandits who were raiding nlong the Chinese Eastern Railway, on which the three wrecks occurred." Twelve passengers wsre killed, 47 1 injured and 600 robbed in the first j wreck when the bandits derailed the j regular Changchun-Harbin train at Swangcheng. The train left Harbin late on Saturday night.

| Six passengers were killed, 14 inI jured and 100 kidnapped in a second | wreck of a passenger train hound for | Harbin in the neighbourhood of | Changkaotze, on the Chinese Eastern | Railway. Six Japanese were killed, several wounded and several others missing : following the derailment and wreck i by bandits of a Japanese hospital train near Shwangcheng, a short distance away from the spot where the first train was wrecked. This train was carrying 50 Japanese passengers and a number of sick Japanese soldiers who were being taken to a hospital. | Golf Course is Raided. In another bandit raid on a g'olf course here a party of British and United States players fought their way out to safety with golf clubs. Two of the British members of the party were wounded seriously. The British C'onsul-General sent a vigorous protest to the Japanese advissrs of the native police here over the attack. Two British citizens who were wounded were a Mr. Melish, manager, of a Shanghai and Jdongkong banking house, and his assistant, Mr. Hansel. The bandits escaped in an automobil'e. 600 Passengiers are Robbed. All of the baggage aboard the first train was looted, as well as the pockets of 600 of the passengers. Five Japanese were reported among th'ose kidnapped. The hold-up occurred in the dead of j night 40 miles from Harbin, when 50 ■ desperadoes, having ripped upi th'e rails, attacked when the train struck the gap in the track. They began looting immediately, ignoring the cries of the dying. The injured lay in the wreckage until daylight. Doctors, nurses and first-aid suppiies were sent to the scene of the wreck. Chinese authorities said the locomotive and the first six passenger cars rolled down a steep emhankment when the train struck the place where 1 the rails had been removed. The ac- 1 cident cut off communication with Harbin from the west, east, and north.