WOMAN'S STORY

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 362, 25 October 1932, Page 5

WOMAN'S STORY

(Press. Assn.

TORTURED AND ILL-USED BY BRUTAL CAPTORS SUFFERINGS ON THE MARCH

— By Telegraph— Copyright).

Ree. Oet. 24. Londpn, Opt. 23,. The Daily Mail publishes a eopyright ipessage from a special eorrespondent who went with the official party to the relief of Mrs. Muriel Pawley and Mr. F. Oorkran, who were held captive for- weeks by bandits in Manehuria. . Mrs. Pawley gives her own story of their experiences. She relates their sufferings during long marehes after capture, when they were forced to eover 40 miles in 16 hours, often through eight-foot high grass or marshes in which they were compelled to lie flat to escape observation. "We were dr-enched to the skin and had no food. We lapped the water from muddy ditches to ease our parched throats. Our feet were cut and bleeding. Struck With Whip "Once I saw a train and I dolfed my hat, hoping my hair would attract attention. The bandit leader then struck me on the head with my riding whip, which was often used to beat us. A rope round my neck almost strangled me. On one occasion I saw soldiers. We were made to erouch among the reeds, holding the dogs' noses to prevent them bar-king, and the handits held pistols at our heqds an4 tliye^tened to blow pur brains out if we shouted. "Qn the third day, when staggering along at midnight, I became light- i headed. We were later imprisoned in a house where we lay in a mud bed. Our hands were tied to a beam overhead, and it was so agonising that it was impossible to eat or sleep. (We were compelled to resurne our march suffering the tortures of putting our shoes on bleeding feet. We were pestered by mosquitos, which covered us in blood. It was impossible to avoid them owing to our hands being bound. We endured similar misery for a week."