Forty-seven Shopmen Boheaded.

Te Aroha News, Volume IV, Issue 183, 18 December 1886, Page 13

Forty-seven Shopmen Boheaded.

Tue " Courier del Extreme Orient " givos ) the following account of an act of brigni d:i'^e committod in the town of flu-Chang, in the province of Kiang Si : Fivo men coaling the unifoim of the Clune c o Army, probably discharged soldiers, catno to ono of tho principal pawnshops of Hu Chnng, p'tuatcd in one of tho suburbs. They offaied their uniforms in pledge, but tho clerk refused to accept them, saying thoy woio the property of tho Stato. While the discussion wan going on fivo othor boldiorn entered, and thou came twonty-sovon more, whoioupon tho whole band closed tho doors and barricaded them, producing their a-ms , and threatening to s-hoot tho men in the ' &hop if they offered any resistance. Thoy gaggod tho shopmen and p*ooeodod to pillage the ef-tabli^hwent. Several p-iseora by, hearing a great noise within, gavo tho alarm, and two or throe companies of soldiers were despatched fiom tho nearest sration. Tho laanduiin in command of the troops, not knotting tho strength of the briganda within, hmutated to attack the i hou^o, but merely surrounded it ; seoiug ■ winch tho leader of the brigands ordoiod his men to cut oil tho head? of the ehoppaen and throw them out of the window one by one among the crowd collected in the street. JNot until ono of the servants of the house, who had been to market, returned and counted the headn, numbering 47 in all, which had been thrown into tho stroet, did the commander of tho troops determino to attack tho houso, and when he did so the brigands allowed themselves to be captured without oiforing tho loaat roaistanco.