MYSTERIOUS AFFRAY.

Taranaki Daily News, 5 July 1919, Page 12

MYSTERIOUS AFFRAY.

CHINESE MILLIONAIRE AND HIS THIRTEEN DAUGHTERS.

Into the shadowy mystery of the shooting of Richard P. Hcnshall, corporation lawyer of San Francisco and Burlinghame, has filtered a bit of the most picturesque stories of the Pacific (says the Bulletin). That Henßhall and his friend, Francis C. Brewster, now in gaol in connection With the shooting, quarrelled over what Brewster called the "unequal distribution" of the estate of one of the bestknown women of Hawaii* who recently died, is the theory of Detective-Sergeant Furman, in charge of the investigation. The story of the estate controversy brings into the all too sordid affair of a bibulous bout in Brewster's room, ending almost fatally to Henshall, a romance that has involved residents in three continents —Asia, America, and Europe—and the islands of Hawaii.

Fifty years ago there came to Honolulu from China a bright Oriental, by name Afong. He accumulated money in the merchandising business and married a Portuguese woman. From that union there were born fifteen children, thirteen girls and two sons.

Afong kept on making money. He invested in sugar and soon was a millionaire.

As frequently occurs, with Orientals, Afong's sons were his favorites. Ho had differences with his wife, and they separated.

To each of his daughters lie save 50,000 dollars, and to liis wife half his fortune. Then lie and his sons went back to China. The wife and thirteen daughters, due to the wealth of Afone and the beauty of the children, were prominent in the social life of the islands. Several of the (firls came to America and were graduated from the Mills College in Oakland. They were "quite the vogue," and Americans were eager to meet them- They had beauty, education, social standing, and each her dowry.

One of the Afong girls mnrried George A. Henshall, brother of the wounded attorney. Another wedded James W. Brewster, now dead, a. nephew of the man in gaol. When the mother, Mrs. Afong, died a year ago she left an estate of 190,000 dollars. For a mysterious reason she overlooked some of the daughters. To nine of them she gave 20,000 dollars each, and to each of the other four one dollar-

One of those overlooked was the widow, Mrs. James W. Brewster. George A. Henshall and his wife ai - e in Honolulu, said ' o have journeyed there to get their share of the estate.

In their cups Detective Furman believes that the men quarrelled over this unequal division of the fortune their relatives, although how the shot came to be fired he does not presume tu say.

Another of the Henshalls married an Afong, and was drowned when the Rio Janeiro sank while entering the Golden Gate several years ago.

Brewster and Honsha.ll have told the police that the incidents of the shooting arc all a blank to them.

Recent cable messages' dealing with an advance of Finnish and Russian troops on Petrograd, taken in conjunction with indications which have been given of late that the Allies are disposed to take an active interest in the invasion, will naturally caus.e the world at large to ask questions concerning the Allied policy in regard to Russia. The matter is one that, so far as the British Cabinet is involved, has been veiled in a considerable amount of diplomatic mys-tery,' but the French Foreign Minister, M. Pielion, early last month committed himself to a policy statement oil the subject. He said that in Eastern Russia, under General d'Esperey, a force of 870.000 men was operating, consisting of 200,000 Greeks:, 100,000 Roumanians, 140,0011 French, NO,OOO British, MO,OOO ■Serbians and 40,000 Italians. At Archangel the Allied force numbered 35,000 men, consisting of 13,000 British. 11,770 Russian, 4820 American, 2349 French, 1340 Italian and 1280 Serbian troops, while at Omsk, Siberia, there was a force of 210,000 men, including 91,000 Russians, 05,000 Czeeho-Slovaks, 28,000 Japanese, 12,000 Poles, 7500 Americans and si]oo British. The instructions given to these troops were to abstain from intervention in the internal policy of the country, and to establish order with the help of.the Russians themselves. ;

At the same time M. Pielion made it clear that tlie Allies were at war with Bolshevism, and'he drew a definite distinction between making war on Russia and making war on Bolshevism. Replying to Socialist interjections that tho Allies were helping the "C'zarist" reuse, 11. Piehcn retorted that the besl friends to that tanse were Lenin and Trotsky, who bv establishing ;tii era of anarchy were inevitably preparing the ground for the return of the monarchy. The democratic nations of the earth need not apologise for opposing Bolshevism, for Bolshevism was the negation of democratic institutions. The problem was an inter-Allied one, and the Peace Conference would finally decide upon it. Elis own view of the matter, which was shared by M. Clemeneeau, was that they cliould draw a sanitary cordon to bar the road to Bolshevism. There could be tio question of penetrating Russia. A good deal of water has flowed under the bridges since M. Fichon made his statement, and the question of "penetrating Kiissia" to the extent of an advance on Petrograd seems to be coming very much .Within the raojje of the Allied pbliey.