Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1890-01-30
! woH's CAPTURE BY BANDITS.
The Fine American Blur which Saved
Both His Reputation and His Money.

up quite a respectable sum for q China
man. About eight months ago he
thought ho would take trip across the
briny and visit his beloved small footed
wife He has Just returned, and is now
engaged at 10 Mott street, taking life
easy and recovering from his scare. In
telling the story Ii Woh said that when
he went home he wanted to make good
impression, and he succeeded beyond his
fondest hopes.
AS soon Gs he arrived In Hong Kong
he went to O first class tailor and had
himself fitted out with the finest of
blouses and the best Of trousers. His
clothes, with the Bowery diamonds
which were prominently displayed
where they would do the most good,
made quite a Chinese dude of him.
When he made his appearance in the
little near by town where his relations
lived the people thought he was million
aire, and they would not have been sur
prised if he had said Se was going to
visit the emperor and put up 100000 or
SO to help out the new railroad scheme
Woh did not have occasion to spend
much of his money, because admiring
| friends insisted upon entertaining him
They scattered Chinese red paint all over
the town, and lived so rapidly that the
New York merchant had to stop to get
his breath. One night he left the crowd
in the midst of their revels and went
home to get good rest. He had just
fallen asleep, and was dreaming about
the big booted, blond haired girls of
America, when the door was burst open,
and in rushed about thirty able bodied
masked men.
1t was surprise party, and not very
pleasant one. Before Woh could speak
word big wad of cotton was thrust
into his mouth, his eyes were bandaged,
and he was carried out into the cool
midnight breezes. He tried to make
noise, but only produced gurgling
sound away down in the bottom of his
throat. His wife made good deal of
noise, but she could not follow the men
on account of her small feet. The vii
lage was small one, and the few neigh
bors who were brought to their door by
the disturbance were afraid to come to
the rescue, because they recognized the
men, who were armed to the teeth, as
members of the famous band of robbers
of the Heon Son mountains nearby.
For several hours he was carried along,
the men taking turns, until at last they
came to small brick farm house near
| ha Foot Of fla mountains Wharn thau
were safely inside they united the band
age and took the cotton out of Woh's
mouth. 1t was then almost daylight.
As soon as the captive could see he
recognized one of the men as Woon, a
shiftless fellow who had borrowed money
from him. He was probably the inform
er of the bandits. The door was locked,
and the ringleader told Lii Woh heshould
be released as soon as he had given up a
sum amounting in American money to
$4,000. This would have to be delivered
within three days, or Mrs. Ii would re-
ceive her husbands head on a platter on
the fourth morning. 1t would have been
useless to have told them that he did moi
, have so much money, although it was g
fact, for all he had was $500, which was
hidden in corner of his room at home
} So Lii Woh thought that he would give
them an American bluff. In telling
about it the other day he said:
II put on q cheerful face when they
said that, although felt bad enough.
, said if they wanted only $4,000 they
could have it by asking for it. why
didn't you tell me that when you were
at my houseP asked. You would have
saved me and yourself a lot of trouble
; What do care for $4,000 or twice thai
, much? Iwould rather have paid it thar
1 to have been disturbed from my sleep
? Now you just let me finish my sleeI
: right here. Guard me as you like, bu
. let me have my sleep out, and when
awake we will go back and you shall
have the money. No one but myself cal
find the stuff, for have hidden it so
would not be robbed by my relatives
, II talked in thisway because I did no
want to be taken up into the mountain
: where my friends could not find me
9 They seemed to Like my proposition, and
l after holding meeting in another room
|, they said was good fellow, and treat
ed me to first class drink Of shamshoo
A bed was made, and when I lay dow
half dozen men guarded me. knew
that my relatives would use every posi-
BILE means to find out where I had beel
taken, and that in a few hours the,
might be at the farm house. So mad
my hours in bed as long as could. I
was about 2 o'clock that afternoon whel
/ heard a great noise of horses hoofs AM
barking dogs outside. I Iopened my eye
and looked around. There was nobod,
in the room, and I started to go out
when Woon came in and made a rush a
me with short sword. I threw heav
mat at him and knocked him down
Then I rushed out Of the door in time t
see dozen of the bandits running 70
!. the mountains for dear life, and a 10
climbing out of the back windows, as
4 the house was on fire. At that momen
my younger brother, at the head Of tel
t neighbors, all armed with swords, rushe
in. They found two Of the bandits hid
: ing behind screen. These were boun
!. hand and foot and taken back to th
!. town. Later they were sent to Cantor
a and tried before the Che Foo, who ban
. ished them for Ife."
i When Ii Woh got back home he wa
i changed man. He says he will neve
l H.. 4. l. h..A -