The morning call., 1894-09-17
PASSENGERS MALTREATED.
An Outrage Committed by Chinese
Soldiers at Tientsin.

HONG-kONG, Aug. 2l.-Ihe China Navi-
cation Company's steamer Cnungking,
Captain Hughes, which arrived a. Shang-
hal on the 7th inst with about sixty
Japanese on board. including the Japanese
Consul at Tientsin aud the members of
the Japanese legation at Peking mot the
Minster), reported gross outrage having
been committed Oh the ship and Japanese
passengers by a band of rowdy Chinese
braves" 1t had been arranged that the
japanese were to leave Tientsin by the
Chungking. and at 8 p. NJ. on Wednesday,
the 1st inst, some fifteen people. including
six men, the rest being women ana chill
dreO, went on board.
The steamer was lying alongside the
Tongku coal wharf and no trouble was an
ticipaied, but at / A. NJ. ON Thursday,
while the captain and some of the officers
were asleep. they were suddenly awakened
by demoniacal yells from a number OF
soldiers who rushed on board. The night
was pitch dark and the soldiers had
lanterns. They were armed with swords
and fixed bayouets, and rushed along the
deck like madmen. They found one Jap
anese, whom they pulled about, dragged
along the deck and then threw on the pom
tOon, distance of some four or hye feet
below the ships deck. Another Japanese
offered resistance, end he was tied hand
and foot. his hands behind him, and
thrown on the pontoOn.
The soldiers went through the saloon
and into the ladies' cabins, and in one OF
them they found the COBsuPs wife, chill
dren and amah. They did not touch her,
but took one child and the amab. The
child was not hurt, and one of the soldiers
took it away on his shoulders. but brought
it back in about ten minutes. The poor
amah's wrists and ankles were tied
tightly, and she was, after being thrown
on the pontoon, placed with the others in
heap Although they did not touch the
COnsuPs wife, they stole her jewelry.
The soldiers went into a room occupied
by some mandarns and examined their
cards. They were in uniform and intimi-
dated the foreigners on board, brandtsh-
ing their weapons in front OF them. They
made them open their cabins, which they
searched, 10 one case looking into the mos
quito curtain which was tied up over the
bunk. They told the Chinese crew that
they had been ordered by the Viceroy TO
seize the Japanese in revenge for the
Japanese having killed 1000 Chinese in
Japan. The tied-up people on the pom
toOn endured great agony, their wrists and
ankles being so tightly bound. their shrieks
were heart-rending and some of the
women tainted. Between 2 and 8 A. NJ.
the soldiers left, but before they did so
six of them went to the side of the steamer
and fired volley in the air. apparently as
a signal to the men in the fort that they
had finished their work. Some Of the sol
diers went into the saloon where the off,
GERS were and demanded something to
drink. They were given water which one
of them spat out on the deck. They then
asked for lemonade and cigars, their
spokesman being villain Hooking indi-
vidual who knew a few words ef English.
Among other things they stole a revolver
and two of the ships lamps.
After leaving the ship the soldiers
marched away with their captives in the
direction of the fort, but they stopped at n
godown in which they locked their pris-
oners.
AT A. NJ. the prisoners were all taken
back TO the ship. The women were badly
bruised about the face and body, and they
suffered terribly from the pain in their
wrists and ankles caused by the tightness
of their bonds. A Chinese officer came
with them and made an apology to Cap.
tain Hughes for what the soldiers bad
done, and ordered the ship to leave the
wharf, a measure he said was necessary
for the protection of the people on board.
The Chungking left the wharf at A. NJ.
and dropped down the river, and went out
side of Taku in the afternoon. On Friday
morning the Japanese Consul, the consul
lar s. aft ana other Japanese went on board
and the steamer left for Shanghai,