The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1906-04-09
ORIGIN OF The
NANCHANG AFFAIR
ACCOUNT LEADING DEATH CHANG
sUB-PREFECT NANCHANG, WHICH PRECIPITATED MAS
sACRE MISSIONARIES THERE REPORTED BY THE
CATHOLIC FRENCH GOVERNMENT.

The North China Daily News pub
fishes the following as an abridgement
of the official statement of the origin
Of the Nanchang affair, made by the
Catholic Bishop to the French Govern
meut.
At the outset it is explained that the
late sub-prefect Chang was seriously
compromised ON the occasion of the
troubles at Sinchang, the arrangement
made i'm regard to which he had failed
to carry out by releasing the chiefs Of
the guilty parties and by promising, ON
his honor. immunity to two of those
accused, who had come to Nanchang.
This had been made the subject of COM
plant by the mission to the French
Consulate at Shanghai and also to the
Legation at Picking. The sub-prefect
had since cndeavored to extricate him
self without losing countenance with
his superors.
on the 18th of February he asked Mr..
Lacruche to invite him to dinner at the
Mission on the 22nd of that month to
discuss this affair. 1t would be more
easy. he said, to talk quietly at the
Mission. and he would only bring two
secretaries with him. on the 18th of
February the sub-prefect sent presents
and his card to the Mission and am
nounced that he would visit himself
the next day. Mr.. Lacruche thought
he had ben mistaken possibly as to the
day the sub-prefect wishel to dine, and
prepared to receive him next day, but
when Chang arrived he refused to stop
and said 1t was the 22nd that he had
arranged to dine at the Mission. He
explained that his present call was to
ask, as a favor, that the invitation to
be sent to him should be express d i'm
threatening language, and that mem
ton should be made of the possibility
of gunboat being sent to NanChang
if the SinChang affair were not settled
at once. The reason for the request
was that the letter might be shown to
Chiang's supcriors who were to be led
to think that he had been forced to give
way under menaCes. Mr.. Lacruche
caused letter of invitation to be dis
patched to the magistrate as requested.
but refused to address it otherwise than
i'm terms of politeness
VII lllt --llt llle SUD pltittl dIll\N u slt
the mission at 8 p. m. All through the
dinner he avoided reference to the Sin
Chang affair. but continually complain
ed that he was not properly appreciat-
ed by his superiors. 1t was not until
he had risen from the table that the
magistrate mentioned the affair he had
proposed to discuss. and he then pro-
pounded a s ries of conditions. Mr..
Lacruche who began to doubt if the
magistrate had any authority to treat
at all, asked him to put his demands in
writing, in order that they might be
referred to the higher ecclesiastical au-
thorities. He offered a pencil for the
purpose but the magistrate preferred
to go into the room of the priests Sc
cretary where he was left alone to
write \ quarter of an hour passed.
During that interval Chang came to
the door of the secretary's room and
called a soldier to whom he gave an
order i'm a low voice. and who then
hastily quilted the Mission The ma
gistrate returned to the room and told
a servant who was sent to him with
tea that he did not wish to be disturbed
He closed the door. Some moments
later servant crossing the hail. heard
groans coming from the secretary's
room. He looked i'm and saw the ma