New-York tribune., 1907-03-03
SAMPLES.
Reflections aroused by 2I COrean
FINGERS and Some Rats Tails.

,-,o-el Galway Governor Of ST. Helena mas
-, cor7pelled by the plague Of rodents on the
..,.-s q, offer a reward for their eXtermlnauoii'
q ~, the presentation Of a certain number
.aus of rats This news was followed by me
.sl,oo,ion of a cable message from Toxic 10 the
80, mat twenty-one Corean students hholHs
.ts,.selvcs completely destitute in the japanese
80 owing 10 the cessation Of the allowance
t.,h t,e,,. had been receiving from their gov
-, had addressed a petition TO their En-
.-or n Seoul inclos:ng a finger cut on from
a. hand Of each student by way Of guarantee
"a .,a ti,th Of their statements as 20 their aes-
perate plight o,o viii,
-..ar5 N tho anputated Corean diglts' suggest
..r..in reflections not all Of them OF a greWsoIIe
ot,-ecter. and one Of which at any rate goes 10
show that samples Of this kind cannot De aoSo-
,,,.e,z, darended on as evidence Of good faith
ssys recall in this connection a story Of
xvb,,b Lord Granville Gordon. younger brother
80 bair 10 Lord Huntley, premier marquis OF
scotland was the hero He had gone into the
,,uas ~ Albania on a shooting expedition ana
,rbua there was most Hospitality entertained 'oi
ssveral weeks by an old chief, who put MN N
ebs vav Of splendid sport II was only on ms
-.,,,-n n civilization after a prolonged stay IN
she mountains that the English consular ON
r,als. and subsequently his relatives ana Irleho9
we're amazed TO find that his ears We're sun IN
.beir usual place and that he possessed the nor
nal number Of fingers For during ms absence
messages had been received from the chief in
,,,,es-ion saving that Lord Granville was being
teld for ransom. and that unless S2oooV was
pais for his ransom he would be put 10 cea'h-
A CRUEL HOAX.
~. old chief had accompanied his second de-
-,snd for money by an ear. which he declared
b.5 been c,,t off the head Of Lord Granville
.,,bseouen, demands for money being accom-
,ie5 IN, another ear and ,y several fingers
sssa "a have been those Of the hope Of the MS
toric house of Gordon. Now. although Gran
ME Gordon is not particularly popular among
the members Of his family. who. like many ol
his aoo,Iaintances. are Of the opinion that ms
death would not be an overwhelming loss sun
the idea of his tlgs being slowly sliced 10 pieces
,..r,a5 sa particularly horrible that an effort
was made and the money raised and dlspatcIe4
Those who contributed thereto have always been
..,,aas eince then bv doubts 10 whether
ord Granville was not himself the insugator
~ the scheme and . party thereto. their sus-
3oi,r.e teire strengthened by the fact that on
his emerging from The wil6s of Albania without
any trace Of ufutilation he was eNcepuoha''!
Apsb a.. money a somewhat unusual conalnon
of AFFAIRS.
Abo,1r a wear or 50 ago 4 young Engllshnan OF
the. name of Willis. employed by The Turkish To-
bscco regie at Salonioa. was captured ny bail-
dts and carried of into the mountains "hehoe
e.r alleged 10 have been cut off from his
head. was sent down 10 the British oohsnlaDe'
with an intimation that unless his ransom was
.o-,,,cor,sng Al once further mutilations would
s,a and that IT, in spite thereof, the money
mas not maid in course of time he would be put
- death Subsequently, the funds were raised
ens turned over 70 the hrigands. whereupon they
Released their prisoner who turned out 10 he IN
f,,u nossession Of both of MS ears and had not
undergone any mutilation whatsoever In ms
instance. no one dreamed Of imputing - ne
Young fellow any attempt 10 hoax his employers
his relatives and his friends and he was. untn he
,eacba5 sslonica after recovering his liberty. in
the most complete ignorance of the fact that his
alleged ear had been sent 70 the British Consul
General
NO HOAX IN THIS CASE.
There was no hoaxing and nothing hut cruel
earnest in the case Of the Greek brigands who
seized in April. 1870. a party Of tourists and
foreign diplomats while picnicking al Marathon,
The women ard children, after brief deten-
rion. were released and two days later Lord
Nlncaster-a frequent visitor 10 Anerica-vas
permitted 70 proceed 10 Athens for the purpose
Of raising the ransom. amounting 70 over SlJo,-
GO The bandits. moreover. demanded a free
pardon. threatening to murder their oaptives If
anv attempt were made 70 dispatch troops
against them while the NEGOTIATIONS were in
progress The English and Austrian ENJOYS at
Athens took immediate steps for the payment
of the ransom by direction of their home gov
ernments. and secured the most solemn assur-
ance from ts1e Greek government that nothing
would be done 10 endaneer the lives Of the pris-
oners by dispatching armed forces against their
oaptors.
In spite Of this pledge. the Greek authorities.
anxious 10 avoid being subsequently compelled
10 refund the amount Of the ransom 10 the Brit
ish and Austrian legations. sent troops after the
brigands, endeavoring 10 surround and TO either
kin or capture them. On becoming aware Of
this the bandits. believing that the English and
Austrian ENJOYS were breaking faith with them,
first Of all attempted TO arrest the advance of
the soldiers by sending either a couple Of fin
gers. or toes. forget which cut from their pris-
oners. and on this failing 20 have the desired
effect. proceeded 10 murder their captives in
cold blood. the victims OF the massacre includ-
ing Edward Herbert. secretary Of the British
Legation and grandson OF the second Earl Of
Carnarvon; Frederick Yyner, brother of the
present Marchioness Of Ripon: Edward Lloyd,
a member OF the English bar, and Count Albert
De Boyl. secretary Of the Austrian Legation at
Athens besides couple of English servants and
an interpreter.
SOME FAMOUS HEADS.
Throughout the Orient the heads Of defeated
rebels are always preserved by the victorious
commanders for presentation 10 their sovereign
as an indication that the work has been well
done, and at the close Of the great Satsuma in
surection IN Japan. in 1877, the head Of saigo,
Its leader who had been killed in the battle Of