The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-01-18


the release didn't he before he was
| taken HIP"
Yes. he sealed 1t just before he
| swooned away. and that is the other
strange and mysterious performance;
for the release, as we all supposed-and
the good Lord knows we paid and
| bribed every living soul in that blessed
Tao-tafs yamen 20 get 1t. anyhow
the release was for the down river lots
and not for those up-river lots beyond
the French Concession. We're let IN,
you see, for sixty thousand taels in
stead of fifty. and now it's too late to
change it."
That's what Bill Nye meant when
he said that their ways were child
like and bland wasn't 50" chimed in
Captain Burrows Of tie American
steamer IN port.
Gentlemen remarked the Hon.
Mr.. McAIlister of His Majesty's Consul
lar Court, as the little company broke
up, here Is the case in a nutshell, 1
give 1t to you as I would to jury. 1t
is yours, go home and sleep over it and
let the Chief Of Police and myself know
when you reach your verdict. COM
pany of European capitalists decide to
build a spinning mill in Shanghai and
start looking for a suitable piece of
land on the river-f After long
delay, two pieces are offered to them;
a down town piece at fifty thousand
taels and an up-river piece at sixty
thousand. AS both are on actual Chi
nese soil, the seal and release of the
Tao-tai are necessary before the pur-
chase can be contaminated. After no.
end Of interviews with middle-men and
ccnsuls and Yamen officials. the de-
cision seems to be in favor OF the lower
priced property and a dinner Is ar
ranged at the Wellington Hotel at
which tho principals are to meet, and
the Tao-tai sends his deputy to aff1x
the seal. All goes merrily until the
coffee and segars. then the document Is
produced and the Deputy seals it and
the transaction Is complete. Now for
the deroument: no sooner is the deed
properly sealed than the Deputy
swoons away. He is carried out and.
in spite Of all that the most skillful
English physicians can do, he dies
within a few hours without regaining
consciousness On opening the deed
later in the evening, to the utter as
constituent of all concerned. 1t is for
another piece of property at a much
higher price! Yet everyone present at
the dinner was an eyewitness Of all
the transactions and heard the deed
distinctly read. Here are the three
nuts for you to crack, viz: (Il How
was the deed exchanged. If exchanged
it was. ca Who was responsible for
the Deputy's sickness and subsequent
decease? (3) How and why did 1t
occur at just that critical nonnent?"
While these three problems were be-
ing submitted to the gentlemen at the
Club, the following conversation. bear
ing most vitality on the sef-same sub
ject, took place in the inner Office Of
the Shanghai Inspectorate General of
Police, between Chief Detective More \
head and his superior officer.
81 tell you. Chief. It's beyond me and
I rather think it's beyond US all. I saw
the Tao tails second deputy today and
he tells me that they have worked just
as hard over It as We have and they
can't get any nearer to it. They under
stand their own people and, tell you
for know something Of their willy
ways of forcing and torturing a con-
fession out OF a suspect-if they can't
figure it out, there Is no more use Of
you and me and any of the European
men wasting any mCre time on 1t.
Let's give it up and leave it alone for
a while. and then perhaps later on,
something or somebody may turn up
as old Dickens said and shed little
daylight on the darkness"
81 am almost tempted to agree with
you," answered the Inspector. land yet,
don't you know. hate to acknowledge
our failure. 1t puts US all wrong with
the natives. This thing occurred IN
the Foreign Settlement and in our larg-
est and best hotel, at a dinner right
under our very eyes and we not only
can't find any clue to the mystery, but
our best physicians had to let the poor
chap die without even being able to tell
US what he died of. Where will our
boosted Western civilization and skill
stand with the Chinese after this i?
Even II they haven't got many news
papers to read. this thinE-so my boy
tells me-has been spread and gossiped
all up and down the coast and river and
every time they repeat it it naturally
grows worse. It can't stand all those
yellow papers that they paste up on the
corners OF their native streets where
the crowds gather. but I shouldn't be
a bit surprised to be told by some mis-
sionary that they say. How Chinese
government officials are trapped and
murdered in Foreign hottest Indeed, J
have some papers like that in my ofice
safe now
There's only one human being that
I've ever heard Of that can really help
Us. If We can find him. Chief"
We'll. who is it? Not that mysterious
chap from Hong Kong? Willy Wang
Foo as they call him down there. You
don't mean him. do you?"
The same; you remember how he
traced out that fellow that stole the
Governors jade-stone signet don't you.
when all Hong Kong gave 1t up?" |
Yes. indeed. I remember that case
distinctly. I don't believe we should
lose face, do you, by sending for him
now?
TT surely couldn't do any harm. Sir,
especially If We made It clear that we
only wanted some temporary assist
ance."
YOU'RE right Nnrehead ma Mill