The Washington times., 1923-05-12
z CAPT|VES.
HAD GOOD
TIM:
Better Than Tom Sawyer"
Declare Boys Held Pris-
oner by Chinese.
ERIC Won sALZNIAN,
international News Service.


PEKING, May IL. Wearing
blue coolie clothes over their pa
jamas and coarse coolie shoes,
Roland Pinger and
twelve-year-old Robert Allen, who
were seized and later released by
Chinese bandits, arrived today to
join their frantic mothers.
Liberated By Bandits.
They have had more adventures
since last Sunday than fall to the
lot of millions or normal boys.
After being liberated by the bri-
gands they were put on train
1t Linchen and sent to Ten Tsin.
The boys were accompanied from
the bandit stronghold by a Chinese
who spoke English. He went with
them all the way to Tien Tsin.
The boys faces were burned by
the sun and their feet were bruised
but otherwise they suffered no i'll
effects.
They were so interested in the
thrilling events around them that
they did not mind stone bruises, tan
and ill-fitting clothes.
tom Sawyer never had anything
on u.s." said twelve-year-old Robert
Allen. He had just finished a
hearty meal and was full and
happy. He continued:
Chief Not Bad Man.
1--WE have had nothing but eggs
am sick of them. All we got
while we were with the bandits was
hard boiled eggs. some kind of
dough cakes and tea. But they
were good to us. They did not
harm us at all. We told the the
chief that we could not pay any
money for we did not have any
and that we wanted to go to our
mothers. The chief looked at us and
said, oh, all right and then let
us go. He liked our yellow hair
and said it was so funny to him
that he could not keep from laugh
ing. He was not a bad man"
The boys said that the first night
march at top speed toward the noun
tains. They rested in a deserted viii
lage and the bandits stole some
donkeys. They gave these beasts to
the women and children to ride on
Miss Minnie McFadden was thrown
from her donkey and was left lying
in the road. The bandits said they
were in too much of hurry to stop.
At dawn Monday the soldiers came
up and attacked the bandits strong
hold. Then followed alternate pc
RODS of fighting, fleeing and resting.
Most of the flights were made under
cover of darkness.
HAWAI- EflIoJ Co,o
The boys said there were several
hundreds Of bandits, directed by two
leaders. One of the chiefs had
served in France during the war and
could speak both French and Eng
lish. The mountain cave of the
brigands was described as something
like the Arabian Nights. 1t was
high-walled and secure and was filled
with loot of all kinds.
The sides weer piled high wit h
jewelry, gold. silver and currency.
There were piles Of silver dollars and
paper money. The boys were round
eyed with Amusement as they de-
scribed it. They said there must
have been hundreds of thousands of
dollars" 1t was securely barricaded.
Robert and Roland said they saw
bracelets.
Il saw fathers glasses, too" said
Robert.
All the women except a Mexican
were released. The Mexican woman
has a very low opinion of Chinese
brigands.
Il have travelled through Spain
and Mexico. and I must say that
Chinese bandits are worse than
those OF any other country" she
said She is Mrs. M. Yerea. OF
Guadalajara. The bandits tried to
force her to carry a white flag
down the mountainside to the com
mander Of the soldiers while the
firing was in progress. but she re
fused to leave her husband.
IT wasn't afraid" the woman
explained to a companion. why
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