Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-06-14
FOREIGN CAPT|VES
ALL RELEASED BY
CHINESE BANDITS
Four Americans Among Last
Eight Released Tuesday.
Success of Negotiations
Credited to Roy Anderson


outlaws since they were taken from
the Shanghai-Pekin express train
near Suchow, May 6.
| They are:
Americans: Major Roland w. Pin
ger. U. S. A. ordnance department.
Manila; home, Berkeley, Cal.
| Leon Friedman, Brevert hotel, Chi
cago. owner of China Motors corpo-
ration, Shanghai.
John B. Powell, Hannibal, Mo-,
publisher of Weekly Review, Shang-
hal. A
Lee Solomon, San Francisco,
Shanghai agent of the Block COM
pany, of San Francisco.
British: Fred Elias, broker, Shang-
hal.
Reginald W. Rowlatt, Birming.
ham, England, manager Reiss & Co.,
Tientsin.
French: Emile Gensberger, broker.
Shanghai:
Italian: p. D. Musso, Shanghai,
lawyer, capitalist, advisor to the Chi
nese government.
News Of the release promised to
relieve the tense. atmosphere envel-
oping China's foreign relations since
May 6.
Bandits Demands Are Met
The score or more foreigners first
| fol- iY1+o he \
ually as the bandits released them,
one or two at a time, until only
eight were held. These were the
hostages detained until the Chinese
| government should have fulfilled the
last of the outlaws demands. The
bandits did not ask for money, but
their principal condition was that
they be enrolled in the regular army.
The representatives of the Pel1in
| government began mastering in the
bandits more than a week ago.
The first two weeks of the for
eigners' captivity was fraught with
alarm for their safety, because OF
the constant threats Of the bandits
to execute their prisoners if the pur-
suing Chinese troops were not with
drawn and the bandits terms com.
piled with. Later however, the BAN
dts showed a more conciliatory atti-
| ttude and indicated they would give
the Intermediates time to complete
their work. Nevertheless, the foreign
governments involved and their Dip
tomato representatives in Pekin con-
tinued to display keen anxiety and
increasing pressure was applied to
| the Chinese government to effect the
release of the captives.
While the diplomatic corps did not
interfere with the measures taken by
the Pekin government, it stood ready
to help and sent to TSaochwang an
| international commission headed by
Brigadier General w. d. Conner, u.
S. A, to investigate all phases OF
banditry in Shantung province. The
commission still is on the ground.
Roy Anderson, an American with
| long experience in Chinese affairs,
was the principal intermediary be-
tween the bandits and the Chinese
government. Although his capacity
was unofficial he was trusted inn
plicitly by both sides and guaran-
teed to the bandits that the Chinese
government would carry out its
promises.
A large number Of Chinese cap.
| tives remained on PaotZuku noun
| tain at latest advices. Negotiations
for their release were proceeding,
however.
Holdup Spectacular
The Chinese bandits, numbering
more than 1000, lderailed and robbed
Shanghai-Pek express on the
Tientsin-Pukow railroad near SUI
chow early Sunday morning, May 6.
The outlaws fired through the win
dows of the train to intimidate the
passengers and one man, Joseph
Rothman, said to have been a Brit
ish subject, was killed.
The foreign passengers were rout-
ed in their night clothes, herded to-
gether and driven towards the noun
tain retreat Of the brigands. The
women captives, except one, soon be-
came a severe burden, were released
and left to find their way back over
the rough trails as best they could.
Among the women prisoners taken
in the train raid was Miss Lucy
Aldrich, sister-in-law or John d.
Rockefeller, Jr., and her travelling
companion, Miss Minnie McFadden.
The only woman who reached the
PaotZuku headquarters of the BAN
dts was Mrs! Manuel A. Verea, who
refused to accept freedom and in
sisted on remaining with her hus-
band. Mrs. Verea did not leave the
bandit until May 20.
Besides hose released oday, the
following captives were given their
freedom at various times:
NJ. o. Berube, Shanghai; Major
Robert A. Allen, U. S. A., medical
corps, Manila; jerome A. Henley,
Shanghai; Edward Elias, Shanghai;
Theodore Saphiere, Shanghai; w.
Smith, Manchester, England; Man
uel A. Verea, Guadalajara, Mex, and
the young sons of Majors Allen and
Pinger.
Political Plot Seen
From the start the bandits did
not talk of a ransom in money for
their captives. That led many to
believe that the train hold-up ana
kidnapping were the result of a pre-
conceived plot instigated by certain
north China political elements. Brig.
adler General w. D. Conner, U. S.
A., heading an international COM
mission, has been investigating that
as well as other phases Of the af-
fair.
After weeks of delay, in which The
brigands sent out certain of the pris-
~