Evening star., 1923-05-11
Hopes for Release of Ameri.
cans Hang on Effort of
| Confidant of Chiefs.
LIVES IN PERIL AS FIVE
BANDIT CHIEFS QUARREL
Troops Surround Stronghold.
Captives Short of Food-Out-
laws Ready for Siege.

BY the Associated Press.
PEKING, May Ill. A. Henley
of San Francisco, one of the Amer
fcans captured by the Chinese bnn-
! dts in the train rnid of last Sum
! day, hns been released, according
to a dispatch from LichenR, which
! reports his arrival there. Mr.. Hem
! ley, 1T Is added. declared the other
! foreigners still held by the ban
dts are in good health.
BY the Associated Press.
PEKING. May 11.-Hopes of OBJ
taining freedom for the captives held
by the Suchow train bandits for ran
som today seems to lie in the efforts
of Roy Anderson, an American of long
experience in Chinese political affairs
and a personal confidant of several
important military leaders.
He has announced he will visit the
brigands in their stronghold at
Paotuku and attempt to negotiate
with them. He was one of the first on
the scene after the hold-up of the
ShanghaiPeking express. and since
has been counseling and cooperating
with the American. British and
French consuls at Lincheng.
Only One Pass to Enter.
Paotuku, the bandits stronghold, is
southwest of Yiksien. Shantung
province. and forty miles west of the
railroad. 1t is described as a large
plateau. approachable by only one
narrow pass. The outlaws are re-
ported to have long used the retreat
as a rendezvous and TO have stored
large quantities of provisions there.
They are said to be short of water.
however and are forced to make fire.
Quent SortfeS for it.
According to a report by a Chinese
prisoner, the leader of the brigands is
a youth barely past twenty of the
name of Sun WI or Su Yei-Yao. The
leader is said to be willing to treat
for the release of his prisoners, pro-
vided the troops withdraw seventeen
miles from Paotuku.
Prisoners Short of Food.
Anderson plans to take along food
supplies for the foreign captives. who
are declared to be subsisting on short
rationS.
The ministry of communications has
instructed representatives at Lincheng
to render every assistance to the con-
suls and foreign relief parties.
1t Is reported that the hardships of
the captiveS have been increased be-
cause of jealousy among the leaders Of
the brigands. Five Of the subchiefs
are said to be bargaining for control
OF the kidnapping arrangements, thus en-
failing frequent shifting Of the prison.
ers from one camp to another.
The government troops. while not
pressing the bandits. still are en-
ctrcling their stronghold.
Miss Aldrich still in Hospital.
Miss Lucy Aldrich, sister-in law of
John D. Rockefeller. jr., and daush-
ter Of the late Senator Aldrich Of
Rhode Island. remained in a hospital
here today recovering from the nery-
Gus shock caused by her days cap
tfvity In the hands of the Chinese
bandits who seized the passengers on
the Shanghai Peking express train
near Suchow last Sunday. Miss Aid
rich, under the advice Of physicians
refused to be interviewed. She has
been In seclusion. under medical care
since the bandits released her.
scHURMAN AWAITS WORD.
BY the AssOcIa ted Press
SHANGHAI. May 11.-Cnfted States
Minister Schurman, who arrived here
with his wife and niece at midnight.
announced that he expected hourly
to hear that the Suchow train bandits
had released all of their captives.
The most important factor in oh
tanning the release Of the prisoners.
Mr.. Schurman said was the with.
drawal of the government troops
which had pursued the brigands to