The Omaha morning bee. [volume] (Omaha [Neb.]) 1922-1927, 1923-05-16
Aged Priest Visits Wang
in Mountain Stronghold
Brigands Found to Be Highly Educated, Intelligent
Men, Determined Demands Shall Be Met and Show
ing Little Faith in Promises Of Chinese Govern
ment-Will Slay Captives if Terms Not Met
BY Associated Press.

Shanghai, May 1J.-Foreign diplo.
matte representatives were under per.
emptory orders today from a bandit
chieftain called Wang, TO guarantee
by nightfalI. that the Chinese govern.
ment would meet his demand that
several thousand of his followers, en-.
trenched i'm the mountain fastnesses
Of Shantung, be forgiven for their
depredati0ns and accorded the status
of regular soldiers. Should the dip
lOmats or the Chinese government
fail TO comply. the price, as fixed by
Wang. in letter delivered TO the
American consul at Lineheng, is
death TO the foreigners held as hos.
tages.
The letter was brought from the
bandit headquarters to Lincheng by
Rev. William Lenfers, an aged priest
OF Lincheng, who, walking night and
day through the wild country. reached
the mountain top where the captives
were held Sunday. He conferred with
the chieftain. received the message
addressed TO the foreign ministers in
China and left Immediately on the
perilous. exhausting journey back.
Father Lenfers reported that the
bandits would not accept the pledge
of Chinese officials and so had in
sisted on foreign guarantees. Imme-
diately after reporting TO the consul.
the priest dispatched a letter to Max
Friedman, a brother OF Leon Fried
man. one Of the captives. The letter
which was delivered to The Associat-
ed Press in Shanghai today gives
vivid picture of the priests interview
with the leader of the outlaws.
High on Mountain.
Reaching village high on a noun.
tain. Saturday. Father Lenfers, III
from exhaustion. was told that he
could interview the chieftain at 8
o'clock the next morning
Il slept well in the bandit village"
he wrote, "and the next morning was
ready TO confer with the bandit lead.
ers. IL was when a messenger came.
telling me that the second in COM
mand was coming then. lie arrived
with an armed guard with three rifles
and about 90 drawn Mauser pistols
lie ordered me to march with him
Climbing. we went over the mountain
top and arrived at another small vii.
lage. where he told me was the head
quarters. ! saw bandits everywhere.
but all We're respectful
Il was taken into a house. In a
clean room. having a table and four
benches. was given the place of
honor at the bead.
sun Net a.. the second in com.
mand. seated himself opposite others
who entered, Then young man
clean. well dressed. isearlis eye
glasses appeared The others
showed him every mark of respect.
and | then learned that he was called
Wang the commander In chief.
Throughout our interview. he was
quiet.toned. cordial. friendly. grim.
Taking a seat at my left. he ex.
planned that his men were not ban
dts but had been deprived of their
livelihoods when they were dismissed
as soldiers. unpaid. They determined
on the wholesale kidnapping OF foreign
ers TO force Pekin to re-enroll them all
IN the military service. lie empha.
sized that they did not want money in
return for the eaptives.
Il listened TO everything" he said.
"snd promised everything that ! felt |
could promise.
Wang quietly told that be had pre-
pared for the slaughter Of his cap
tives unless his demands we're accept
ed within. first he said, three days.
then two days. The demands we're
that troops be withdrawn. with the
assurance given that there would be
no reprisals in any form. and guar
antees that the bandits be re-enilsted
In the military forces.
e.; talked with him for more than
an hour. but was unable To soften or
modify the demands. which included
guarantees from the foreign dlplo.
mats. since the bandits were unwilling