The North-Eastern Weekly Gazette. — 1888-09-15 (Stockton-on-Tees, Cleveland, England)

TERRIBLE TRAGEDY IN CHINA.  A HOUSEFUL OF PEOPLE MURDERED. An account of a horrible tragedy comes from Hangs:how, the ,capital city of Checkiang province, and situated a short distance south of Shiloghai. The magistrate concerned was the head of one of the leading families in the city, and the closing of their house in mourning for him drew attention to the circumstances. Two merchants, having trancacted some basiness at a neighbouring fair, were returning home with a considerable stun of money in their possession. The district had a bad reputation for its idle men and robbers, and the merchants were watched, and the direction in which they wont noted. The same evening an innkeeper on the road they travelled, but some miles distant from the town, received a visit from some men, who asked if the two merchants were to spend the night there, as they had some business with them. They were told that no such persons were expected, and they left. Soon afterwards the merchants came up, and demanded a night's lodging, but the innkeeper absolutely refused, saying, " Some men known to be robbers have been here enquiring for you. Your only chance is to hasten to the house of a military mandarin who lives about two 1i from here. If he takes you in you will be safe, otherwise neither of you will be alive to morrow." The travellers hastened on, and were willingly received by the inaldarin, who heard their story, and at ones made preparations to resist the expected attack. Among other things, he had se barricaded his gate with stones that when it was opened only one person at a time could enter. About midnight &knock came, and when the gate was opened the robbers rushed to get in, but could only pass one by one, and as they entered wee immediately slain by those within. Then the door was bolted again, four dead bodies being inside. Soon there was further knocking, and a inan's voice was heard asking what had come to those inside. For answer the bend of one of them was thrown over the wall. With this in their possession the remaining robbers hastened off to the neighbouring magistrate, a prominent citizen of Hangchow named Loh, and told a plausible story of a night attack made on them by the military mandarin, and of the slaughter of their comrade, , whose head they exhibited. At this point the 1 military mandarin and his brothers arrived and i gave a true account of what bad happened, and , the magistrate suggested that all should wait until morning, when the 'facts would be investigated. But the robbers urged that they shonld he allowed to return to guard the dead bodies of their friends; otherwise they would have disappeared by morning.t'and all evidence would be lost. The magistrate thought this was reasonable, and let the tnen go until morning, in spite of the motests of the military mandarin that they would certainly murder every coal in his house, which was now quite unprotected. Loh paid no heed, the robbers were released, and the military mandarin and his brothers detained in the morn, ing, when they reached the house, 14 persons were found slaughtered, including the mother, wife, young children, and servants of the mandarin. The two merchants in the tumult of , the robbers' attaek escaped to the nearest , capital and laid the whole matter before the highest authorities, who at once had this frightful tragedy inveetigated. The Emperor decreed that Loh. the negligent, or corrupt, magistrate should pay ten thousand taele (E 2,500 compensation to the military mandarin, and afterwards be beheaded. The sentence was carried into effect recmtly, and hence the house of the family of Lob o! Hangchow is closed.