BRIGANDAGE IN CHINA.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 177, 21 April 1908, Page 11

BRIGANDAGE IN CHINA.

RAJJSOM, MINE THOUSAND DOLLARS. CAPTIJPX OF WEALTHY NEW ZE VL \ND CHINAMAN .; t fcircok ova:. sptciAri copbespossest.)• , ■ , ' Honc-Kang, March IS. v Orto of-Cnina's: peculiar-mdusti its .is that of 'highway robbery and tho capturing of wealthy rcsideuts and holding thorn to ransom: . AChincGo named How Chow, who f or ovor twenty years-has lived.m Now Zealand, and who roturncd to his native \ lllago in tho - KwSuig'-Tung Province late, in 100G, was in Hong-Kong a fow days ago. The storj ho tells lsitlmt: of a prosperous Chinaman who has roturned to his native villago to spond tho remainder of his .days there, with tho liopo thatwhon-tho mevitablo call came ho would bo • laid.'to rest along with his forefathers. But his .money proved too Rreat a temptation- to robbers to allow linn to li\o in poaco. held for ransom ' ■ 'Mr Chow made a fortune in Now Zealand,- whero : he-iva.v in business, in .tho Gisbor'nev district. Ha had married an: Australian woman, and .tlie.v had se\en children. They arrived m Hong-Kong 111 April, !%(>, and'went on to Macao, where the youngest child, a" boy of eleven, was put into the fat. Joso College for a term offivo years, ino raiiier went on to his homo at Konghoi, and themother and the six children .returned to New Zealand. ' How-Chow .was-, not heard ot "after October, 1907, and; his ■ wife getting very-anxious, inquiries were instituted by the Hong-Kong police, when it was discovered. that the missmg man was in the hands of a band of robbers,'.who were holding him for ransom. "A >Chine&e detective':': was:'dispatched from Hong-Kong to Konghoi, and he learned that on'j the .night of. December 10' aparty of fifty or -sixty armod robbers had gone to How Chow's . house and demanded money, jhoy secured? 6000- dollars- ill : cash ■ arid. .jewellery and' Clothing worth ■ about, 10C0 . dollars. They had -intended to.tako awaj .the eldest .son and .hold: him for ransom,'but when they ! found'he was not there they took tho old ' . man-iuHe was taken to a place called Kwolo- - wan;' nfcar .Macao. About tho-» middle of January'.-v letter was'sent to tho Kwoiig .Tai Yuen firm in Hong-Kong.. These people are ' 'traders r '.<canying on .business'between Aus- ; - / TheVlett-or from, tho robbers'-stated that they held How Chow for '. ransom arid they asked for 150,000 dollars if' the relatives desired him to bo delivered upi" fHis Chinese friends were afraid to-ie-s6rt*to 'any force- ill any way to extricate HowChoiv from his captors, fearing that he might bo killed. '. Tho, robbers stated • that their man would call in a few, days for the 1 ransom; but apparently they learned that the Hong-Kong police were moving in the matter, and'their representative did not call on tho • firm-' as intended. x ESCArE AND RECAPTURE -• From the date of his capture, December 10, ■ 19Q6i-i:till'October 6, ISO?, Mr. How Chow was : -:kopt a -prisoner.. by the robbers. His friends'ultimately, seeing that it.was useless tio.&xpifct the Chinese Government .to take -'stmOri^secure,.his. liberation, compromised with • the i robbers,, and on. payment' of 9000 ' dollars How Chow was released., He states . that -he was well treated , during the caily his imprisonment,, but. when lie had been -a prisoner for about: two months he mado an' attempt to escape on a steam / -launch:?''"• The robbers pursued;- and : ho jumped'overboard, but was recaptured,, and for the .remainder of the time was-given little ' or. iio.'liberty. From bomg so long-confined, and'owing to his age and inability to . take ■ any exercise;, bo had almost lost tho use of his./legs; . When .released, however,•..this . trouble lias worn-away, and-' he is almost himself-again; He has now. abandoned his intention;of settling down in his native village,"' and lias-decided to retiinj io_Gisborno m , New Zealand, 1 , where , tho i ,laws of tho country will secure: him from . molestation either in regard .to his property or person. A 'great ■ deal of credit is due. to the HongKong ;police:and to Chief Detective Hanson, Y who; althouglj they were not> able to secure 1 his release, :learned. of ■ amb • in this way 'appeased somewhat the ansiety wife ana children in New Zealand. _ : :.It is interesting to know that Detective ■ - Hanson has spent some years himself in Now Zealand and-Australia. He speaks of'return-, mg to Australia or New Zealand in a year or BO,' iwhen he-retires'on pension; and: in this . way will depart- from tho -usual practice ofcivil servants* out hero,, for most-of them ■ return to the Old . World. ! V