MISS TOBIN IN CHINA

Evening Post, Volume CVI, Issue 116, 21 November 1928, Page 11

MISS TOBIN IN CHINA

CAPTIVE OF BRIGANDS i INCREDIBLE HARDSHIPS taltcd Tress Association—By Electric feS*. erapu conyrißbt. United Service. (Received 21st November, 11 a.m.) HONG KONG, 20th November. The story of a New Zealand lady's indomitable pluck while for forty-fdur days captive of a brigand gang has just been related. ■ On 18th September, Miss Watkins, an Australian, and Miss Blanche Tobin, a New Zealander, both members of the Church Missionary Society, were travel* ling to Kweilin from Wuehow on a river junk. Suddenly they were surprised and captured by a Chinese brigand gang. They were compelled at tho rifle point to igo to the hills. Miss Watkins was unable to keep pace and was allowed to return. Miss Tobin and two Chinese girls were hurried forward. They repeatedly feigned fatigue, but loaded rifles wcic employed to overcome furthor'reluctance. A night-long march, guided by electric torches, brought the party to the brigand chief. Miss Tobin's first food was a little rice. The chief instructed the captive to write to the society demanding £3000. Later, he agreed to accept £1000. -It was then pointed out that Miss Tobin was believed to be a man. In fact, tho gang insisted on this, but later admitted their error. CONTINUED MARCHING. Tor many days and nights there was continual marching, Miss Tobin occasionally sleeping on straw in sheer exhaustion. She once overheard her captors expressing a fear that soldiers were near, and consequently she sang, hoping that they would hear. The ehiof became angry and thrashed her with a stick, which ho twice broke. More marching followed through mountain fastnesses, where the party once hid for four days ill a cave. Then they entered the forest in which they spent threo weeks. During the whole of her captivity Miss Tobin was only three nights under a roof. SUBSTITUTE DECLINED. Bishop Holden, in the meanwhile, offered himself iv exchange for Miss Tobin, but the gang, receiving tho message, refused the exchange. Miss Tobin was gradually losing strength owing to lack of food and. the, long wanderings. Her shoes were worn, out and' her feet bare and bleeding. At this .timea letter was written to a Chinese Magistrate, insisting on the payment of a ransom. During the negotiations the chief took Miss Tobin to a cave down a creek, maintaining a strict and heavily armed guard. A few days later she was instructed to proceed with the brigands towards the district where the ransom was to ,be paid. This . necessitated four days' marching. Tho captive was still showing remarkable pluck, although completely unfit to march, whereupon "the chief, realising the impossibility of Miss Tobin 's walking further, ordered a chair in which she was carried. Ultimately they reached a point from which tho captive was told to proceed alone. After a short dis^ tanee soldiers approached, informing her of her freedom. They provided.essentials and carried Miss Tobin back, restoring her to Ijer friends. She is nowreceiving much-needed treatment after experiences many men would be unable to stand.