BRITISHER MURDERED BY BANDITS

Manawatu Times, Volume 60, Issue 194, 19 August 1935, Page 7

BRITISHER MURDERED BY BANDITS

Due to Misunderstanding

STRONG REPRESENTATION TO AUTHORITIES

United Press Association.— By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright. Received Sunday, 9.50 p.m. PEKING, Aug. IS.

The British Embassy is making strong representations to the Nanking Governments regarding tho murder of Mr. Gareth Jones, which is believed to be duo to a misunderstanding between the Chinese magistrates negotiating the ransom. The magistrate at Paocliang did not inform his eolelaguo in. the adjoining district that lie was offering ransom. His colleague, when the bandits entered his district, sent troops against them which,, with tho, nonarrival of tho ransom caused the bandits to suspect ■ the negotiator’s sincerity. Accordingly they murdered Jones in revenge.

The Peking report that Mr. Gareth Jones, formerly secretary to Mr. Lloyd George, who was captured by bandits, had been released, turned out untrue. It now appears that his captors transferred' him to a second gang of bandits whom Chinese troops pursued. They found Mr. Jones’s body near Paoehang where he was originally captured. There were three bullet wounds. a.

An earlier message stated that Mr. David Lloyd George, learning that his former secretary, Mr. Gareth Jones, had been captured by Chiuese bandits, took the matter up with the Foreign Oliice, "which made representations to the Chinese Ambassador in London and the British Ambassador in China, and in consequence 500 gendarmes were searching the wilds of Inner Mongolia. Mr. Jones was motoring with Dr. Herbert Mueller, a German journalist, near Poachaug, 200 miles inland from Peking, when bandits held up their car with shots and took the passengers prisoners. They released the Russian driver and sent him to Kalgan with a demand for a ransom of £BOOO. Mr. Jones was formerly a lecturer in languages at Cambridge.