LAY IN MUD BED

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21784, 25 October 1932, Page 7

LAY IN MUD BED

MRS PAWLEY'S EXPERIENCES TREATMENT BY BANDITS OFTEN BEATEN WITH WHIP (United Press Association.) (By Electrlo Telegraph—Copyright.) (Daily Mail Special.—Copyright.) LONDON, October 23. The special correspondent of the Daily Mail accompanied the party that rescued Mrs Pawley and Mr Gorkran. He cabled an account of Mrs Pawley's own story. She related sufferings over long marches after the capture, when the prisoners were forced to cover 40 miles in 16 hours, often through grass eight feet high or marshes in which they were compelled to lie flat to escape observation. "We were drenched to the skin and were without food. We lapped water from muddy ditches to ease our parched throats. Our feet were cut and bleeding. Once 1 saw a train. I doffed may hat hoping that my hair would attract attention. The bandit leader then struck me on the head with my riding whip, which he often used to beat us. A rope round ray neck almost strangled me. "Once we saw soldiers, and' we were made to crouch in the reeds, the bandits holding their dogs' noses to prevent them from barking. The bandits held pistols to our heads and threatened to blow.out our brains if we shouted.

"On the third day, staggering along at midnight, T became light-headed. We were imprisoned in a house, where we lay in a mud bed; Our hands were tied to an overhanging beam. It was eo agonising that it was impossible to eat or sleep. "We were compelled to resume the marchi suffering tortures through having to put our shoes on our bleeding feet. We were pestered by mosquitoes, which covered us with blood. It was impossible to avoid them owing to our bound hands. We suffered this misery for a week."

CONTRADICTORY ACCOUNTS. KOBE, October 24. . (Received Oct. 24, at 9.30 p.m.) It is reported that Captain Kawahito and a party of Japanese soldiers visited the bandjts in their lair and bargained for the release of Mr Corkran and Mrs Pawley, who were bound fast in a small heavily guarded hut. Another account states that the Japanese Patriotic Society conducted the negotiations after having established the confidence of the bandits. It is believed that the ransom amounted to 100,000 dollars, but the subject is tabooed by the Japanese press for the sake of prestige. BANDITS ACTIVE AGAIN. WEALTHY FOREIGN CAPTIVE. ' SHANGHAI, October 24. (Received Oct. 25, at 1 a.m.) Now comes news of the capture by bandits of a Wealthy foreigner in the Harbin district. The bandits are demanding a ransom of 200,000 yen. Harbin residents' are alarmed, and many foreigners are living in daily fear of being kidnapped.