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Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXIII, Issue 3, 1 May 1912, Page 7

Soy Robinson, of H.M.S. Pegasus, writing to relatives in Singleton, New South'Wales, furnishes details of life and customs in China. The following extracts are from his letters: —''I wax talking to a Chinese compradorc. when I heard a rifle shot, and lie fell dead at my feet. The tragedy was simply due to the carelessness of a rebel, lliiles e are continually going oh, and the risk' a man runs is great. I witnessed another horrible tragedy last week. A Chinese coolie stole a small electric lamp globe from a simp. He was drag'ged out into the middle (if the road. and bound with his hands behind his back. I thought they were going to sheet him, when suddenly an officer stepped out in front of him, and the eoolio dropped on his knees and bent his head. The officer drew his sword and'beheaded him there, right in the middle of the main, street. As soon as ids he.id was off the mob spat on it, sad kicked it about the road. Then they brought a post and stuck it in the'ground, and put the coolie's head on top of it. with his body at the bottom. According to custom, it was left there for three days as an example. There have been a terrible lot of suicides here (Nanking)—nearly all women. Most of the acts of self-destruc-tion are due to the revolution. Walking along the street it is a common sight to see dozens of dead women in the gutters."