FACED DEATH

Stratford Evening Post, Issue 73, 22 June 1928, Page 6

FACED DEATH

BRITISH CONSUL FIRED ON. CHINESE ATTACK CAR. ■ SHANGHAI, June 10. A party of Europeans, including the British vice-consul, Mr H. NSteptce, narrowly escaped death ax the hands of the retreating lengtien troops while motoring from Tidntsiu to

As the car approached, the troops opened fire, hitting the. car sevox al times, and only the presence of mind of one of the party saved it from afinihillltidn. Hie party consisted of the British Vice-Consul (Mr PI. N. Steptce), Captain J. 1L Ratay, an American Mill-, tary Attache, Mr Kendall, an American resident of Peking, and a German pastor, Plerr Zcigler. When the troops opened lire the. party took refuge in a ditch. The Sold iets advanced, firing heavily and the situation was desperate, when Captain Ratay, with a handkerchief tied to a stick, climbed out of the ditch and waved to the onriuthing troops. , After a narrow escape from the bil - lets he eventually persuaded the so - diersi to permit the car to proceet . The Chinese explanation is that, a short time before, a caA laden wi n Jamuidse- ‘had dashed through them, and this had so incensed the troops ’that they resolved to fire at the next one, which happened to he that of the party-