Show DEATH FIXED AS PENALTY Chieftain Declares Captives Captives Captives Cap Cap- tives Will Will Will-Be Be Killed Unless Unless Unless Un Un- less Powers Guarantee Reinstatement of Men May 15 By A A. A P. P P.- P. American troops here ere were called out out early early Sunday to be bs guard property railway following reports re received lv d at-Amer- at loan ican military headquarters r of a battie battle battle bat bat- tle tie in progress between Chinese troops and brigands at T fifty miles west of here on oh the Pekin-Mukden Pekin railway SHANGHAI May 15 By A. A P. P P.- P. Foreign diplomatic representatives were under peremptory orders to today today today to- to day from a bandit chieftain called Wang to to guarantee by bv nightfall that the Chinese government would meet his bin demand that several thousand thousand thousand thou thou- sand of his followers entrenched in the mountain fastnesses of Sh Shanghai be forgiven for their de depredations depredations depredations de- de predations and accorded the status of regular soldiers Should the diplomats or the Chinese government government government govern govern- ment fail fall to comply the price as fixed by Wang in a letter delivered to the American consul at is death to the foreigners held as hostages The letter was brought from the the- bandit headquarters to by bythe bythe I the Rev William Lenfers an aged prie priest t of who walking I night and day through the wild I country reached the mountain top topI where the captives were held Sunday Sun Sun- day He conferred with the chieftain chieftain chief chief- tam tain received the message ad addressed addressed addressed ad- ad dressed to the foreign ministers In China and left immediately on the perilous exhausting Journey back PRIEST MAKES REPORT Father Lenfers Lenters reported that the bandits would not accept the tho pledge of ot Chinese officials and so had In Insisted Insisted insisted In- In on foreign guarantees Immediately Immediately Immediately Im Im- Im- Im mediately after reporting to the consul the priest dispatched a letter letter letter let let- ter to Max Friedman a brother of ot Leon Friendman one of the cap cap- tives The letter which was de delivered delivered do- do livered to The Associated Press in Shanghai toda today gives a vivid picture picture pic pie ture of ot the priests priest's interview with the the leader of the outlaws Reaching Beaching a village lUnge high on a mountain Saturday night Father Lenfers ill III from exhaustion was sas told that he could interview the chieftain at 8 o'clock tho next morning I 1 slept w well ll in the bandit village village vil vii lage he wrote and the next morning or was 1 ready ad to to conf confer r with Ith the bandit leader It was 8 J when a messenger came telling me that the second command was coming then He arrived ed with an armed guard with three rifles and about twenty drawn mauser pistols He lie ordered me to march with him Climbing we went over the mountain mountain moun moun- tam tain top and arrived at another smaller village where whore he told me were the headquarters I saw bandits bandits ban ban- tilts everywhere but all were re re- re LEADER LEADIR CORDIAL BUT GRIMI GRIM I I was taken into a house In a clean room having L n l table and four benches I was Iwas given the place of honor at the head Sun Jan Mei-Jan the second In command seated himself himself himself him him- self opposite others who entered Then a young man man clean clean well dressed wearing e eyeglasses eyeglasses e lasse-ap- lasse ap Th others showed him every mark of ot respect and I then learned that ho he was called Wang ang tho commander In Throughout Through Through- out our our Interview w he was quiet quiet- toned cordial friendly grim Taking a l. l seat at my left len he explained that his men were vere not bandits bandit but had hall been deprived of oC their livelihoods when they were dismissed as soldiers unpaid They determined d on the wholesale kid kid- naping of foreigners to force Pekin to them all in the military service lIe He emphasized that the they Continued on page pago 9 Iw I. I j w 1 fHE Hf SALT LAKE I DEATH FIXED Continued from pago page 1 did not want money In return for forthe forthe forthe the captives I 1 listen listened d to too everything he said and promised everything that I felt I 1 could promise Wang quietly told me that he had prepared for the slaughter of ot othis his captives unless his demands were accepted within first he said three da days s then two days The demands were that troops troop be withdrawn withdrawn withdrawn with with- I drawn with the assurance given that there would be no reprisals In any form torm and guarantees es that the bandits be reenlisted in the military forces WANT GUARANTEE E I 1 talked with him f r more than I an ani hour but was unable to soften or modify the d demands mands which in included included included in- in guarantees from the foreign diplomats since the bandits were unwilling tf to mv any pledges from Chinese officials h however wever placed Then I 1 begged to see the captives cap cap- cap tives l' l First they brought t in Leon Friedman He looked well and sat down and talk talked d to me for tor a quarter quarter quarter ter of an hour He then called Eddy Eli Elias Ellas s since he talks German Elias also was well well red red che cheeked checked ke Major Allen then was brought in He was calm self Next y J I I RM TUESDAY SAY y V the younger younger er EI E Ellas as w WAS s ca carried I In- In carried because his right foot was as infected and badly swollen the condition con con con- diU n of it looking serious When he asked for medicine the bandits told toia him a doctor was coming to see Chevalier Musso an Italian attorney at attorney at- at torney of oC Shanghai Elias said his foot pained him I I talked to the captives told captives told them en all that was being done and explained the demands of the ban- ban Then f resumed resumed my conference I w with the h chieftain ain After Atter I 1 had him liim and ana pleaded with him I he faa agreed eed to lengthen th the period of his ulmat ultimatum m fixing three days from fr May 1 12 H He absolutely refused refused re- re fused to modify his terms Talking with an an unmoved in expression an voice he declared that If his ms demands were not met ins ht three I days he ha would kill all Ho lie added that the foreign diplomats must guarantee his his- requirements ORDERS TERMS DRAFTED The chieftain then ordered that the the terms be drafted This was done and a Chinese called Yung read me a a. translation of the draft and handed It to me for transmission transmission transmission sion to the diplomats I said to the chieftain You are too smart too tod intelligent to shoot shoot these innocent persons for tor nothing adding however that r I would walk I the whole night sore feet and all to carry out out his word I 1 said saidI I felt I sure the diplomats would acquiesce In the demands He replied Do not deceive your your- 1 j Y 15 MA MAY t. t self or believe me soft What I threaten I will carry out exactly out exactly as asI asI I 1 promise You Tou are a missionary and you ou know that what I say Is true Then speaking In English I turned to the prisoners saying He will not carry out out his his threat be because because because be- be cause I will hasten to and andI I am certain the diplomats will do everything to save sa you The prisoners sat writing re replies replies replies re- re plies to the letters I had brought In Into into into to them and Leon Friedman wrote a general appeal to the diplomats which all signed I asked to see Musso Musso- but the chieftain informed me me that Musso was pr prostrate strate with Illness four tour miles away Wang advised me to hasten away because he would modify his ht decision ion RELEASE REFUSED The conference ended about noon Elias Ellas was carried out and the o other her captives followed him I begged to be allowed to take along Major Allen since It had been head been promised the preceding night that we would be allowed to take out six of ot the captives The bandit leader however told me that at 10 o'clock a a. messenger had arrived reporting a of troops from Lin cheng toward Commander Commander Commander Com Com- mander Wang added If you Jou dont don't ke keep p your promises we wont won't keep ours You said troops were Vere withdrawing withdrawing withdrawing with with- drawing and these are train troops I I IThe coming In The chieftain supplied a a. a guide rl J 1 Sf S f 1 1 t I thus f saving ving much h time but the guide refused to continue to conduct me after atter a tittle I 1 succeeded In securing another guide It was hard traveling through the deep dep ra ravines ravines ravines ra- ra vines and rocky roads and cost much physical suffering En route I met groups of Chinese Chinese Chinese Chi Chi- I nese who told me they were takIng taking taking tak tak- ing presents to the bandits seeking seek seek- ing the release of ot friends I 1 also met a German doctor and three Chinese going toward the mountain Fountain in into to visit Musso 1 I thanked God for fora a drink from the doctors doctor's water bot bot- tle Not until I was s as near wang did I encounter encounter er soldiers They bothered me greatly wih vexatious questions I hurried on to delivering the letters to the American American American Amer Amer- ican consul The priest added I am unable to walk now and my hands are trembling so I can hardly write Father of German nationality nationality nationality na na- na- na is a member of the Mission Mission Mission Mis Mis- sion Order of the Divine Word He left alone alono on his dangerous danger danger- ous mission i r |