Office of the Historian

393.1123 Lincheng/1: Telegram

The Minister in China (Schurman) to the Secretary of State

Tsinanfu, May 6, 1923—12 midnight.
[Received May 7—2:55 a.m.]

Express train which left Shanghai Saturday morning held up by bandits near Lincheng, Shantung, about 2 o’clock Sunday morning; 19 of 26 foreigners, including Powell70 of Weekly Review, held captive; Rothman, British subject, killed; bandits being pursued by small military forces. Situation serious, little information but foregoing received from American on the scene. I have telegraphed Shanghai to inquire if other Americans were on train.71

Schurman
  1. James B. Powell, American, editor of the China Weekly Review, Shanghai.↩
  2. Other Americans on the train were L. Lehrbas, L. C. Solomon, Leon Friedman, J. A. Henley, Major and Mrs. R. W. Pinger and two boys, Major and Mrs. 11. A. Allen and one boy, Miss Lucy T. Aldrich, Miss Minnie McFadden, Miss Schonberg, Victor Haimovitch, and A. L. Zimmerman. The last two were not captured. Mr. Lehrbas, Mrs. Pinger and one son, Mrs. Allen, Miss Aldrich, Miss McFadden, and Miss Schonberg were soon released or escaped. The others were held as captives. The only woman held after the first day was Mrs. Verea, Mexican, who refused to leave her husband. She was released May 21.↩