393.1123 Coveyou, Walter/12: Telegram

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

402. My 379, May 13, noon. Following from American Consul General at Hankow:

“May 18, 1 p.m. My May 11, 9 a.m. Chief officer Hwang Tzeyun,44 who refused to afford protection to priests before their murder, has been executed together with bandit named Liu and the wife of the innkeeper Nieh and still two others whose names not obtainable. [Page 507] Five in all have been executed and other suspects are being held in custody. The military are still searching town and surrounding country where crime was committed.”45

MacMurray
  1. Chief of the Hwachiao, Hunan, Defense Corps.
  2. In telegram No. 468, June 12, the Minister repeated to the Department a telegram of June 10, from the Consul General at Hankow stating that “Commissioner of Foreign Affairs at Changsha has informed me that Chen Tsu-ming, the leader of the bandit gang that murdered the three priests in Hunan, has been killed by soldiers sent to exterminate the gang.” (393.1123 Coveyou, Walter/15).