393.1123 Coveyou, Walter/35
The Consul General at Hankow (Lockhart) to the Minister in China (MacMurray)52
Sir: I have the honor to refer to my despatch No. 769 of July 19, 1929,53 regarding the execution of Chen Tsu-ming, a brigand leader alleged to have been implicated in the murder of the three American Catholic missionaries at Chenki, Hunan, and to enclose herewith, for the information of the Legation, the Chinese text and a translation of a letter addressed to me under date of September 5, 1929, by the Commissioner of Foreign Affairs for Hunan53 on this subject. The Commissioner’s letter explains itself.
While the enclosed letter definitely states that Chen Tsu-ming is a brigand leader and has been executed, it does not state that he was implicated in the killing of the three missionaries. The letter does state, however, that Chang Liu Lao Ko who has been arrested, is implicated in the case and will be tried with another suspect Yang [Page 511] Ta-fong. I shall inform the Legation of the outcome of this trial. The statement that Chen Tsu-ming has been executed is at variance with information in possession of the Passionist Procuration at Hankow. I have requested this missionary organization to give me further information on the subject.
I have [etc.]