Kai Ping 1883 A CHINESE SENSATION.
Jan 10, 2009 17:02:15 GMT -5
Post by helen on Jan 10, 2009 17:02:15 GMT -5
Kai Ping 140 miles south of Hongkong, haa been in a great state of excitement (says a despatch from Hongkong, dated February 23) owing to the terrible butchery of a wealthy and influential family of the place by a band of daring pirates who for years have infested that neighborhood. Tho occurrence happened in the following romantic manner : Some few years ago one Chi Wing, a rich shipowner of Kai Ping, had in his employ a very smart middle-aged man, Ah Shing, whom he promoted from the position of a common laborer gradually to that of a chief clerk. After Chi Wing had lost nearly 3000 taels by continual embezzlements he caused Ah Shing's removal. The great shipowner's affaiirs prospered. Toward the close of last November he was calculated by competent judges to be worth at least 1,500,000 do1. He owned at the time, aside from his fleet of sailing junks between Kai Ping and this port, a line of fishing boats that is worth over 100,000 dol. The discharged employee resolved upon a plan to plunder his former employer, but the house was well guarded both clay and night by a body of well-chosen men. Ah Sing then suddenly remembered that there was one great hobby of the millionaire, and upon that particular subject the old gentleman had never been known to conquer himself, and that was his particular partiality toward the opposite sex. Not many miles away from Kai Ping was a little island, the stronghold of China's moat daring robbers and pirates. To that place Ah Shing went. To the pirate chief Chi he made known a cruel plot, by which old Wing and his family were to be murdered and his iirmense wealth stolen. Th» plot was laid out in this manner, which was as unique as daring : Chief Chi was to select one very handsome and corageous youth, to be dressed in the height of female fashion, and two more youths of lesser beauty, in the same attire, to act as maids to the former. Accordinuly one Won Moo, a handsome youth of eighteen, and two others, whoso names were not mentioned, were selected for the expedition. They were accompanied by two genuine old women of the band. Ah Shing
acted as guard for the entire bevy of false females, and safely landed them on the shores of Kai Ping, where he had previously engaged a house for the occasion.
After having safely quartered his peculiar females, he made his way toward the business place of his former employer, where he found him in splendid spirits. Ah Shing mentioned in a casual way that h« had seen a beautiful maiden that morning, and that she, with her mother and attendants, had just arrived in the city from Soo Chow. Chi Wing offered L 25 to his old clerk if he could arrange for a meeting. The ex-clerk finally recoived L 25 in hand, and a further promise of L 25 if lie could induce the young ladies and the mother to favor the millionaire with a visit. The arrangements were successful. The next day at noon the " young ladies " came with the mother, and millionaire Wing saw them. He offered 1.350 to tho supposed mofher of the eighteen year old beauty, Won Moo, for tho hand of her daughter. The offer was reluctantly accepted. Notwithstanding the earnest objections of the old groom, the happy marriage was postponed until late in the afternoon of the next day. Ah Shing, seeing his scheme worked well, hastily signalled to the pirates across the waters to proceed with the balance of the programme. So by sundown the next day there were over 300 desperate pirates in the city under various forms of disguise. Some wore pedlars ; others were fortunetellers. At 8.30 p.m. tho bride and her fhree or four attendants were conveyed into the luxurious mansion of Chi Wing amid great rejoicing. The crowd outside was very great late in the day, and tho master of ceremonies ordered the gates to be closed long before their usual time. At about half-past eleven, after the last guests had been sent away, Chi Wing leisurely sauntered into the luxurious apartments of his new bride, liittle thinking of the cruel fate that awaited him. Won Moo drew a glittering dagger and thrust it into the heart of Chi Wing, who fell dead on the floor without even a groan. In haste each pirate disrobed himself of the famale garb, and the two attendants rushed to open the gates, while Won Moo shot off a sky-rocket as a signal for his 300 confederates to rush in from the outside to plunder and murder the inmates of the Wing mansion. The whole thing was conducted so scientifically and suddenly, and the guards at the gate were so perplexed that before they could find out the cause half of them were already put to the sword by the daring pirates, and the balance were so panic-stricken that each fled for his own life ; and by the time the Imperial garrison came to the scene they were only in time to intercept the fleeing pirates. After a sharp skirmish on both sides the pirates flid under cover of darkness, leaving seven dead and ten captured, including Won Moon, the handsome and daring youth. The Imperial Guard lost two killed and several wounded. Chi Wing's family was nearly extinct. A thirteen year-old boy, fortunately visiting relatives in the countiy. was the only one of the once wealthy Wong family left alive. A hasty examination was given to the prisoners the next morning by the presiding magistrate of Kai Ping and a few hours afterward the entire company were taken near the seashore, opposite to the islond of the pirates, and almost within sight of their enraged comrades they were beheaded. North Otago Times, Volume XXVIII, Issue 3395, 18 June 1883, Page 3 - papers past website, New Zealand
acted as guard for the entire bevy of false females, and safely landed them on the shores of Kai Ping, where he had previously engaged a house for the occasion.
After having safely quartered his peculiar females, he made his way toward the business place of his former employer, where he found him in splendid spirits. Ah Shing mentioned in a casual way that h« had seen a beautiful maiden that morning, and that she, with her mother and attendants, had just arrived in the city from Soo Chow. Chi Wing offered L 25 to his old clerk if he could arrange for a meeting. The ex-clerk finally recoived L 25 in hand, and a further promise of L 25 if lie could induce the young ladies and the mother to favor the millionaire with a visit. The arrangements were successful. The next day at noon the " young ladies " came with the mother, and millionaire Wing saw them. He offered 1.350 to tho supposed mofher of the eighteen year old beauty, Won Moo, for tho hand of her daughter. The offer was reluctantly accepted. Notwithstanding the earnest objections of the old groom, the happy marriage was postponed until late in the afternoon of the next day. Ah Shing, seeing his scheme worked well, hastily signalled to the pirates across the waters to proceed with the balance of the programme. So by sundown the next day there were over 300 desperate pirates in the city under various forms of disguise. Some wore pedlars ; others were fortunetellers. At 8.30 p.m. tho bride and her fhree or four attendants were conveyed into the luxurious mansion of Chi Wing amid great rejoicing. The crowd outside was very great late in the day, and tho master of ceremonies ordered the gates to be closed long before their usual time. At about half-past eleven, after the last guests had been sent away, Chi Wing leisurely sauntered into the luxurious apartments of his new bride, liittle thinking of the cruel fate that awaited him. Won Moo drew a glittering dagger and thrust it into the heart of Chi Wing, who fell dead on the floor without even a groan. In haste each pirate disrobed himself of the famale garb, and the two attendants rushed to open the gates, while Won Moo shot off a sky-rocket as a signal for his 300 confederates to rush in from the outside to plunder and murder the inmates of the Wing mansion. The whole thing was conducted so scientifically and suddenly, and the guards at the gate were so perplexed that before they could find out the cause half of them were already put to the sword by the daring pirates, and the balance were so panic-stricken that each fled for his own life ; and by the time the Imperial garrison came to the scene they were only in time to intercept the fleeing pirates. After a sharp skirmish on both sides the pirates flid under cover of darkness, leaving seven dead and ten captured, including Won Moon, the handsome and daring youth. The Imperial Guard lost two killed and several wounded. Chi Wing's family was nearly extinct. A thirteen year-old boy, fortunately visiting relatives in the countiy. was the only one of the once wealthy Wong family left alive. A hasty examination was given to the prisoners the next morning by the presiding magistrate of Kai Ping and a few hours afterward the entire company were taken near the seashore, opposite to the islond of the pirates, and almost within sight of their enraged comrades they were beheaded. North Otago Times, Volume XXVIII, Issue 3395, 18 June 1883, Page 3 - papers past website, New Zealand