Monster

Jack the Ripper, Rasputin and the "Marquis" de Sade ("Father of Sadism") had no worse reputation among them than rapacious, repulsive Chang Tsung-chang ("The Monster") who reduced rich Shantung Province to thoroughgoing starvation (TiME, April 8, 1929).

Chinese estimate that while Shantung was in Chang's clutches not less than 5.000,000 Shantungese who would not otherwise have left their homes fled the province. When it was bled white, when the starving peasants were eating grass and considered rats a luxury. War Lord Chang absconded with ten million silver dollars to Japan. There he was fined $150 (gold) for "accidentally" shooting and killing H. H. Prince Hsien Kai, a cousin of H. M. Henry Pu Yi who is today Japan's puppet ruler of Manchukuo.

Last week Monster Chang, having squandered his millions, was prospecting again in Shantung. In Tsinan, capital of the province, Chang concluded some mysterious business last week, went down to the railway station, started to climb abroad the express for Peiping. Suddenly two Chinese youths dashed forward and abruptly, accurately, shot "The Monster" dead in his tracks. Said one of the assassins: "We are cousins. I am the son of General Chang Chin-sheng, unjustly be headed five years ago by Chang's orders."

News-tight censorship instantly closed down, obscured the fate of Chang's assassins. In Shantung everyone recalled his most brazen, most characteristic exploit. To Shantungese bankers from whom he had forced a loan, he promised: "Either I shall win the war [of 1927] and repay you out of booty, or on my word of honor I shall return to Shantung in my coffin."

When his troops failed to win the cur rent civil war. Monster Chang calmly packed his so-odd concubines into a private car, had a sumptuous red-lacquered coffin placed on a flat car, climbed in, lighted the fat cigar for chewing which he was famed and rode back to Shantung chuckling. "Have I not kept my word?"

To English correspondents some of Chang's women looked like "Americans." To U. S. correspondents some of them were "Englishwomen. "French correspond ents confirmed both theories, added that some were also "Germans."

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