The Nine O'Clock News

Hustling, bustling Indo-Chinese Nguyen Van Tan had little time for the political debate so popular with his countrymen in Paris. He was too busy with the practical side of politics. A onetime tailor and tourist guide in Saigon, Nguyen after World War II made himself invaluable to the French with his talent for purchasing hard-to-get rice for their forces fighting Indo-China's Communist Boss Ho Chi Minh. It was said in Saigon that Nguyen could buy rice in the very heart of a Ho-held village and ship it out to the French.

Three years ago Nguyen's business deals had the Communists so angry that Saigon was no longer safe for Nguyen. The French suggested that he transfer his base of operations to Paris. Nguyen settled with his wife and his 20-year-old niece, Ly Phan Van Tey, in a pleasant house in the suburb of Le Perreux.

An unassuming young Indo-Chinese student from the Left Bank named Vo Van Tu Quoc began dropping in to chat with Nguyen. The student professed to be a follower of Emperor Bao Dai.

One day last week Merchant Nguyen and his family were gathered around the television set in the master's bedroom at Le Perreux waiting for the 9 o'clock news to come on. The doorbell rang. Pretty Ly ran down to answer it. The caller was Student Vo. Ly invited him upstairs to join the family circle. As the show began, the visitor leaped from his chair, whipped out a pistol and screamed at Nguyen: "You are a traitor to your country. You have been supplying the French with rice. You have been condemned by a tribunal of the people of Viet Minh and I am here to execute the sentence." Then he began shooting. One of the shots caught the rice merchant in the neck, killing him. Two more shots scratched Mrs. Nguyen. Ly flung herself at the student. Vo, tangling with Ly, fired again, hitting his own arm. With a mighty heave he freed himself, seized a box of jewels, ran out.

Soon afterward, the police picked him up unconscious on the ground outside. Beside him were the remnants of his identity cards which he had tried to burn before passing out. "I've just killed a man," he gasped when he regained consciousness. "It was all a matter of politics."

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