维德·波斯特克(Wade D.Bostick)致《字林西报》函 (1912年1月10日)

(原文)

Po Chow, An Hwei, Jan.10, 1912

To the North China Daily News

Wang Kin Ni, who is said to be a native of the south west corner of Shantong has been known of as a desperate robber for about four years.In the beginning of last summer he went to Lu I, of Kwei Te Fu gwan in Honan and was pursuing his plan of exacting large sums of money from wealthy men.Soldiers from Kaifeng were sent to capture him.He and his men had a pitched battle with the soldiers and whipped them, capturing some twenty foreign rifles.

His plan now is to molest none of the poor people and tries to work only by borrowing from the wealthy.He has been operating promiscuously in the Yung Cheng, Sha I, Eu Cheng and surrounding Hsiens this winter.Several unsuccessful efforts have been made to capture him.He is said to be a man of only about thirty years.

On Jan.8, he entered Koyang,110 li east of here and he is said to have made his first rade on the home and property of the head of the Self Government Society of that place and then taken charge of the pawnshop, which belonged also to the president of this society.He forbade the closing up of stores and shops and has tried to see to it that business should go and as usual, while he and his possess themselves of what they want.

Koyang is the last city that was taken is this part of Anhwei, by the revolutionists and they seem not to have gotten a magistrate settled there since.And as there were no soldiers stationed there it was an easy matter for these robbers, said to be about a thousand, to take possession of the city.

There is the general report here, that Chang Ta Ren, of the imperial army at Peking, has repeatedly wired to this noted robber, this winter, trying to get him to enlist in the army, promising him to make him commander of five ying if he would enlist.This with many other things make one wonder what the imperial army is composed of.

Po Chow is quiet and no fears of this man or other robbers as a large number of men have been enlisted for local protection.

Wade D.Bostick

(译文)

安徽亳州,1912年1月10日

致《字林西报》:

王金力,被认为是四年来山东西南部的凶狠强盗。去年夏初,他去了鹿邑,在河南的归德府,计划从富人那里抢夺大笔钱财。开封派官兵来抓捕他,他率部迎击,痛殴他们并缴获20枝外国来复枪。

他现在的计划是不骚扰穷人,只从富人那里借钱。他今年冬天一直在永城、夏邑、虞城及周边县一带流窜。几次捉拿均不成功。听说他是一个只有30岁的年轻人。

1月8号,他进入涡阳,离这边110里。据说对当地自治会会长的住宅和财产发表了一通长篇大论,然后接管了这位会长的当铺。他禁止商店铺面关门,并试图让其正常营业,而他掌握了所有想要的。

涡阳是安徽革命党最后攻占的城市,他们似乎并没有派驻地方官。因无士兵驻守,号称1000人左右的盗匪占领该城是一件容易的事情。

此地汇总的情况是,今年冬天,清廷的张大人曾多次致电王金力,希望他投诚,答应他如愿收编,派他担任五个营的指挥官。这如同许多其他事一样,让人怀疑帝国部队究竟由什么人组成。

亳州较为安静,不怕这人或其他盗匪。不少人参与维护地方治安。

维德·波斯特克