Mrs Pawley, her dogs, Chinese desperadoes and a 1932 Kidnapping in Newchwang

Quite by chance, and in want of something to read on a train journey, I’ve been delving into the diaries of the noted London theatre critic James Agate (A Shorter Ego) and his recollections of the 1930s. Agate was mildly known to me for having written a great debunking of the London and New York stage production of Pearl Buck’s massively over-rated The Good Earth. I’ve never much liked this book so was pleased once to come across a review of Agate’s entitled “Chinese Bunk”, trashing the play and asking the rather good question of why no Chinese actors were cast in any of the lead roles? Fair point and one made often today, but distinctly less so back then – poor old Anna May Wong desperately wanted the lead but was harshly rejected.

Anyway, Agate was strangely fascinated by the kidnapping case of a certain Mrs Pawley in 1932. I didn’t know this case, but I should. Apparently, in the autumn of 1932, Mrs Kenneth Pawley and Mr Charles Cochran, Mr Duncan-Macintosh (all Brits) and two Chinese servants were kidnapped and held for 44 days by Chinese pirates. Macintosh managed to slip his bonds and escape, raising the alarm. They were released eventually after a ransom of $32,500 (a massive sum at the time I think), a chest of opium and some winter clothing were handed over. Mrs. Pawley lived in Newchwang (now Yingkou),  was only 19 and had only been married three months. The bandits, clearly desperadoes of the highest order, also kidnapped Mrs Pawley’s dogs (an Irish Setter and an Alsatian) and threatened to cut her ears off if the ransom wasn’t paid. Mrs Pawley was the daughter of medical-missionaries and was heading of to visit them in Newchwang, leaving her husband at home in Tientsin. Like all good China sojourners Mrs Pawley (fully Edith Muriel Philips Pawley, or just called “Tinko” by her friends) got a book out of the escapade, dictating it to her friend Joy Packer nine months later while recuperating in Weihaiwei (now just Weihai) – My Bandit Hosts (1935).

Tinko was clearly a character such as are rare these days. Agate records her, threatened with dismemberment, freezing cold and half-starved writing to her parents to request they “send me some lipstick”. At the time there were fears, unsubstantiated but reported in the more sensationalist British press, that Mrs Pawley would undergo death by a thousand cuts with cayenne pepper placed in the cuts to accentuate the slow agony of death! When it looked likely that the ransom might not arrive, Mrs Pawley’s only comment was “Soap required urgently”. Agate reports on November 16th 1932 simply, “Mrs Pawley ransomed.” and indeed a Japanese official in occupied Manchukuo (Manchuria) did appear with the ransom and Mrs Pawley, Mr Cochran and the two dogs were set free. The French newspaper L’Illustre carried a rather dramatic picture on its cover (click here).

Mrs Pawley also inspired a short story by Evelyn Waugh – Incident in Azania – more on that soon….