At 11 years old, James Howell Howard found himself in a very dangerous situation. He had joined his father, Harvey Howard, at an American-owned ranch in Manchuria. Bandits, bent on resisting Chinese government troops, were entrenched in a small village along the Sungari River, close to the ranch. Morgan Palmer, the ranch’s owner, decided to make a stand against the bandits, fearing they were planning an attack. On July 20, 1925, a brief standoff ended with Palmer dead and Harvey Howard kidnapped. Young James had narrowly escaped with several others.
Fortunately for Harvey Howard, he could speak fluent Chinese; was acquainted with hardship, having been a U.S. Army captain in World War I; and was an ophthalmologist. While being held for ransom, his multiple skills proved useful by being able to communicate with his captors and giving medical aid to wounded and sick bandits. For 10 weeks, he was held in captivity until he made his escape. His book “Ten Weeks With Chinese Bandits” quickly became a bestseller.
