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Appendix 22.
Case of the Blind Man and his Wife.
Mr. WODEHOUSE, in his evidence before the Committee given on the 14th July, 1892, stated as follows:-
Another case which I can refer to is one in which a woman, who was a concubine, ran away from her husband, and she was taken up in Hongkong by a European. After a time her husband came looking for her and in the meantime he had become blind. The Pó Leung Kuk sent for this woman and insisted on her paying $50 for the maintenance of the man on account of his blindness. That I consider irregular.
Q. Do you know this case of your own knowledge?
A.-Not my own knowledge.
Q.-Will you give your authority? You are only giving the information second hand, and it is only fair to all parties concerned that the names should be given.
A.--With regard to the woman who ran away from her husband I am not quite prepared to give my authority at this moment.
Inspector STANTON in his evidence before the Committee, given on the 22nd July, stated as follows:-
Q.-You say there are a good many things which the Committee of the Po Leung Kuk have done which would not be tolerated in England. Will you name one example?
Inspector STANTON.— —.............. Then there was the case of which I spoke when a woman, formerly a prostitute in Canton, was redeemed by a man and taken as his concubine. This man subsequently became blind. Afterwards he was unable to support her, and she then came to Hongkong and took to living with a boy in the Hongkong and Shanghai Bank. After she had been two years living here, her husband came down. I don't know how it was, but on account of this information the woman was taken to the Pó Leung Kuk and told that she ought to support her husband: and she was kept there a fortnight until she had paid $20.
Soon after Mr. WODEHOUSE had given his evidence, I caused enquiries to be made regarding this case. I saw both the blind man and the woman, and they both denied that the Pó Léung Kuk Committee had ever compelled or suggested that the woman should pay the man money, but that she had paid him $20 of her own free will. In connection with this case I attach a statement made by the woman to Dr. Ho KAI, and I also attach a brief history of the case, which shows that it was brought to the notice of the Pó Léung Kuk Committee by the Registrar General, who thought that the Committee might be able to effect a reconciliation between the two parties. They failed to do so, and the Registrar General informed the woman, in the presence of her husband, that she was free to do as she liked. No mention was ever made of a monthly payment.
J. H. STEWART LOCKHART.
August 6th, 1892.
Statement of Chi Ying made before Honourable Ho Kai.
A woman by name of CHU A-YING was sent to me on the 21st day of July, 1892, by the Honourable the Registrar General, and, on being questioned by me in Chinese, gave the following statement:--
"I know CHAN SING, commonly known as Blind SING. I was his concubine. He was partially blind when I entered his house about ten years ago. He took me away from a brothel at Cauton by force, and, after much talking, paid the mistress of the brothel about Taels 25. He opened a sly brothel in Canton a year after having taken me. He then became a melon-hawker and I a hairdresser. He pledged my daughter several times. He came to Hongkong about 6 years ago. He smoked opium, and, with his knowledge, I became a prostitute, and all my gains I used to hand over to him. We quarrelled a good deal