[ LXXVII]
(D.)
Statement of Ch'an Tsai-ch'un (7th June, 1892).
CH'AN TSAI-CH'ÜN states :—I am engaged in the Sam Shing Japanese Lacquerware shop. I have been there more than 20 years. I am a native of Nám Long in the Shun Tak District. I remember the Kwai Mi Year, (1883). In that year a young girl, CH'AN CHAN, was brought from Shanghai to Hongkong. At that time I was not in Hongkong, but Mr. LEUNG ON wrote to me and asked me to come from the country. Mr. LI TAK-CH'EUNG also took an interest in the matter. The letter told me there was a young
girl in the Tung Wa Hospital, who belonged to my native place, and he wanted me to see if that was the case. I came to Hongkong and went to the Tung Wa Hospital. I saw the girl there and I asked her about her case. I recognised her at once as CH'AN CHAN. She told me she went to her aunt's (A-1) to be married. She was married to TSAU KUNG-WAN as the 4th concubine. This was in Canton, and the marriage was celebrated in the house of her aunt (A-1). She was then taken to Shanghai. She had not been there a month when she was sold into a brothel by Tsau Kung-wan. She had not been in the brothel long—a month when she happened fortunately to meet Mr. LAU and Mr. LEUNG. Mr. LAU's name was SHUT-TING. He was father of a TSUN-SZ. Mr. LEUNG was the 2nd son of LEUNG ON. He is in Hongkong and was in the Shiu Hing Company. The two men met the girl in a brothel. They heard her crying and having found out the facts of her case redeemed her with a sum of money and brought her to Hongkong and handed her over to the Tung Wa Hospital. I saw her in the hospital, and, at the request of the Directors, I took the girl back to Nám Long. I signed the document produced (marked A) and chopped it with the chop of the Sam Shing firm. The document is dated Kwai Mi year, 7th moon 21st day. (23rd August, 1883).
(E.)
(Signed) 川濟陳
i.e. CH'AN TSAL-CH‹ÜN.
This bond is made by Ch'an Tsai-ch'ün.
Whereas the girl, named CHAN, was married sometime ago as a concubine to TSAU KUNG-WAN in Canton, and was taken to Shanghai within ten days after the marriage, and whereas the said girl was, for some unknown reason, afterwards rejected and sent to a brothel in Sz Ma Lei; and being unwilling to lead such a life, was rescued by LAU and LEUNG, who generously gave her money, and saved her and took her to the Tung Wa Hospital in Hongkong, in order to be handed over to her relatives. Now, I being her clansman, make this bond, and I undertake to take her to her native village, and hand her back to her parents so that the family may be reunited—a favour for which, not only A Chan, but her parents and other relatives will be ever grateful. This bond is made, and handed over to the Tung Wa Hospital for record.
(Signed) CHAN TSAI-CHÜN,
Chop SÁM-SHING-WING.
21st day of the 7th moon in the Kwai Mi Year, (23rd August, 1883).
(F.)
Statement of Wong Yung-ching.
Mr. WỌNG YUNG-TS'ING states:-About two years ago when I was in Shanghai in the China Merchants' Office, I was a member of the Kwong Shiu Kung Sho. I remember a case in which the 4th wife of a gentleman called TSAU KUNG-WAN alias TSAU WAN-KUNG brought four Cantonese girls to Shanghai. The girls were brought to Shanghai ostensibly to be married, but as a matter of fact the girls were all seduced by TSAU KUNG-WAN. Afterwards two of them married two Cantonese policemen, and two others were put in brothels. The case was brought by one of the girls before the Kwong Shin Kung Sho. That is how we got to know the matter. There is a record of this, I think, in the Kwong Shiu Kung Sho. The case was brought first before the Mixed Court Magistrate who referred it to the Kwong Shiu Kung Sho. The feeling against TSAU KUNG-WAN among the Cantonese in Shanghai at that time was very strong.
(Signed)
WONG YUNG CHING.