448
ALLEGED EMBEZZLEMENT,
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
At the Police Court on the 25th May before Hon. Commander W. C. H. Hastings, Frank Wal- ker the Hongkong manager of the Vacuum Oil Company, was charged with embezzling sums of money amounting in all to $2.572.76. Mr. V. H. Deacon, who represented the defendant, applied for a remand until Friday and the request was granted. Walker was arrested by Detective Sergeant Holt in Queen's Road on Saturday. It is alleged that the money was embezzled between the 1st April and the 20th May.
SERIOUS AFFRAY ON THE
"MARTHA'
TWO COOLIES SHOT: THE SECOND ENGINEER
ARRESTED.
turned sharp to the left down a nurrow lane which is nameless. 1 fired at the defendunt as he was turning into the lane. Apparently my shot took effect as I gained rapidly on defen- dant. He entered an empty house on the right. I fired a second shot at him as he was entering the doorway. Defendant went through the house, but did not succeed in getting over the fence at the back separating it from Albany Street. I did not enter the house. I could see defendant turn at the fence and enter
the adjoining house, through which I could hear him coming across the loose timber in the honse: I went further down and saw him coming out of the doorway into the lane, when I fired my révolver at him for the third time and he dropped and crawled into an adjoining house, where I arrested him. He was wounded in both feet. I found the revolver produced lying at his feet. There are five chambers in it and three cartridges had been discharged, I picked up the bullet produced in Queen's Rand, opposite No. 3 Police Station, just where defendant fired his third shot. I took defendant to No. 2 Police Station. where he was charged. I saw P. C. 223 in the Government Civil Hospital, suffering from a bullet wonnd in the thigh. He might have been in Queen's Road at the time without my seeing him. The coat produced is that worn by defendant when I arrested him. The hole in the left sleeve smelt of powder when I arrested him.
Soon after noon on 25th May the police flag was seen flying at the mast head of the German steamer Martha and with all possible speed Inspector Hanson. Sergeant Withers, and other officers went off to the ship in a police pinnace and learnt that a serious affray had taken place on board. It seems that cargo was being discharged, when a sharp shower of rain came on and the second mate ordered three or four cargo coolies to close down the fore hatch. They obstinately refused to obey the order and the officer caught hold of one of them and pushed him towards Dr. Atkinson said-On the 2nd inst., at the hatch. As he did this a cry of "Ta, ta 1130 p.m. P.C. Li Lin. 223, was admitted was raised and immediately all the cargo to the Government Civil Hospital with working coolies, about fifty in number, gathered a bullet wound in the right thigh. The on deck, picked up dunnage wood and iron bars bullet had evidently entered in the outer which were lying about the deck, and threw part of the thigh, passed behind the bone, them at the second mate. The second engineer, auil emerged at the inner part. a German named Peter Grunwald, heard the was discharged to-day with the Wounda yelling of the coolies and the alarm of the healed up. At 2.15 a.. on the 3rd inst. the second mate, and on seeing the serious nature of defendant was admitted to the hospital and on the outbreak he went to his cabin and re-examination he was found to have a bullet turned on deck with his loaded revolver. wound in the right foot. passing right through He fired half a dozen shots amongst the coolies and fracturing the bones. There was also a and thus quelled the disturbance and scattered bullet wouul on the outer part of the left ankle. the turbulent men. Two of the conlies, however, The bullet as found flattened against the bone were wounded, one of them very seriously in the under the skin of the inner part of the heel. back, and the second in the thigh. When the police got aboard the Murtha they despatched the two coolies to the Government Civil Hospital, where they are detained, and the second engineer was formally taken into custody and charged with shooting them.
THE ROBBERY AND MURDER AT WANCITAT.
THE MURDERER BEFORE THE MAGISTRATE. At the Police Court on the 20th May, before Hon. Commander Hastings. Tong Fung (24), a boiler maker, of San On, was charged with the murder of Lau, district watchman No. 38, on the 2nd inst.
P. C. Hoggarth said-On the 2nd inst. at 10.25 p.m. I was in Wanchai Road, at the north end of Cross Street. I heard some people shouting and then several Chinamen ran out of Cross Street on to the Wanchai Road. They ran in the direction of Queen's Road. I gave chase and they turned into Tring Kai Lane and went through into Albany Street to Queen's Road. I caught the defeu- dant in the Queen's Road. opposite No 3 Police Station. A man in dark clothes then ran past. He had been running behind the defendant. I could have caught him before, but I wished to catch the leading man. It was a dark night, but defendant was caught about forty yards from an electric light. I could see quite clearly. District Watchman No. 38 was stand ing close by us and I handed defendant over to him. Defendant nade no resistance. I told the district watchman in English to hold defen dant till I had caught the man that had run past. I ran on and the man in dark clothes was still in sight. When I had gone about fifty yards I heard a pistol shot behind me. I turned to ascertain the cause, when I saw defendant shoot the district watchman, who fell backwards on to the footpath. Defendant turned, and I rán after him. I was about forty yards behind him when defendant, who was then near No. 3 Police Station, fired a third shot. I did not observe in what direction he fired. Defendant then
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The man
Dr. Marques said-On the 4th inst. I made a post-mortem examination at the Government mortuary of the body of Chinese watchman No. 38. His coat, waistcoat, and singlet were or v. red with blood, On his chest, over the second breast bone, there was a bullet wound a little towards the right side. There was another bul- let over the liver, and there was also a bullet wound on the right fore-arm about six inches below the wrist. The left lung was wounded. Near the left shoulder blade I-found a bullet. In my opinion death was caused by hemorrhage in the left lung. The wound over the liver was also a fatal one.
Evidence wss also given by Sergeant Baker, who spoke to finding the body of the watchman. P.C. Li Liu, 223, said I was in No. 3 Police station at 10.20 on the night of the 2nd inst. when I heard a whistle blown. I ran into Queen's Road and saw the defendant in the custody of a district watchman and im- mediately after I heard the report of a revolver shot and also saw the flash come from where defendant was standing. Immediately after wards I saw and heard another shot and then the district watchman fell down. On seeing me defendant fired at me and hit me он
the right thigh. I did not feel much pain at the time and I continued run- ning. I saw '. C. Haggarth fire his revolver twice in the lane. I blew my whistle and ran down Albany Strest in order to meet the defendant. When I got there I saw him trying to climb up some hoarding and on seeing me he went back to the house. I then felt pain and sat on the ground. I was afterwards taken to the Government Civil Hospital. I identified the defendant to-day. He had been put amongst several others in the gaol and he was then fully clothed.
Defendant-I did not shoot him. The case was adjourned until the 28th, The four other men charged with being concerned in the robbery and murder were brought up earlier in the day and remanded until the 28th. The master of the shop where the robbery occurred has not yet re- turned to the colony.
[May 27, 1896,
MR. FRANCIS AND THE NAVY LEAGUE.
On the afternoon of the 22nd inst. in the St. Andrew's Hall, Mr J. J. Francis, Q.C., addressed a meeting of the members of the Hongkong Branch of the Navy League. Mr. A. Coxon presided and said that the Hongkong Branch was established in Septem- ber last and the members now number 103. He then read extracts from the Navy League Journal giving the objects of the League and said the doctrine of the League had been warmly taken up in all parts of the British Empire and there was no doubt that at the next general election the question would be of the first importance. He urged every young man to join the Volunteers in order to be prepared, if necessary, to defend the rights of his country.
Mr. Francis, who was warmly received, said he had very little to say that he had not said on two previous occasions-once when he ad- dressed the Hongkong Police and once when he addressed the Odd Volumes Society. He thought, perhaps, he ought to apologise for coming there with very little that Was new, but it was difficult in Hongkong to get people to do their duty in public speak. ing, and as he bad given a great deal of attention to naval and military matters and had always taken a general interest in them and was well acquainted with the literature which had been published on the subject, he thought it was his duty to bring the subject to the front in Hongkong. The Navy League had gained an enormous success in England and had taken root throughout the colonies. The League was not constituted for the purpose of instructing the Admiralty or in any way dictating to the Government as to the way. the navy should be controlled. It was con- stituted for the purpose of bringing before the Government as forcibly as possible the necessity there exists for a powerful navy and to see that it was sufficient for the performance of the work that the Empire calls upon it to perform. The most important matter for the consideration of every member of the League was, what is it we have to guard and to safeguard by means of our navy? Mr. Francis quoted figures re- specting the commerce of the British Isles and hofgures dealing with the navies of various countries and said that the motto of the League was Defence, not defiance."
He then compared the action of the police in Hongkong respecting the night and pass regulations in order to keep the Chinese in their own houses and the blockading of an enemy's ports in time of war. It was absolutely necessary for our own safety to keep the enemy inside the ports, just as it was necessary to guard our highways in Hongkong by keeping the lower classes of Chi- nese indoors at night. The power that was able to effectively blockade its enemies would maintain command of the sea, but in order to accomplish such a blockade it was necessary, experts told us, to have a preponderance of five to three. At the present time our fleet was not strong enough for this and it ought to be increased for the purpose of insuring the perfect safety of every- thing we possess against the attack of all possible enemies. He had often been asked whether the people of Hongkong could do any thing substantial in the interest of the League. Only one idea had suggested itself to him, but he did not know whether it was practicable, and that was whether 8 naval training ship could be established in Hongkong for British sailors employed in this part of the world, who could be trained and got together in time of war to repair losses.
sustained on our side. It had strück him as possible that practical men might be able to devise some means by which a training ship could be established here and by which a sort of Naval Reserve could be formed out of the British seamen travelling back. wards and forwards. Of course only a nucleus could be formed, but it would be of very great assistance in time of war. This was the only suggestion he could make, but there .. were a good many men here with a practical knowledge and he commended it to their atten- tion. In conclusion he thanked those present for the patient hearing afforded him and hoped they would do all they possibly could to
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