July 8, 1896.]
geous
stated that it was their wish to call the attention of the Governor to the coura- in which and intelligent manner these constables effected the capture of the prisoner. Their admirable conduct was ap- parent from the first and I had already in- formed the Governor that I would bring their names forward for special recognition as soon as the case was concluded. Courage and in- telligence are two very necessary qualities for a constable to possess and if these qualities had not been displayed as they were on that night in all probability the perpetrator of a most dastardly crime would have been still at large and a further danger to the community. The Governor has directed that Constable Hoggarth shall receive the third class medal and that the fourth class medal shall be awarded to Con- stable Li Lin.
am
Constable Hoggarth then stepped forward and Mr. Lethbridge, addresing him, said-I
much
gratified that it has fallen to my lot to present this medal to you for con- spicuous bravery in the execution of your duty. Constable Haggarth, you are still a young man, and I am glad that when you had an oppor- tunity of showing what you were made of you acquitted yourself so admirably.
To the Chinese Constable Mr. Lethbridge made the following observations-I am very glad to present you with this medal given by the Governor for conspicuous bravery on the night the District Watchman was murdered.
After presenting the medals Mr. Lethbridge concluded-It will be remembered that the Police were assisted on that night by four non- commissioned officers and a sapper of the gar- rison. Their names have been submitted to the Governor and his Excellency has been pleased to award them $10 each.
The interesting proceedings then concluded.
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
instances
articles which he had stolen on the previons night from a wine cellar at 1, Upper West Street, and mary of the pawntickets related to silk clothing which has been stolen from various places in the colony. Indeed there is already sufficient evidence to show that the prisoner has been carrying on these thefts for a very considerable time, and in many it is known that he has followed coolies carry ing articles from auction rooms and at a convenient time has cleared off with anything that was reasonably portable. In som cases he has stolen goods just as they have been placed outside a house, while in others he has entered the house immediately after the goods have arrived and carried them off in a most barefaced The prisoner was remanded until
manner.
Monday.
GERMAN SAILORS CONVICTED.
At the Magistracy on the 3rd July, before Hon. Commander W. C. H. Hastings, four Ger- man sailors from the German steamer Preussen were charged with trespassing within the field works of the Hongham Forts on the 2nd instant.
The prisoners, who were not represented, pleaded not guilty.
Thomas O'Toole, bombardier in the Royal Artillery, was first called and said that at 6.30 p.m. on the 2nd inst, he found the four prisoners trespassing on a road connecting the two forts at Hongham.
1
His Worship-The charge is that they were within the field works. Were they within the field works or fortifications ?
Witness-They were,
Continuing, witness said the prisoners had passed a notice board on which was written in English and Chinese no unauthorised person
SYSTEMATIC THEFTS FROM EURO is allowed to pass by this road."
PEAN HOUSES.
His Worship-Was the road built by the Engineers ?
Witness-Yes.
In continuation of his evidence witness stated that the road mentioned connected the two forts. He was standing at the East fort when he saw the prisoners approaching, and he at once summoned the guard and called out to the military police to stop them, and they did so.
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They must have seen
good enough for ns. that it was a fort. They will be fined $25 or „ one month each.
THE DAIRY FARM CO., LIMITED.,
On the 6th July an extraordinary_general meeting of the Dairy Farm Company, Limited, was held at the town depôt of the Company Wyndham Street. Dr. Noble presided, and there? were also present Messrs. Granville Sharp (Director), W. H. Potts (Secretary), J. Walker, (Manager); G. C. C. Master, G. C. Cox, W. Parfitt, J. W. R. Taylor, C. L. Gorham, J. M. E. Machado, and Wong Ping Ni.
The SECRETARY having read the notice convening the meeting,
다
The CHAIRMAN said-Gentlemen, this meet. TRESPASSING WITHIN THE FORTS ing is held in accordance with the Companies' Ordinance of 1865, the object being to enable AT KOWLOON,
you to record your vote on the question at issue, i.e., shall the Dairy Farm Co., Limited, be wound up? It will be quite unnecessary for me to give you details or to elaborate and dwell at length upon the causes which have, in the opinion of your Directors, made such a step necessary. We were just congratulating our selves on having surmounted most of the difficulties by which the Company has been for years beset, and had just declared and paid the first really substantial dividend · that has been paid since the formation of the Company, ten years ago, when our only our herd, was slmost en. stock-in-trade, tirely destroyed by the fatal rinderpest, or cattle plague, by which they were attacked, and against the ravages of which we were power- less and helpless, because of the absence of all expert veterinary medical advice; there being on qualified veterinary surgeon within 1,000 miles of the colony at that time (March last); there has been none nearer since then, and there will be none for another six months at least, our Colonial Veterinary Surgeon having recently been granted six months' extension of leave. Your Directors feel assured a similarly well qualified that had he or veterinary surgeon been within call in March last, it would be quite unnecessary for us to the advisability be here to-day to discuss of winding up this Company. The Company's ain in the past has always been, and its policy in the future will be, to supply its It was with this customers with only the best and purest of milk, cream, and butter. object in view that the Company purchased and built its sheds upon ground remote from the settled and thickly populated portions of the colony, appreciating the well authenticated fact· that the germs of typhoid fever and other diseases of a more or less alarming and fatal character are not only carried but propagated with great facility in and through the medium of milk and other dairy produce. This is well recognized and beyond dispute. We have, therefore, always given especial attention and Our care to cleanliness and segregation. town depôt, or distributing station, as well our cattle sheds, airy, lofty, and well- ven- commodious, well-drained and tilated, and the greatest care is given to the cleanline of our stock and the premises generally. The same care is exercised in the selection of all our food stuffs as well, and only the best purchased and made use of, our endeavour being, as I have intimated, to give our customers only the purest dairy produce, free from the contaminating influences of over- crowded and thickly populated districts, abound. ing in evil smelling drains, and where diseases, easily communicated by dairy produce, are ever present. While we have, in pursuing this course, safeguarded the health, interests, and welfare of the consumer, the interests of the shareholders have been jeopardized and even sacrificed thereby, The Colonial Government' under whose pro- testing care we live gives your Directors no encouragement to continue the maintenance of their establishments at Pokfulam, situated, jas you know, several miles from Victoria; for we are led to believe that had our farm been in or near the town the Government most probably would not have assumed the attitude or followed the course they elected to pursue in our case, when rinderpest attacked our cattle and we applied to them for much needed assistance. Copies to se43 The attitude assumed by the Goverment was
A lance-corporal in the Hongkong Regiment, stationed at Hongham, said he saw the four prisoners approaching the battery from the west. They did not actually enter the battery. They had walked about six paces past the notice board. The orders were that no person should go inside the works without a pass. The muzzles of the guns could be seen from the place where the prisoners were standing.
Bombardier O'Toole was recalled and in answer to his Worship said the prisoners were arrested within the battery. The muzzles of the guns in the East fort could be seen from the spot at which the prisoners were After the arrest the prisoners were handed over to the police.
A thief was brought before Hon. Comman der Hastings at the Police Court on the 2nd inst who has given much trouble to the police and not a little anxiety to many European householders in the colony. He has committed many robberies of a most audacious character for over a month past and the detectives have consequently been keeping a very sharp look out for him. He was eventually captured red-handed by a coolie at No. 7, Police Station, who certainly deserves credit for discarding the broom and dust pan and taking up duties outside his ordinary sphere of work-an action which almost deserves to be placed on record. It seems that be- tween eight and nine o'clock on Wednesday
the thief had night
the impudence to walk on to the verandah of No. 9 Police Station and quietly steal, take, and carry away two bamboo chairs. The coolie at the station observed this unauthorised removal and he promptly undertook the office of a smart de- teotive. He followed the thief just sufficient distance to make sure that robbery was the in-arrested. tention and then went up to him, caught hold of his queue, and marched him back to the place whence he came, and then good naturedly relinquished his short term of police work to a more experienced official. Detective Sergeant McIver made inquiries about the prisoner and first of all searched his house, which is somewhere near No. 5 Police Station, and found there several pawntickets relating to stolen property. One of the tickets referred to a couple of valuable bronze vases belonging to Mr. Ramsay, Superintendent Engineer for Messrs. Butterfield and Swire, which the owner brought here from England about ten years ago. Mr. Ramsay lives in Castle Road and the theft from his house was a particularly sudacious one, as the place was entered at two o'clock in the afternoon, and not only were these two vases stolen, but also a couple of *bronze figures, which were taken from the hall of the house. Among the other victims is Mr. Paul Jordon, of Alveston Terrace, who had two chairs stolen from his verandah on Tuesday night, while Mr. Forsyth, who is engaged at the Tungwah Hospital as ward master, was robbed of a bank book (which was found in the possession of the prisoner) as well as other property. In the accused's house were also -found plates, kettles, a scuttle, and sundry
Inspector Butlin spoke of the arrest of the prisoners. When brought to the station they were charged with trespassing within the field works of the Hongham forts. He ex- plained the charge to them and in reply they said that they were not aware they had done anything wrong. They asked a Chinaman if they could walk on the road leading to the forts and The Inspector he replied that they could. added that the prisoners were searched when arrested, but nothing was found on them.
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This concluded the evidence and the prisoners, in answer to a question from the Court as to whether they wished to say anything in answer to the charge, made a statement through Inspector Hansen, who acted interpreter, to the effect that they went there with the intention of bathing. The road on which they were found was pointed out to them by a Chinaman as the one leading to the bathing place.
In answer to his Worship the prisoners said they could not read English. The notice board was pointed out to them when they were taken into custody.
His Worship-There was a notice board there with a notice in English upon it. We cannot put it up in every language; English is
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are