November 19, 1896.]
THE EXTRAORDINARY CHARGE
B OF FORGERY.
At the Police Court on the 10th November, before Hon. Commander W. C. H. Hastings, C. 8. McKinley, electrical engineer in the em- ploy of the Hongkong Electric Company, was charged on remand with forging a letter or document, dated 3rd October, purporting to be signed by W. Farmer, of the Victoria Hotal.
Mr. JJ. Francis, Q.C., (instructed by Mr. Hastings), appeared for the prosecution and Mr. E. Robinson (instructed by Mr. Mounsey) appeared for the defendant.
Captain V. J. A. Chodysko, said-I am master of the steamship Hanoi and I was in command of her on the 3rd October. I was breakfasting in the saloon about 10.30 on that day with the chief mate and the second mate. I remember a small zine box and a paper being brought on board! Mr. Raymond showed me the paper, but I did not read it. I read the signature. The letter produced is the one I saw. The zinc box was soldered. I do not remember whether there was anything in writing or print on it. I gave the letter and box back to Mr. Raymond. I sometimes take small parcels in the Hanoi to Haiphong free of charge when I know the sender and the con- tents. The ship also takes small parcels on parcel tickets. Particular precautions are taken with opium. There is a special rate for it Anything liable to duty must be put in the manifest. I did not see the box after I handed it back to Raymond. I know that proceedings were taken against Mr. Raymond. When we arrived at the mouth of the river at Haiphong a customs crniser came up and Mr. Raymond's cabin was searched.
By Mr. Robinson-Several customs officers. came on board. It is about nineteen miles from the place where the cruiser first came up to us to the place where we were searched. The officers told us they had been watching for the ship. We anchored at the mouth of the river about three hours and during that time the cruiser was about half a mile or less forward of us. No one could leave the ship before the customs officers boarded her. The people on board must have thought the
Hanoi was under observation. It took us about an hour and a half to get up the river. The cruiser followed us up. When Mr. Raymond showed me the letter I was too busy to read it. He asked me if he could take the parcel and I said "No, I do not know the contents. Tell the bearer to go to the office and get a parcel ticket."
By the Magistrate-Nobody boarded the ship at the mouth of the river.
V. Gardon-I am second officer of the Hanoi. At Haiphong I saw Mr. Raymond in the act of opening the box in the presence, I think, of the customs officers. I do not know whether it was the same as he received at breakfast on the 3rd October at Hongkong.
William Must-I am an engineer in the employ of the Hongkong Electric Light Com- pany. I know defendant's handwriting. I have often seen it. The letter produced is in the handwriting of the defendant. I am quite sure of it. In October I saw a box that had been made at the works. It was made of wood with a zinc covering and was about 7 inches long, 4 or 5 inches broad, and about 3 inches deep.
It was open when I saw it. I made enquiries as to who had made it and for whom, One of the persons I asked was A Hong, a ireman. I was informed that Wong Ying and Kwong Mok made the box.
By Mr. Robinson-I made enquiries because I had never seen a box made like that before with the zino outside. There was no attempt made to conceal the bor. I have been in the employ of the company thirteen months and ten days And during that time I have messed at the
ers, which are near the works,
him
rpenter who was told by defendant to boz gave evidence, Mr. Francis asked the box was made of new or old wood. Mr. Robinson objected. Witness then said that the wood was new.
Robinson asked his Worship to take a
objection......
gentleman who makes an Objection like that is ignorant of business.
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT. Mr. Robinson-A gentleman who makes an observation like that is ignorant of manners.
8. S. Burnett, an Inspector of Nuisances, Raymond on the 16th October, when he said he said-I spoke to defendant about the arrest gave information about the opium being on board the Hanoi.
of
This concluded the case for the prosecution. Mr. Robinson asked for another adjourn. ment.
13th November.
Mr. Robinson-I am instructed, your Wor- ship, on behalf of the defence, to apply for an adjournment of this case for the attendance of a witness who is at present travelling in Japan. He cannot be here in time for the sessions this month and I think the form will be to adjourn the case from week to week. Of course the defendant is aware that he will have to remain where he is for month, but he wishes to have the course I have mentioned adopted.
The Magistrate then granted a formal re- mand.of eight days.
Mr. Robinson said there would be a renewal of the application at the end of that time.
Mr. Hastings-I think my friend onght to limit in some way the time to be given for this witness to appear. Your Worship cannot be asked to put off the case indefinitely.
The Magistrate He says the witness cannot be got for a month.
Mr. Hastings-And perhaps he may never come here.
stood that it would be gone on with in time for The case was then adjourned, it being under- the December Sessions.
TROUBLE ON THE “NINGCHOW."
THE CREW CLAMOURING FOR WAGES.
At the Police Court on the 11th November before Hon. Commander W. C. H. Hastings, thirty-one Chinese seamen belonging to the steamship Ningchow were charged with dis- ordedly conduct in the waters of the colony on the 10th inst.
Johannes Frahm, master of the Chinese steamship Ningchow, said-The defendants are seamen on board the steamship Ningchow. They signed no articles or agreement. They were engaged at Shanghai.
The Magistrate-When ? Witness-They were engaged to go when I joined the ship. Their wages were $8 a month and they had to find their own food.
The Magistrate-Wages are lower north than here. Under the verbal agreement, was there any understanding that they were to be discharged at Shanghai ?—No.
You can discharge them anywhere P-Yes. They simply go on board ship and say they are quartermasters or sailors and they get so much a month.
You can discharge them anywhere—at San Francisco or the Cape P-No, I am not under the impression that I can. I should think I had no right to discharge them in a foreign port.
Were you going to send them off here ?- That is the trouble. I myself-am destitute as well as all the men.
Well, you can sell the ship's furniture. Wages come first.-Can I do that?
Yes. When the ship is under arrest ? I do not know anything about the ship being under arrest.
C
You have been in British waters the whole time P-Yes.
What about this trouble?As I have not been clamouring for it since 1st September : I- did able to get money to pay them they have been my best to explain the difficulty I am in and the
reason I am not able to pay the money, but they I did not seem to understand me.
Sergeant Withers-The Chief Justice gave judgment against the complainant yesterday.
The Magistrate-If the vessel is not under arrest and you are stranded here you are per- fectly entitled to sell the ship's furniture, masts, and everything to find food for yourselves.
Witness-The compradores, A Fuk and Co., have been advancing us food up to now.
The crew are not starving ?-Oh no. When did you pay them last They were paid up to the 31st July. Since then they have received no payment.
:
They came
What did they do yesterday to me about 8.30 in the morning and asked me to hoist the police flag and said that if I did not do so they would do it themselves as they had done before. Therefore I told the boat- swain to hoist the flag. The water police came on board and tried to explain the position to the men, who used threatening language to me even when the police were on board. After the police explained the matter the men were quiet. The police went away and some time afterwards the men came outside my cabin dancing, yelling, shouting, and demanding money. They spoke about outting throats and showed knives. I really got scared and thought they would start a mutiny. They seemed as if they were going to break out into open violence." I went ashore to see the Captain Superintendent of Police and on my return I hoisted the police flag again. The police came on board and the thirty-one men were arrested.
One of the defendants acted as spokesman and said, through Inspector Quincey, who acted
interpreter-When we made ver
verbal
the ship was not going to Hongkong, but only agreement with the captain we never intended to come to Hongkong. I was told that
from Hankow to Chefoo and Shanghai. The ship came here and we have been here thres months and four days. During all that time we have not received a cent for wages. We repeatedly asked the captain for our wages and he said he could not pay us. We explained to the captain that we had families, wives, and children to support in our native villages and that it would be impossible for us to remain as we were. We endeavoured to state our grievances to the captain, but the captain misunderstood us. threats to the captain or his officers. We deny being riotous and we deny using
cannot
The Magistrate-I sympathise with the captain and the men very much. At the same time, as the captain explained to me,
he get blood out of a stone, and he has not the The captain explained money to give them. that they had a verbal agreement and that they served on board the ship by the month. I cannot go into the question as to whether they can or cannot be paid; the only thing I have to see to is that they behave decently and respectfully when they are in British waters. It is not customary for the crew to go up and surround the captain two or three times a day and tell him he must hoist the police flag.
The spokesman-The chief officer hoisted the flag; we did not.
The Magistrate-I will give you three days to think about it and I will see you again on the 14th. The case is remanded till then. Bail, $100 each man.
The thirty-one seaman charged with dis- orderly behaviour on the Chinese steamer Ning- chow were again brought before Hon. Com- mauder Hastings on Saturday.
The Magistrate (to Inspector Quincey, who acted as interpreter):-Tell them, Mr. Quincey, what I said before. I am sorry for them, but I cannot help them about their wages? They must not make any trouble in English w On board a Chinese ship they are China and they can get their own Chinese law when they get back to Shanghai, but while they are here they must obey English law If there is more trouble I will send them to gaol order them to be put on board by the Police.
any
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And they are supposed to keep themselves on that P-They found their own food duringPagoda Anchorage, have been ap August.
And since then A Fuk and Co. have fed them? Yes; they have fed the whole of us
The ship has been lying in the harbour the whole time? Yes, except during a typhoon, when we went to Stonequtters' Island,«
the Tsungli Yam superintend the ordered in that con perial Navy
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