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THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
institutions, and read the same literature. They are settled on the most favoured parts of the globe, they occupy the most fertile parts, and they are, one and all, unassailable by other nations except by sea. Two of these nations are extremely wealthy and powerful-more wealthy and more powerful than any other countries in the world-the remaining four enjoy a prosperity and a standard of living unequalled anywhere else. Of fire of these it
SUPREME COURT.
-4 3rd August.
CRIMINAL SESSIONS.
BEFORE SIR JOHN CARRINGTON (CHIEF JUSTICE),
August 12, 1897.
utterly unworthy of belief. The evidence would show that Cheng On did not go to the bouse to talk about bribes, but to take samples of silk. Counsel then pointed out the relative positions of the two men, Witchell and Cheng On. Witobell was, as the jury had heard, one of the smartest and most zealous officers in the Police Force, while Cheng On was the chief excise officer, that is, the chief native officer over the native excise officers under the
may be said, without fear of contradiction, that THE CHARGE AGAINST INSPECTOR WITCHELL. Opium Farmer. The defendant knew. that by they are firmly united, so far, in bonds of kinship and affection. The one country which is ontside that bond is at present the richest and most populous of the six. It is probable that
it is going to become much richer and much more populous. So, however, are the there five, "Now the one thing needful is so to legislate, 80 to speak and write of each other, so to encourage each other, that this bond be
may strengthened and not loosened. We waut, should a time of parting arrive, to separate only in form; we want such an everlasting alliance as may make us absolutely free from the fear of any other alliance which could crush us. We do not want to go on conquering; on the contrary, we want no extension of territory, but to develop our own. The sixth of the nations may, perhaps, continue to stand aloof if so, there is all the more reason for the five to stand together."
We find it difficult to reconcile with the references to the United States in the abore and many other passages the author's advocacy of the artificial diversion to other parts of the British empire of the emigration from Great Britain to the United States. Elsewhere speaks of the United States as the other part of this inheritance, that which belongs to the other branch of the Anglo-Saxon," and says that it is by far the richer part and more populous. Yet Sir Walter Besant would have emigration diverted from that portion of the heritage to others, and he deems it "sheer stupidity and incompetence" on the part of our Government not to do so. It seems to us, on the contrary, that a constant stream to the United States of the overflow population of the United Kingdom must be one of the surest means of preserving and promoting that sentiment of unity of race which, Sir Walter values so highly and of preventing the two branches of the race drifting apart. But controversial points notwithstanding, Sir Walter's little book is a masterpiece of its kind and the reading of it will make the nerves of every Anglo-Saxon-thill with pride in the contemplation of the glorious heritage in which he is a partaker.
was
VERDICT AND SENTENCE.
The trial of Job Witchell, Inspector of Police, charged with accepting bribes from gambling house keepers, was resumed.
Hon. W. M. Goodman (Attorney-General) and Mr. J. J. Francis, Q.C. (instructed by Mr. H. L. Dennys, Crown Solicitor), prosecuted and Mr. E. Robinson (instructed by Mr. G. C. C. Master) defended.
The following was the special jury:--Messrs. R. Marten, W. H. Potts, A. Findlay Smith, T. I. Rose, St. C. Michaelsen, E. W. Mitchell, and F. G. Collins.
His Lordship said Mr. Seth had better be called as a witness.
being on friendly terms with the chief excise officer he would be able to procure for himself the advantage of the chief excise officer's know- him "tips" which would be useful to a police offi- ledge. The defendant could procure through
cer. Another point was that the gambling houses presented a double aspect to the people connected with them. There was the capitalist who put his money into the concern, there were the police to find it out, and there were fokis who were there for what purpose ? Were the fokis there simply for love of gambling or to make money? They were there to make as much money as they could out of the capitalist who Mr. Francis said that by bis Lordship's direc-put his money into the illegal business. Their tion, Mr. A. Seth, Deputy Registrar, with the object was to line their own pockets. How was assistance of the Court interpreter, had made that done? Let the jury take Sam Yeen, who an examination of the books with reference to had during the past five years followed the oc- which the jury had made an inquiry on the cupation of a gambler. Bribes were paid to the police. After a time the bribes increased and last day of the trial.
increased until they came to $150 a day, or between $4,000 and $5,000 a month. Did the jury think that all that money was paid to the police, or did they think it found its way into the pockets of Sam Yeen, Tong Kum, and Cheng On? Possibly some of the native police Was it not possible were in the pay of the men. that something was done at the Magistracy, from which the warrants were issued? It was easy to see that the gamble: s could easily get information from the Magistracy without the Counsel put it Europeans being able to do so." that the $150 a day was not all paid out to the police; it simply went into the pockets of Sam Teen, who gulled the partners and persuaded them that they paid the money to the police. Clever Sam Yeen and clever Tung Kum! When the capital was lost there would be a cessation of business and a new partnership would be worked up and a new syndicate would carry on the business. The jury had it that the gambling houses were a source of great pro- fit. So they were. But 'for ways that are dark and tricks that are vain the heathen Chinee is peculiar." It was very clear how the money went. Men of the kidney of Sam Yeen, Tang Kum, and Cheng On encouraged the syndicate to put in their money, which they disposed of. The list represented the trick of the fokis who were cheating their employers, The partners had no check on their fokis, and the partners were absolutely in the hands of the fokis. The partners were the milch cows. From a common sense point of view the list was absolutely to be disregarded. Take the Govern- ment House entry. A lukong in the employ of Government House says, "Pay me 30 cents; if you do not I am in a position to give informa- tion." The money is paid because the lukong is in a position to give information. Sam Yeen had said, "Not a cent would I have paid Cheng On if he had come on his own account." That was certainly an economy of the truth, because Sam Yeen had perhaps forgotten that
Mr. A. Seth, Deputy Registrar of the Supreme Court, was then called. He said that since the last hearing he had examined the books produced at that hearing and also eighteen slips. The eighteen slips each contained a day's receipts and expenditure. The receipts con sisted of cash and pledges.. The expenditure consisted of cash, *** peace money,
and sundries. The accounts were balanced daily, so that each slip showed the daily balance to credit or debit. Those daily balances were carried to what might be called the ledger. At a cer- tain period the total losses or profits were struck and carried into the year's account. The books showed that in the 11th and 5th moons the total profit was $34,681.08 and the total loss $39,336.61. Having examined the books witness was able to say that the items of commissiors charged in the daily sheet were carried through the whole set of books.
In cross-examination by Mr. Robinson witness said there was no statement of the year men- tioned. The name, Tung Kum, did not, as far as witness knew, appear in the documents, nor did the name of No. 12. The wages averaged $17 or $18 a day, sundries averaged $15, and there was a daily average in the fifth month of $150 for commission.
In answer to his Lordship witness said that the term "commission" would cover payments made in the way of hush-money. Each of the eighteen slips dealt with one day. The ledger dealt with the period from the 29th day of the eleventh moon to the 19th day of the fifth moon. From those slips a person could get an idea of what was going on in the business. The books did not appear to be fabricated or unreal.
A sad fatality has occurred at Shanghai, a child aged five years, the son of Mr. J. Chambers, civil engineer and architect, having died shortly after taking what was supposed to be santonine. The medicine had been pre- scribed in two powders, one of which administered, and after the child's death the other was sealed for analysis. An inquest was opened on the 3rd August and was adjourned for an analysis of the contents of the stomach. The China Gazette of the 6th says:-A very painful impression was produced to-day when it became known- that Dr. Scholvien's report on his chemical analysis of the contents of the viscera of the unfortunate little boy, Wilfred A. Cham- bers, and of the powder similar to the one administered, revealed the presence of strych. item commission included hush-money. The already admitted paying to Cheng On on his
Sam Yeen was then re-called to state that the slips were the daily account for the fifth moon of the Wa Lane fantan business. They related to the fifth moon of this year. The
gambling house was open from 6 am until 12 p.m. Before he said the house was open from 6 p.m. until midnight.
nine in large quantities. The powders con- tained grain of nitrate of strychnine, enough to poison three or four men. The officinal dose prescribed in the pharmacopoea is from one- This concluded the case for the Crown. twenty-fourth to one-tenth of a grain for an Mr. Robinson said he did not intend just adult, so that for a child of four, following the then to address the jury at any length because usual proportions according to age, would be the he had witnesses to call. He would call Mrs. one-hundred-and-twentieth to the one-fiftieth Burnett, who would prove that on the very part of a grain. But strychnine is never day on which Cheng On said he had the con- given in this form to so young a child, and it is versation with Inspector Witchell in defend- impossible to understand how such a mistake ant's honse Cheng On called at the house with could have been made. It is a terrible business. samples of silk and he did not see the defen- Upon calling at Messrs. Voelkel and Schroeder's dant that day becanze he was upstairs all the to-day, to speak about the matter, Mr. Voelkel time. He only saw Mrs. Witchell (whom declined to say anything about it, or discuss counsel could not call) and Mrs. Burnett in the how such a mistake could be made, merely re- dining room. Therefore Cheng On told a marking that if it were shown that he had made deliberate falsehood when he said he had a con. a mistake he was prepared to stand the conse- versation with the defendant. The reason why quences. The report by Dr. Scholvien was sent silk was wanted was because defendant wished to the British Consulate yesterday afternoon and to send some home to a friend. The whole case the inquest will be resumed to-morrow morning.rested on the evidence of Cheng On, who was
had
own account $3.50 every five days or 70 cents a day. Cheng On said to himself, "I have got the entrée to the Inspector's house; I see him at the Magistracy; I make a point of going to him and speaking to him; I am a friend of the Inspector and these gambling people know I am a friend. I will tell them my friend the Inspector wants some money and they are bound to believe me, and I will put the money in my own pocket." If they thought he was not an emissary of the Inspector he could say to them, "All right, you can see me go into the Inspector's house." Cheng On had in- gratiated himself, with the Inspector and the Inspector allowed him in his boase because he could obtain good information from Cheng On. Where was the proof that defendant was paid
to
convict a the money? If such evidence was respectable man counsel was of opinion that there was not a firm in the place but must be under suspicion, Counsel did not know if a