January 27, 1898. |·
The prisoner was found guilty, His Lordship, in passing sentence of eight months' imprisonment with bard labour, said the prisoner had been guilty of a very shabby fraud.
19th January.
THE SHELLEY STREET MURDER.
Lam Chan Wa was charged with the wilful murder of a house boy named Li Fat Tong ou the 14th November in a house.in Shelley
Street.
The Attorney-General (instructed by Mr. H. L. Dennys (Crown Solicitor), prosecuted and Mr. C. Dick Melbourne defended,
The prisoner, when called upon to plead, said he did not remember anything.
The jurors were-Messrs. J. M. V. de Figui- redo, F. E. Shuster, O. Baptista, H. M. Brown,
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
53
COMPLAINT OF OFFICIAL INTERFERENCE WITH TRADE IN KWANGSI, Read further letter from Mr. F. W. Watts, dated 28th Dec., thanking the Chamber for the support accorded to him and enclosing copies of Mr. Consul Brenan's reply to his claim on the Chinese Authorities and of the claim itself.-
was constantly muttering. There was also the evidence of Thn Sang, a Macao druggist, who said the prisoner's mother was mad in Macao, while another man had deposed to the prisoner talking about opening mines, cutting down forests, and all sorts of nonsense on the evening of the 15th November. He must have been mad to talk like that, because he had no capital. It was true that Dr. Atkinson had said that from the 14th November to the 2nd January the prisoner had shown no signs of insanity while in the hospital, but the doctor had said it was possible for homicidal mania to break out. Conusel concluded by asking the jury to say, if they thought prisoner was guilty, thatdelphia Museums, dated 20th Nov., inviting the
he was insane!
The Attorney-General having replied, His Lordship summed up.
The jury, after an absence of five minutes
from Court, unanimously found the prisoner guilty.
The prisoner, when asked if he had anything to say why sentence of death should not be passed, said he did not commit the crime, but he was told at the hospital that he did. The people had conspired against him to do him an injury. After speaking abont the wine trans- actions in Macao prisoner said that before he “turned silly” he had thoughts of such a thing, but he could not now remember that he had done anything. He asked his Lordship to be lenient
with him.
His Lordship passed sentence of death in the usual manner.
THE TRIAD SOCIETY CASE..
The Attorney-General intimated that be had filed information against the two men who were committed for trial at the Magistracy in con-
J. N. Dubash, F. F. Powell, and H. M. Basto.
The Attorney-General said the prisoner had Been in the employ of the Spanish Procuration for twenty years. For many years his conduct was satisfactory, but about six years ago Father Torres had reason to be dis-satisfied with him in connection with money affairs. In conse- quence prisoner was not allowed to collect rents paid in cash but only the rents paid by cheques. Further, the duty of paying a Macao firm for wine supplied to the Procuration was after wards taken from him, the money being paid direct by Father Torres, the suggestion being that the prisoner had kept some of the money him- self. Li Fat Tong, the deceased, was house boy at the Procuration and as he appeared to
the be supplanting the prisoner in con- fidence of Father Torres there was a grow- ing jealousy displayed by the prisoner, who nection with the illegal meeting of the Triad had expressed his intention of going up.Society in the colony, and he asked leave to the West River, where, he said, he could save
withdraw the information in order that the more money. On the 14th November a little two men might be sent back to the Magistrate girl was going up the stairs of a house in Shelley to be dealt with. Street when she saw the prisoner at the top holding a two-handed sword. He shouted to her to go away, which she did as she was frightened. The police afterwards entered the house and found the deceased and his mother lying on the floor dead. They had suffered terrible injuries. The man's throat was so severely cut that death was instantaneous. The prisoner himself had cut his throat from ear to ear with the sword and after his wounds had
been temporarily dressed he was taken to the Government Civil Hospital. He arrived there in a state of collapse, due to the great loss of blood, but he eventually recovered and was now able to speak. When in the hospital ward-boy took off a letter which prisoner had tied round his leg. The letter said that the affair originated with Li Fat Tong, who had com- mitted adultery with prisoner's wife. She had been ill-treated and Li Fat Tong wished to kill him and marry her. He therefore "raised his wicked hand to kill them. Those already killed die together with me." Counsel said the letter clearly showed that the prisoner carefully thought out the crime.
Evidence was then called in support of the opening statement.
The case had not concluded when the Court adjourned.
20th January.
THE SHELLEY STREET MURDER.
The trial of Lam Chan Wa, charged with murdering. Li Fat Tong in a house in Shelley Street on the 14th November was continued.
The Attorney-General, (instructed by Mr. H. L. Dennys (Crown Solicitor), prosecuted and Mr. C. Dick Melbourne defended.
At the conclusion of the case for the Crown
Mr. Melbourne addressed the jury for the de- fence. He contended there was no evidence to show that the prisoner committed the crime. Someone might have done it and the police found it more convenient to charge the prisoner than anybody else. It was quite possible that someone else had gone into the house and committed the murder; or Li Fat Tong might have attempted to murder the prisoner and committed suicide afterwards, If the jury found that the prisoner did commit the murder they must find that the prisoner was insane. Father Torres had said that the prisoner's father was not quite right in his mind, as he
His Lordship granted the application. This concluded the business of the Sessions.
HỤNGKÒNG GENERAL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.
Decided that, as no further communication had been received from the Consul since he wrote stating that the case was in hand, the Chamber must await developments before pro- ceeding further in the matter.
THE PHILADELPHIA MUSEUMS. Read letter from the Director of the Phila-
Chamber to become a member and send two delegates to be present at the meeting of the Advisory Board in June next.
As the membership entailed the despatch of delegates to Philadelphia, it was decided to reply expressing inability to accept the invitation but thanking the Board of Trustees for the com- pliment paid to the Chamber.
ABOLITION OF IMPORT DUTY ON TEA IN BELGIUM, Read letter from the Belgian Corsal an- nouncing that from the 1st January, 1898. the import duty on tea in Belgium would be abol- ished, a step which was regarded as very satis- factory.
POSTAL DELIVERIES.
The Vice-Chairman drew attention to the very unsatisfactory state of the Postal arrange- ments, both with regard to the closing of mails, earlier than usual and the great delay in de livering mails arrived.
Resolved to make representations to the Government on the subject.
(Correspondence.)
STORM WARNINGS,
Hongkong General Chamber of Commerce.'
23rd December, 1897. Sir, I am directed by my Committee to ask you to bring to the notice of His Excellency the Governor the unsatisfactory results of the pre- sent system of storm warnings. This system, which came into force at the commencement of the current year, is apparently only intended to At the monthly meeting, of the General show when strong winds are expected here; but Committee of the Hongkong General Chamber the Chinese boating population, confusing these, of Commerce, held at 3 p.m. on Friday, the signals with the meteorological signals formerly 14th January-Present: Messrs. R. M. Gray used, take alarm directly the cone is hoisted and (Chairman), Herbert Smith (Vice-Chairman), desert the shipping when there is no immediate N. J. Ede, J, J. Bell-Irving, T. Jackson, N. A necessity to leave the anchorage, thereby caus.. Siebs, T. H. Whitebead, and R. C. Wilcoxing detention of vessels loading or discharging in port and serious loss and inconvenience to (Socretary).
shipowners and shippers.
MINUTES.
The minutes of the previons meeting (held 17th December) were read and confirmed.
*
RESIGNATION.
Read latter from Mr. St. C. Michaelsen, dated 31st December, resigning his seat on the General Committee.
Resolved that a letter be written in reply expressing the regret of the Committee at losing Mr. Michaelsen's assistance and thank ing him for the invaluable services he had rendered during the past ten years.
It was then ananimously decided to invite Mr. A. Haupt, of Messrs. Melchers & Co., to accept the seat vacated by Mr. Michaelsen.
THE PINNACLE ROCK FUND. Replies to the Chamber's Circular letter on the above subject were produced from H.B.M.'s Consul-General at Shanghai, the Consuls at Ningpo, Feochow, Swatow, and Pakhoi, and a further letter from the Consul, at Amoy; also replies from the Commissioners of Customs at
Foochow and Amoy.
In the interests of the shipping com. munity my Committee would respectfully suggest an early return to the system of meteorological signals in use from. January, 1884, to December, 1896. Those signals, having been in use for thirteen years, were becoming gradually more and more under- stood and rightly interpreted by the boat and seafaring people as time went on, as is always the case, the Committee believe, when a system of signalling is introduced. They likewise con- veyed to masters of ships intimations of the state of the weather at a distance on the voyages. on which they were about to sail, information which the present storm warnings do not supply
My Committee desire at the same time to draw attention to the great importance of any forecast made at the Observatory upon the receipt of telegrams indicating bad weather outside or approaching gales being furnished to the shipping hongs with all possible ex- pedition. I have the honour to be, sir, your most obedient servant,
It was decided not to wait for further replies, but to act on the decision last come to and grant the several British Consuls a credit of $500 each upon which to draw for rewards To earned, advising them and also the Com- missioners of Maritime Customs at the Ports originally named of the same.
STORM WARNINGS,
In accordance with the decision arrived at at"] the last meeting, a letter had, on the 23rd Dec., been addressed to the Government suggesting an early return to the system of meteorological signals formerly in use.
No reply had yet been received from the Government.
*
R. CHATTERTON WILCOX, Secretary. Hon. J. H. Stewart Lockhart, Colonial
Secretary.
INTERFERENCE WITH TRADE IN KWANGSI,
1, Victoria View, Kowloon, 28th, December, 1897. Dear Sir, I take the present opportunity of offering my sincere thanks to the Chamber for their support of my application to H.B,M.'s Consul at Canton, and of enclosing a copy of his reply on receipt of my claim for expenses incurred, also a copy of the claim itself.