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ercuit of the whole island would be an easy matter, as the only portion of the old road to be negotiated would be that from Deep-water Bay to Tytam Tuk, quite half of which is easy going.
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
14-I repeat that if the latter part of the above quoted resolution is rescinded, and the Committee give the Government a free hand, the money now in the bank will suffice to sub. stitute for six of the worst and most difficult miles of the existing path, six miles of smooth well graded carriage road 18 feet in width.
15-Now to look at the other side. The money in the bank will pay for the mak- ing of about 3 miles from Kennedytown towards Aberdeen, say to formr a junction between the large 1'gue Cemetery and the Sandy Bay Plague Cemetery, useful I will admit should there unfortunately be again necessity to enlarge and extend these burial grounds, but scarcely the drive that ladies and children or jaded city workers would selvet, bearing in mind that it is exposed to the" full glars of the afterucon and crening sun and that it would lead nowhere but would have to be retraced in returning.
day or the next. There was a fifth letter found in defendant's room on the 18th alt. It was opened but was stamped. As far as he remembered there was a Chinese stamp on it. The letter had since been sent on to Canton. He did not know where the letter came from. Defendant had no right to have that or any other letters in his room. The letter must have been taken ont and an endeavour made to deliver it in Hongkong. The regular course would be for the letter to be taken to the Hongkong address, and on its being refused it would be brought back and handed to defendant. In the event of a letter not being delivered the postman, if the | offler was closed, could hand it to the head me sepger or take it to his (witness's quarters. The postmen had been told not to take such letters to their rooms. Such letters had occasiona ly been brought to his quirters, but the postmen vere usually too lazy to bring them there. He lived in Wyndham Street. There were rules for the postmen in English and Chinese. predneed a copy. He produced the posteard | given to him by Sergeant Collett in defendant's room on the 18th ult. It should no have been in defendauf's roon under any circum: fanes 16 Years would probably elapse before the unless there was a mistake in the Chinese char- $53,000 odd still necessary to complete this one actors, The postcard was marked "unclaimed," section to Aberdeen could be spared from and no effort was made to trace the address general revenue, and I may safely predict that (the postcard bing addressed to a ressel). none of the present generation would see the They satisfied themselves that the ship was not sactions from Aberdeen to Stanley and Stanleyin harbour by consulting the papers, In the to Shaukiwan opened to traffic.
case of a letter like that coming addressed to an officer of a ship it was delivered on board if the ship was in harbour. If not it was advertised, The fifth letter found in defendant's room did not look as if it had been steamed in order that it might be opened,
17-Whether it would be wise to render 5 miles of rock bonnd coast, defended now by nature from the lading of enemies, more acces- sible to a possible foe, is a question for military experts; common sense seems to point to leaving it alone.
18.--I therefore, sir, would urge through yony columns the calling together of a public meet: ing and a fresh expression of opinion on the part of the majority of the subscribers as to the dis- posal of the fund. I have the honour to be. Sir, your obedient servant,
R. D. ORMSBY. Director of Public Works,
THE CHARGE AGAINST LETTER- CARRIERS.
EVIDENCE OF THE CHIEF CLERK,
At the Magistracy on 7th Oct., before Com- mander Hastings, Cheng Tsang, aged 49, form- erly employed as a letter-carrier, was charged ou remand with unlawfully detaining letters on the 18th September. Inspector Moffat conducted the case for the prosecution and Mr. Bruton appeared for the defence,
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On being cross-examined by Mr. Brutton, witness said that if postman was away for any cause they put an ordinary messenger in his place. No. 1 messenge was authorised "to receive undelivered lotfors brought in after dark, but No. 1 messenger was not No. 1 post- In the absence of the head messenger and himself there were no instructious as to what should be done with these undelivered letters. He did not remember the address of the firm to which the fifth letter was to be delivered. A great many Chinese letters were received without stamps, the stam having come off in the bag. He had known cases ; b Chinese envelopes bad come open in the office after they had been there for some time. He attributed this to the gum wearing off. He did not remember to whom the fifth letter was sent in Cantou. He had been told when letters had been returned to him that the people had refused to take them. This was usually in cases
where the addressee could not read and also in cases where letters were addressed under cover.
After the investigation into these letters on the 16th September a fine of $1 was imposed and entered in the default book, but it was cancelled on the case coming before the court. He could show who was on duty on the 4th of May last in Stanley Street.
8th October.
The case for the prosecution was continued, Lam Yan Po, sergeant interpreter, said be was on duty in the charge room at the Central Police Station at noon on the 21st September when defendant was brought in. After he had been charged and duly cautioned defendant vol- untarily made the following statement:“ I took care of these letters. The shops were all closed. I forgot to take them back to the office as I was very busy
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[October 15, 1898.
the premises of the Wing Yuen, at 129, Praya Central. In the drawer where he found the letters were also some small Chinese basins such as were used for tea. Some of them were wet. There was also a lot of rubbish in the drawer- such as bits of paper and pieces of books-and the letters were on the top.
11th October,
Defendant was committed for trial.
The case against another postman-Lie Ho-- for detaining a letter was then re-heard
W. J. Sally, chief clerk at the Post Office, said defendant had been employed at the Post Office for three years, and had been of a uni. formly good character. He was present when the letter produced was found in defendant's reom at the Post Office on September 18th. It. bore no Hongkong post-mark. The letter was received in May, when defendant was on No. 4 district, to which it was addressed. Defendant could not explain how the letter came to be in his room. Wituess reported him to' the Post- master, who fined him 10 cents. The fine had
since been cancelled.
Fung Yong Sam Kwo, of 48. Stanley Street, said she had been living there for ten years. The letter produced was addressed to her, and was from a friend at Singapore, who had pre- viously written to her. If the letter had been brought to her house she would have received it, and if she had been absent the other inmates in the house would have received it for her.
The case was adjourned for the production of another witness not in the colony.
12th October.
Luspector Moffat said he was not prepared to go on with the case, as a witness whom he wished to call had not come back yet. An ad- journment was accordingly granted.
BURNING OF THE BERLIN MIS- SIONARY SOCIETY'S SCHOOL AT CANTON.
We have to acknowledge receipt of the Rev. A. Kollecker's Report of the mission schools connected with the Berlin Missionary Society in China, for the years 1897-98," in which an in- ter sting account is given of the Society's work. In year 1896 the Society sustained one theological seminary, one middle school, two station and thirteen day schools with 312 pupils. Last year there were twenty day schools with 387 pupils,
The Society has recently met with an unfor- tunate loss by the burring of one of its establish- ments. Mr. Kollecker writes:--
At the time when I was writing the new report for this year, we met with an accident, which has caused a temporary suspension of our
work in Canton.
It was ou the night of the 5th of August when we were roused by loud cries in the street next our house. We hurried to the window and saw two small shops on the east side of our bonse in flames. It must have burnt a long time be- fore, for the houses were oue mass of flame from the ground to the top. Our neighbours are to be We blamed that they did not alarm us in time. wore terrified when we saw the flames rising ups to our girls' school, which was built in connec- tion with our own house. I hurried to rouse the few sleepers in our compound. It happened: very fortunately that nearly all the pupils had left Canton.
The case for the prosecution was continued. William John Solly, chief clerk at the Post Office, said defendant had been a postman for at least 15 years and had borne a good character. Witness saw the letter produced and marked "A in defendant's room on the 18th September. witness being in the adjoining room with Iuspec. tor Moffat when the letter was found. The shroff in the Money Order Office shared the room with defendant. The city of Victoria was divided into four districts för postal purposes. The post- men changed districts once every three months. Defendant's duty was principally to take charge of all Chinese correspondence and to arrange for its distribution. He had three postmou to assist him in sorting the Chinese letters. No. 2 postman worked under the control of No. 1. If a letter was brought back it would-be handed to him and he would band it to the compradore for reference. It would not be sent out a sel cond time but would be advertised in the Gorerument Gazette. After advertising the letter for two months it was returned to the office of origin. Very rarely were letters ad. vertised claimed. Defenda t was in the habit of giving him undelivered letters. He could not remember the date when he last handed any
Sergeant Collett, recalled, said that on the such letters to him but he had received 1-tters morning of the 19th September he went to the I ran to the street, but tried in vain to get from him within the last three mortlis He: Geramal Post Office and looked at the letters the help of some hand fire-engines. The fire- first saw the letter marked B on the Ish; found in defendant's room. They were then in engine pumping station, which is near our September in defendant's room.
It had no Mr. Folly's office. He made a note of the ad- honse, sent not one drop of water. That and business to be there. The endorsement nu; dress on the letter found opened said to have the fact that a strong wind was blowing directly claimed on the letter marked A was done i been since sent to Canton. It was “Care of towards our houses made it impossible to save by witness after defendant's case had been the Wing Yuen, Hongkong, to be forwarded much. At two o'clock the roof of cur honse dealt with by the Postmaster. The Post to Canten He dit take the addres was on fire and at three o'clock all the bouses master dealt with the case on the 19th See's line at Canten There was no stamp ou. September, and be endorsed the letters; The letter-bor» the Singapore post-mark, the marked A, B," " C." and "D ̈ on the same date being July 15th.
lie had since been to
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In reply to Mr. Brutton, witness said he was not sure whether defendant said some of the letters were refused.
Answering the Magistrate, witness said he took down every word that the defendant said, It was before he was cautiond that defendant said some of the letters were refused.
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We could not get water enough and in a few minutes the guest chamber in the upper part of the school house was filled with smoke. Rev. G.^ Scholz bravely entered the room with a pail of water but he had great difficulty in returning, for he could not find the door and was nearly suffocated y the smoke. Some time later he went in once more and by the light of his burning bed be was able to save the protocols of the Conference.
of our compound, the Chapel, the Middle-school, the house for the teachers, the Girls' school and our own house were in flames. The whole