Page
November 25, 1809;]
HAS “SUPREME COURT.
18th November;
*** CRIMINAL JESSIONS,
Birónu tar Aerine CHIEF JUSTICE (THE
- HON W Meter GooDMN).
!!
TRIAD SOCIETY CASES. Pang, Tai Shan, who was charged with be ing a member of an unlawful society, pleaded net guilty. 355
The jurors were Mesars H. E. Willmer, F. 0. Ribeiro, U. A H. Westerburger, P. Moeller. Walter King, F. A. Ç. Hahn, and T. D. Donaldson.
H
?
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
feats. He knew nothing about the documents which had been produced in court. They were hot found in bis pocket.
Defendant was found guilty and sentenced to six months' imprisonment with hard labour, a similar sentence being imposed upon the de. fendent in the previons case,
November 20th.
THE MURDER CASE.
Tang Tai was charged that he did on the 24th October "feloniously, wilfully, and of his Wai." He pleaded not guilty, adding that it malice aforethought kill and murder one Kwong
was only by accident that he killed deceased.
The jurors were Messrs. P. Muller, F. A. K. W. B. Walker, T. D. Donaldson, and H. E. Hahn, W. J. Winterburn, J. H. Underwood,
Wilmer.
The Hou. H. E. Pollock (Acting Attorney General), instructed by Mr. Bowley (Acting Crown Solicitor) appeared for the prosecution and Dr. Ho Kai for the prisoner.
The Hon. H. E. Pollock (Acting Attorne General), instructed by Mr. Bowley (Acting Crown Solicitor), appeared for the prosecution and Mr. J. J. Francis, Q.C. (instructed by Messrs. Wilkinson and Grist), for the defence,
On the application of Mr. Franois, defendant was allowed a seat outside the dookoladag
Mr. Pollock said defendant in this case was charged that he "on the 8th day of September, 1899, in Victoria Harbour, in the waters of this colony, being then master of a British ship, to wit, the steamship White Cloud, did unlawfully and knowingly take the said ship lives of divers persons, to wit the officers and to sea in such an unseaworthy state that the
crew of such ship, were likely to be thereby then endangered." That prosecution was insti: Mr. Pallock said defendant was charged with
Merchant Shipping Ordinance of 1891, which tuted under sub-section 2 of section 11 of the unlawfully being a member of certain unlaw.
ran as follows:" Every Master of a British or ful society known by the name of the
Colonial ship who knowingly takes the same to Triad Society. This charge was brought
sea in such unseaworthy state that the life of against defendant, under Ordinance 8 of 1887,
any person is likely to be thereby endangered section 2, which among other things made it
shall be guilty of a misdemeanour, unless he an offence for a person to be a member of a
Mr. Pollock said the main witness for the proves that her going to sea in such unses; society, which was known by the name of the prosecution would be a man called Pan Cheung, worthy state was under the circumstances Triad Society. It was also provided that who was a coolie employed in a druggist's shop reasonable and justifiable; and for the purpose When any of the banners, insignis, or writ at 117, Praya West. This witness would tell of giving such proof he may give evidence ings of any society declared by this ordinance the jury that at about four o'clock on the after- in the same manner as any other witness." to be unlawful are found in the possession, cus- tody, or control of any person, it shall be pre-coolies to carry some cargo from a boat which the steamship White Cloud was a wooden ship noon of the 24th October he went out to engage The evidence in this case would show that sumed, till the contrary is shown by such person, that he is a member of such unlawful
was lying alongside the Praya Wall to this shop, sheathed with copper built over 20 years ago; society.' The evidence in the case would show that the and saw 12 carrying coolies, among them being known as river steamers; and that she had been at 117, Praya West. He went out into the street that she was of a class which was ordinaaly police, acting upon Information received, went prisoner and deceased, and he engaged them. exclusively used in river traffic, that was to somewhere about half-past five on the morning. All went smoothly for a time, but after a certain say, either on the run between Hongkong and of the 3rd October to a house at Kowloon Hang, quantity of packages had been removed from Macao or the run between Macao and Canton, which was a village in the New Territory some-the boat to the shop some wrangling took place and vice versa; and that for the last six where between Taipoha and Shamchun. They between prisoner and deceased, the upshot of years or upwards she had been employed solely were some little time. in effecting an entrance, which was that prisoner, who had a bamboo pole | upon the run between Cànton and Maono and back again, which he understood was a' more sheltered trip so far as the son was con cerned than the trip between Hongkong and Macao. She was surveyed for a passenger certificate by Mr. Dizon, Government Marins Surveyor, in September, 1893, and Mr. Disön would tell the jury that in his opinton øven at that time the White Cloud was not the sort of Ramsey, who also had experience as an er beat to send to sea. Besides Mr. Dizon, Mr gineer, would be called, and he would tell the jury that the White Cloud was a river steamer and was not the class of boat which ought to be sent to sea across to Manila, or even to Swatow, at all events in the month of September, when there was some danger of encountering typhoons. The White Cloud was sold to her present owner, Mr. Robinson-who, he might mention, bad been absent from the colony for over two mouths past-on the 8th August, this year. The bill of sale was dated the Slat” Angust, and the transfer was actually registered in this Harbour Office on the 2nd September. She pnt to sea upon the voyage which formed the subject of that prosecution on the 8th Septem bor, about four o'clock in the afternoon. was carrying no passengers, but she håd board a captain, a chief officer, two Europea engineers, and some Chinese firemen and stokes It would appear from the evidence of MI Adamson, the chief engineer, that very shortly after the boat had left the harbour that was to say, before midnight on the same day—she begah. › Dr. Ho Kai addressed the jury at some length to leak. It appeared that she met a kind of roll on behalf of prisoner,. He contended that it of the sea outaide aud began to leak.” Her seams whad not been proved beyond reasonable doubt began to open out and the sea came in through that prisoner was the only man who was the seams. In consequence, somewhere about fighting with deceased, or that it was he who 11 o'clock the same night, at the request of Me delivered the fatal blow, but if the jury thonght Adamson, the chief officer put the ship'- head to deceased was fighting with prisoner and thus wind in order to facilitate the pumping of the got the blow which caused his death he sub-water out of the ship. After a certain amount mitted that it would be a case of manslaughter. found prisoner, guilty of murder, but recom- His Lordship having sunimed up the jury
"mended him to meroy,
was
but they finally got into the house and three men were arrested, defendant being one of them. The evidence would show that defendant tried to escape by the roof, Mr. Messer, would be called as a witness, and he would say he saw defendant get on to the roof through a hole, apparently with the idea of escaping from the police, but when be saw Mr. Messer he went into the honse again and arrested by the police. There would be some evidence that defendant was the owner of the house. In this house there were found various things, which related to the society known as the Triad Society, including a key in Chinese, of which a translation had been made, This key undoubtedly contained references to various symbols and phrases which were used exclusively by the Triad Society, and he would call witnesses who "would be able to depose to the_fact that some of the leading tenets and by tabolk of the Trind Society were mentioned in this key. There were also other exhibits which he should be able to put in if ne ceskary and which doubtedly related to the Triad Socfety certain angs and doonments. When defendant was arrested and charged in the charge-room he admitted being a member of The Triad Sodiety, but added that he was chimpelled to worship." and become a member. To regard to the other two men, they were brought up at the Magistracy, but he did not propose to proceed with the case against them, at he did not consider the evidence against them
conclusive.
*The evidence' given at the Magistracy was
peated...
Do chdant" was “found guilty and sentence 17) Bordship complimented the police on the eaper to which they had worked up the case.
Sun, who was also charged with being a member of an unlawful society, pleaded
The jury which heart the previolis case heard
* 242 Pollock said that the evidence in this case zond show that at 1 pm, on the 3rd October a Police“ Bergeant arrested defendant ät au in s birber
on the charge of member of the Triad Bonisty. There õus the pers of defendant two pieces (which would be produced) which had
F
400 given at the Magistracy, was,
in his hand, struck deceased a heavy blow on the head. Deceased at, once fell down, practi- cally in an unconscious condition. Pan Cheung would tell the jury that he was quite close to pri- soner and deceased when prisoner struck deceased with the pole, and that deceased had not struck prisoner any blow at all. In fact deceased had no bamboo or any other weapon in his hand. went forward and took hold of prisoner and held Pun Cheung, on seeing what prisoner had done, him until a district watchman came up and took prisoner into custody. Prisoner said to the district watchman, "I have struck him, I will pay for his life if he dies." Prisoner at that had struck the blow. Prisoner was taken to the Police Station and deceased to the Govern- ment Civil Hospital. Deceased, who never seemed to have, rallied, died the same evening at about half-past seven, that was to say, some three hours after being struck with this bamboo. Dr. Bell, who made the post-mortem examination, would tell the jury that all the internal organs were healthy and the cause of death was a fracture of the skull, which frac ture, Dr., Bell would tell them, might have been caused by a weapon similar to the bamboo pro- dnced. When charged prisoner, after having been cautioned, made a statement to the effect him and he struck deceased by accident. that deceased and another man were fighting
dence.
The witnesses for the prosecution gave evi.
time had in his hand the bamboo with which be
His Lordship passed sentence of death in the uanal way,
ted).
Hadr.
21st November.
CASE
THE WHITE CLOUD” Arthur Myrvin Raymond, who was charged with taking an unseaworthy” ship pleaded not guilty.
The jurors orger. Walter Spalkkaver tie C. G. Engel.
|
of water had been pumped ont of the ship the chief engineer turned in about midnight, but he was called again about an hour afterwards, when he found a lot of water in the ship ab
the stoke-hold plates, 50 inches above the bilge. He found that the second enginsår had already started to pume at a hand pump Then the bilge injection pat on to work and that stopped the water ring In. How
abont aix ever, only a few hours
| o'clock in the morning, stove iu and the water from starboard, to port.
Mensrá. C ́A. H. Westor- | ont by about quarter to
* J. H. Ozberry, WO C, kor. J. H. Underwood,
Defendant then'
about