January 12, 1903.
THE LATE INSPECTOR HOOD.
The European members of the staff of the Sanitary Board assembled in the Board Room on the 2nd inst. to do honour to one of their colleagues who, with his wife and family, is leaving for England on the 7th inst. after eleven years spent in the Col ny first as a policeman and latterly as an inspector on the staff of which the Hon. Dr. Clark is the head. Inspector J. Hood was the recipient of yesterday's favours, which, in addition to the food wishes for the future prosperity of himse f and his family, took the tangible form of a presentation of silver table-ware-tea service, serviette rings, cake basket, and salt cellars—a handsome collec- tion as they lay spread out to view on the table in the office of the Sanitary Board.
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE RÉPUKI.
SUICIDE OF MR, LEHMANN.
Mr. H. Lehmann, the head of Messrs. Arn- hold. Karberg & Co. at Shanghai was, as we have already been informed by telegram, found, lying on his bed on the morning of the 31st alt. by his boy with a revolver ballet through his head and a revolver grasped in his right hand. He was quite dead, the bullet having entered the right temp'e traversed through the skull coming out the left temple, after which it struck the wall of the bed-room, flattened and rebounded to the middle of the floor, where the police afterwards picked it up. All this occur- red at Mr. Lehmann's residence, No. 112, Bubbling Well Road. The Mercury alds the following details:-Deceased had retired to rest in his usual good health last night, and, accord- | ing to custom, his boy had gone in to call him just before daylight to-day in order that he might be in time for his usual morning ride. On entering the room he found him lying dead as described. The boy at once called Mr. Lembke, who lives close by, and Mr. Lembke communicated with the Police in Carter Road where Detective Brown happened to be on duty. This officer immediately pro- ceeded to deceased's house and took charge of the case. He found on deceased's dressing table a short memorandum, in German, from deceased to Mr. Lembke, but it is in no way in connection with this sad event. Dr. Paulun, who was called by the Police, was quickly in attendance and pronounced the opinion that death must have occurred somewhere about 3
The Hon. Dr. CLARK handed over the gifts, and in doing so made an appropriate little speech, He said Mr. Hood, we have asked you to meet us here this afternoon in order that we may bid you and your wife God speed on your voyage home to Scotland, and that we may wish you both every happiness and prosperity in the years that lie before you.
You have been in the service of this Government for the past eleven years, seven of which were spent with the Police and four with us, and during that time you have made many friends, and, as we believe, no enemies. It is no easy ma ter, as we all know, for officers of either of these services to avoid making enemies in the course of our official | duties, but we are agreed that in this respect you have succeeded, where others perhaps my have failed, and we are sincerely sorry that illa.m. health shoull have compelled you to leave us for good. We do not mean, however, that you go away empty handed, and I am desired task your acceptance, in the name of every officer of our staff, of this small service of silver plate, which will, I trust, in the days that are to come, serve to remind you of the many good friends that you have left behind in Hongkong. One of our bachelors reminds me that a part of the service is intended for you and a part for your wife and that they have been inscribed accord- ingly, but I am quite sure that, as a married man, you will well 1nderstand that it is all meant for you, and I am even more sure that your wife, will understand that it is all meant for her. (Laughter and applause.) May you both live long to enjoy the use of this small token of our esteem and goodwill.
Inspector HOOD, who had been invalided on pension, replied in fitting terms, and so the interesting ceremony came to a close.—Daily Preas, 3rd January.
We regret very much having to chronicle the death of Inspector J. Hood, a retiring member of the Sanitary Board staff, who on Friday last was made the recipient of a hand- come set of silverware from his fellow-officers on the occasion of his leaving the service, invalided, on pension at 3 50 yesterday morning, aged 29 years, at the residence of Mr. Barrington, Public Works Department, and in the afternoon was buried in the Happy Valley. The funeral was attended by a large number of the 8 nitary Board staff and of the members of the Police Force. Hon. Dr. Clark was among the mourners. Many wreaths were placed on the grave. Much sympathy is felt for Mrs. Hood and her child. The family were to have sailed in the König Albert yesterday for El gland.
-Daily Press, 8th January.
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At eight o'clock on Friday morning. the 27th alt., the Shanghai Mercury rsports, the French troops struck cump and marched to the French Consulate, where they lined up in front and Lien'enant-Colonel Diguet saluted the Freuch tricolour, which floated at the masthead of the flagstaff in the French Consulate Grounds, ia token of good-bye. The command was then given to form up in marching order, eight deep and, headed by the band of the 1st East Asiatic German Regiment, they proceeded as far as the Astor House where the band fell out into Saunder's Compound and played the departing regiment past. Arrived at the Hongkew wharf the troops at once went on board the waiting transport. The officers received a large number of friends on board the Admiral Ezelmans who came to see them off, from 8.30 to 9 a.m. Soon after this hour the vessel cast off and proceeded on her voyage to Indo-China.
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Mr. Lehmann was frequently troubled with as hms, and it is supposed that bo had au attack last night, for many ends of cigarettes such as he used to smoke when troubled with this complaint were found in the room. post-mortem examination was held to-day t which it was concluded that probably deceased shot himself in a fit of temporary insanity.
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It appears to be thought at Shanghai that the suicide on the 31st ult. of Mr Lehmann, local head of Messrs Arnhold Karberg & Co was prompted by desperation at the recurre ce of his old malady, asthma. The New Year's celebration which was to be held at the Club Concordia on the night of the 1st inst, was postponed until the next Saturday on account of Mr. Lehmann's death.
KOWLOON BRITISH SCHOOL.
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preparation was made for the play. A stage had been rigged up in the large room, with gas footlights, drop-scene; wings, and everything complete. Then followed the charming little piece, in which the children appeared in costume and sang their well-known nursery songs. The spectacle was very pretty, and the antics of the policeman, clown and pantaloon caused much merriment amongst the scholars in the audience. The "bill of the play " was as follows :-
GRAND Christmas PantomimE.
BABY'S DREAM.”
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Scen I. Baby's Bedroom on Christmas Eve. Scene II.—The Christmas Tree.
CHARACTERS :— Father Christmas, Santa Claus......... Mr. Russell The Fairy Queen Mab. Holly ́.
Ivy
Mistletoe Jack Frost
Dick Whittington Cat Boy Blue Bo Peep Tom Tucker...
Jack Horner
Old Mother Hubbard Dog
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Clown
Miss Stewart. Miss Ethel Parker Miss Jennie Jack. Miss Lily Logan. Master James Jack. Master Willie Kerr. Master Bertie Sayer, Master James McGlashan.
Pantaloon....................
Policemen....
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Pianist Violin Fluto...
Misa Winnie Ward. Master Tom Logan. Master Aleo Kinross.
Miss Lily Neaves. Bouzeau.
Master Willie Jack, Master Angus Stewart. Master Willie Lambert.
ORCHESTRA.
Miss Annie Groy. Mr. Sibbit. Mr. Duncan.
At the close Mrs. James, the head mistress, distributed the articles on the Christmas tree, and every scholar received present. Mr. So Tools-who is Irving, the Inspector of ide tifying himself so enthusiastically and thoroughly with the sebo i work in the colony -then proposed a he 1ty vote of thanks to Mr. Jack, who was responsible for the play and the work connected with it, Mr. and Mrs. James, who had done so much for its sucess, and the
ladies. gentlemen and children who had given the performance, and to the Committee who had sent the Christmas tree. Mr. Irving pointed ont that the s hool, which had not yet boen open twelve mouths, bad on its roll sixty scholars, and was thoroughly proving its existence. For the convenience of those children who came acro's the harbour they were trying to organise tiffin arrangements at the school, which h/thought would be welcomed by the parents. They were doing all they could to make the institution a success, and be was sure it was being appreciated. (Hear, hear.) Mr. A. Cunningham seconded, and the vote was heartily accorded, the proceedings t rminated wi h the National Anthem.
INFORMAT ON TO PARENTS.
The following letter, which speaks for itself, is now being circulated amongst European parents in the Colony, and as there may be many the circulars may not reach. the following is published for their information :---
Education Department, Hongkong, 29th December, 1902. DEAR S R OR MADAM,-Although the newly established Kowloon School has attracted a on siderable number of Furopean children, it has not been used to its full capacity. This is a matter of regret, iu view of the strong feelings generally expressed in favour of the opening of such a school, not a year ago.
CHILDREN'S ENTERTAINMENT. A very charming entertainment was given in the Kowloon British School on the 3rd inst. at noon by a number of the scholars. Time works wonders in educational progress in the Colony, as in other matters, for the thoughts of not a few of the parents present at the little play must have reverted to the p riod only a short time back when they struggled alone in vain to maintain by limited mutual effort an institution which the education, moral and mental, of their children demanded. To the days of the peripatetic "mal-shed academy"—which, characteris ic of ma y and more ambiticus present day edifices, succumbed to a typhoon- when they struggled hard but unconvincingly to prove to the government that the education of the Anglo-Saxon children in the Colony was one of its primary duties. Few of those were sanguine enough to dream of Saturday's enter- tainment, when the scholars themselves would beat home to their parents, and entertaiu them in real traditional school-day form. Yet I have been given to understand that one of the such was happily the case, and for the first time objections to a freer use of the school by parents in its infantils existence the Kowloon British on the Hongkong side is the difficulty of secar- School was the scene of a most enjoyable entering the safe conduct of young children across
ainment which it is generally hoped will be the forerunner of many to come. The Committee of the old voluntary school in Kowloon (Messrs. T. H. Reid and cayer) was connected very materially with the intertainment, for it closed its funds and its useful and spirited existence by contributing its cash balance to the purchase of a huge Christmas tree and loaded it with many gifts precious to the youngsters' hearts and appetites. At four o'clock the scholars, numbering sixty, sat down to tea and cake" and evidenced their appreciation of their master's warning, given sme days in advance, on the wisdom of mature preparation.
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After tea, and having done justice to the appotising effect of the Kowloon air,
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the ferry. It seems to me that this difficulty might be overcome by the school anthorities arranging for a responsible person to meet a certain ferry in the morning, and to cross to the Hongkong side guin with the cbillreu in the afternoon.
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To obriate the necessity of the children returning to lunch, arrangements might be made for giving the children a plain 'but sub- stantial Inach at the school under proper supervision, at cost price. Whether it will be possible to do so will depend entirely upon the support which parents lend to the scheme. *
The success of the school should be a matter` of concern to every l ́uropean in the Colony, and I therefore earnest, fëquest all parents to fill up
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