June 6, 1903.]
AN OLD DODGE,
BUT GENERALLY† SUCCESSFUL.
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There are other ways of relieving a persoa of bis or her valuables than by seizing them, either by fores or by stealth, and making off. The victim in that, 0189 might make a noise, and the thief would stand a good chance of being run in. Theo nfidence trick is a quieter and safer method to adopt. It has been worked here, as elsewhere, so frequently that one would imagine it had ceased to be effective. There is always a pigeon waiting to baplucked, however. I Wanchai Road on the 28th alt. a nicely dressed Chinese woman wearing the gold ornaments usually affected by her class was accosted by a country. man accompanied by a boy The man had a fifty-dollar note that he wanted changed, but as neither he nor his young friend was sufficiently well attired to establish his bona fides in respect of the possession of the note to any. one to whom they might touder it, he would feel infinitely obliged if the woman, whos) smart appearance would carry conviction anywhere," would undertake the commission and have the nots transformed into handier currency. More than that, he promised that she sa gld" receive half the money for her trouble. The woman was only too pleased to act, and the man, after ostentationsly parading it before her eyes, wrapped the note up in a piece of brown paper and handed it to her. As she was going off, however, he caught her sleeve, and suggested apologetically that she might leare some security bahind; he did not for one moment doubt that she would retu n with the money, but in these transactions it was better to observe a strict business princi- ple, and perforce he felt constrained to make the request for a guarantee The woman, who had a plan of her own in mind, did as the other expected and intended she should do--stripped off all her jewelry, to the value of about 830, and dropped it into the itching palm held out to receive it. Thou the parcel, which had been taken from her the while she took off the ornaments, was returned, and she went away, having first promised to return as soon as possible with the change for the note. That was a subterfuge on her part, though, for chinokling at the good fortune that had met her, she made straight home with the precious little parcel clutched in her hand. She never intended go- ing back to the other two, it after wards transpired, but circumstances alter cases, and a discovery she made when she got into the house caused her to alter her mind with marvellous celeri ly and to set off in hot haste to the rendezvous. The parcel contained nothing, and had been substituted for the one containing the fifty-dollar bill when the jewelry was changing hands. Needless to say, the guileful couple had vanished, and the victimised female lodged information at No. 2 Police Station, Wanchai, where, in answer to inter- rogations, she blushingly acknowledged her scheme to rob the man of his
money. Constables were sent out to endeavour to get on the track of the two rascals, but they are still at liberty, and likely to remain so,
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
the left shoulder from behind, and that the unfortunate Chinaman fell, rose, ran on a few yards, fell again, and expired, the weapon having pierced his heart. Souza's first story, told immediately after his arrest, was to the effect that he was annoyed by his door bell having been rung. He came out of the house and seeing a native rann'ng up the road, gave chase. After chasing the man for some distance, the latter fell down, aid Souze saw that he had been stabbed and was dying and immediately returned home.
Immediately after the tragedy occurred, the police were communicated with, and Sergeant Lynch and Detective Kingston set out to make enquiries and to arrest the murderer, with the result that Souza was arrested by them.
Au inquest was held by the City Magistrate on Saturday, and among those present were M. Potier, Consul for 'Portugal; Drs. von Schab and Lalcace, who had examined the body of the decased; Sergeant Lynch, Detective Kingston, the prisoner, a native doctor, and a very large crowd of onlookers. The object of the inquest was, of course, to determine the cause of death, and there was little doubt that death was due to the wound found on the deceased's body, but the native doctor differed from the foreigners as to the weapon and the manner in which the wound was inflicted.
After his arrest, and previous to the inquest on Saturday, Souza confessed his guilt. He made a statement that he was disturbed by the ringing of his front-door bell, and later by his room window being broken. He seized a cary- ing knife and ran out into the street, and seeing a native running away, chased him and struck him in the back with the knife. He did not wait to see the result of his blow, but threw the knife into the creek and ran back home.
The prisoner cannot be tried in Shanghai, but will be sent to Macao. The depositions of the various witnesses will be taken at the Por- taguese Consulate.-N.-C. Daily News.
CORRESPONDENCE.
MISS BLAKE'S WEDDING.
TO THE KDITOR OF THE DAILY PRESS." Hongkong, 2nd June.
818.-In view of Miss Blake's wedding to Captain Arbuthnot on Monday next, the 8th inst., might I be allowed to suggest that His Excellency should declare a public holiday on that day in honour of the event? This is the first time in the history of the Colony that a Governor's daughter has been married in Hongkong, and surely the occasion deserves to be marked in some such way as I allude to. We should all be glad to honour the wedding day. Even althongh it were **30, still a not convenient for the Ranks to holiday might be granted the panic servants. Section 6 of the Public Holidays Ordinance says ;~
notification in the Government Gazette at any It shall be lawful for the Governor by time to appoint a special day to be observed as a Bank holiday in addition to or in substitution for any days mentioned in the schedules of the
MURDER BY A FOREIGNER IN | Ordinanc1," etc.
SHANGHAI.
news
Quite a sensation was caused in Shanghai ou the 19th and 20th ult, by the that a Chinese had been stabbed to death, ap- parently without provocation, by a resident foreigner. It seems that shortly before 1 a.m. on Friday, as four native carpenter's assistants were passing No. 1,203, Singkeipang Road, one of their number, an apprentice aged 17, in put- ting on his jacket, accidentally touched the window of the above-mentioned house. This annoyed, the occupier on P. A. Souza, an employee of the Gas Company, and he seized a. stick, rushed out of the house, and gave chase to the unfortunate apprentice. As to what follow ed there were two stories, differing somewhat in detail. The version of the carpenter's assis ant, and a Chinese constable, who are said to have witnessed the affair, was that a Portuguse, whom they identify as P. A. Souza, chased the apprentice, and on coming up to him stabbed him either - with ́a sheath knife or with the blade of a sword stick, under
In these cironmstances there would appear to be no obstacle in the way of the declaration of a public holiday.-Yours, etc.. :
OLD RESIDENT.
t
TO THE EDITOR OF THE “DAILY PRESS,
Hongkong, 3rd June. S18,-I think "Old Resident's" proposal for a public holiday on the occasion of Miss Blake' marriage next Monday is a good one. The svent will be unique in the domestic history of the Colony, I believe, and should be celebrated accordingly. Miss Blake, too, shares her father's popularity in the Colony, and we shoul all like to record our sentiments in as hearty s manner as possible.-- Yours, etc.,
GOOD LUCK.
GÖMES V. GOMES.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE "DAILY PRESS.
Hongkong, 2nd June, 1903. SIB-We are instructed by Mr Francisco
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d'Assis Gomes to state that the amount of $2,000 damages for which he recently obtained judg. ment in the Original Jurisdiction Action No. 173 of 1912, has, after deduction of the sum of 3376.75 dus from him for legal expenses, heen distributed amongst the following charities ---
The Benevolent Society
*** $500.00 The Society of St. Vincent de Paul 500,00 The Soldiers' and Sailors' Institute,
Arsenal Street
313.25 The Victoria Home & Orphanage 810,00
$1,623.25 and to ask you to be good enough to publish this letter in your next issue.Yours, etc.,
DEACON & HASTINGS..
KWANGSI FAMINE FUND.
The Hon. Treasurers acknowledge with thanks the following subscriptions
Amount previously acknowledged $26,829.52 Kung Yuen
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8. T. Dann W. S. Bailey & Co.- R. H. K.... Wing Cheong Leo Wing Cheong Fat Po Loong
Kwong Man Cheung Kut Cheong Hing Mee Chuen Foo Chun Yuen Sing
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Kwong Cheong Tai
Kam Tak Tai...
Ho Ngo Lau
Kwong On Wing.
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Hang On Insurance Co.
Hang Kee
Tung On Insurance Co.
-Tang Chan
Chi Foo Lan
Po Yick Co.
Kwong Wing Sun
Kwong Tick Wo
Chui 'Tak Loong Him Yick. Chi Wing OJ
50.
100
...
50
20
100 .
100
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100
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Total $29,549.52 Up to date 5,714 piculs of rice have been shipped for distribution amongst the sufferers at a cost of $24,983.07.
THE LU-HAN RAILWAY:
The N.-C. Daily News publishes a summary of an important report recently made for Messrs. Pearson & Co. who are building the line in Honau for the Peking Syndicate.
20 miles, and in January the earthwork was gineers give the length of the Lu-Han line as Beginning with generalities, the reporting en-
completed within about 180 miles north and natural dividing line between the two main seo- tions, into which, for purposes of construction, the line is divided. These main divisions are again subdivided into sections of about 40 miles each under a chief of section and having each three assistants in particular charge of yet shorter lengths of from ten to fifteen miles. There are superintendent engineers, one for each side of the Yellow River, and M. Jadot is Chief En- gineer for the whole concern. From Peking to Uhengtingfu, a distance of 150 miles, there was at the time of the inspection a daily through train, which takes about 12 hours to make the journey. The train consists of a first-class car with four or five second-class and as many open trucks for coolies. The portion f line thus opened is beginning to make profits which are appropriated in equal pro- tions to paying off the loan and carrying the construction further. By April, it was thought: the line would be open to passenger trame as far as Shuntobfu, which is approximately half- way to the river. A short branch line from, Changsintien to Fêngtai, about six miles long, affords communication with the Imperină. | Chinëse Railway and so with Tientsin."-
south of the Yellow River The river makes a
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