86
"
seized was the first defendant. I afterwards saw the second defendant running out of No. I then 168. I also caught hold of him. shouted out "Fire" and afterwards said to the defendants, This is your doing." The first defendant said :- The master order me to do it." I smelt a strong smell of kerosene in the premises. I asked the prisoners where the master had gone. One of them replied. He has gone to Canton." After the fire caught, it was only about one minute before it spread all over the ground floor.
44
William Sydney Bissell, worn, submitted a plan showing the positions of floors, etc., in houses Nos. 168, Hollywood Road, and 39, Square Street.
Kwok Yik San declared: On the early morning of the 12th January I was going I heard someone along Hollywood Road,
"Fire." I walked
behind
me cry out back in the direction of the
"
ory,
when I saw In
Po arrest two men. I looked in No. 168 and saw a little fire. I heard the detective say This is your work." I then warned them and said—“ You are unlucky; you will get twenty years at léast.” I stayed there three or four minutes, and when I left the fire was burning strongly.
Li Yee Sui, P.C. No, 375, said the second de- fendant ran out of the house fully dressed.
Wong Pak Mo said: I lived at No. 168, Holly. wood Road, second floor, with my wife and two children. On the night of the 11th January we were sleeping there. I was awakened in the early morning, and on going out to the verandah saw fame coming from the ground floor. I shouted 'fire," and rushing in again caught up my son, and went up to the third floor. I there laid down my son and looked for a way of escape, but could not find one. My uncle and cousin,
+
who were on the verandah with me, pulled down the partition and we escaped into the house on the eastern side, and out by Square Street. After I got to the third floor, I was unable, owing to the fierceness of the fire, to return to the second to try to save my wife and daughters. Later in the morning I informed the Police
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND PIRACY IN HONGKONG HARBOUR.
The remand case in which four Chinese were
When
[February 6, 1905. tried to pull off, but as they could not they put my wrist on the cover of the hatch and with s chopper cut the rattan of the bangle. They also took my gold finger ring. I was then charged with committing piracy in the Harbour forced down into the hold. At first I refused off Quarry Bay, and stealing from a cargo junk to go, until they threatened to stab me. goods to the total value of 82,074 under cir- the robbers were leaving the ship I heard the cumstances already recorded in these columus, word "sung." I went up on deck, and on came on for hearing before Mr. H. H. J. Gom-examining the ship I missed my boz It pertz at the Police Court on the 31st January. contained about 50 pieces of clothing and
Besides Chief Detective-Inspector Hanson prosecuted, gold mounted bangle valued at $7. and Mr. H. K. Holmes represented the the ring I mentioned, I lost four other rings fourth defendant, and Leung Yee, a woman of the total value of $150, which were in my [ could not indicted for receiving certain of the stolen box, also 74 gold biads worth $72.
identify any of the robbers who came on board goods to the value of $10.
our junk.
Kwok San Chi declared: I am the master
and owner of the passage boat No. 360, trading between Shaukiwan and Victoria. The cargo I generally bring here is salt fish, and the return I cargo is rice. As a rule the only passengers carry are those accompanying their cargo. On the morning of the 13th instant, at 2 a.m., I left Shaukiwan. There were three women and six men besides myself on board. The sail was hoisted, but there was not much wind. We were rowing on board, and had got as far as the 8 boat about eight Soap Works when I saw or ton chung off. It was rowing towards us from the direction of the mainland. There were twelve men in the boat. I called out and asked what boat it was. I got no answer, but the boatmen pulled alongside, jumped on board, and told us not to make a noise; they said they were taking revenge. They further said. "If you do shout we'll They left two men on board their kill you.' own craft. The men who boarded us had knives and revolvers in their hands. I was pressed down into the cabin by two of the band. They told me if I did not stay there they would
19
stab me to death. One of them then struck me with the flat of a knife and rubbed pepper into my eyes. The rest of the people on board in- cluding the women were pressed into the hold. I saw the robbers removing boxes. They were Before leaving on board about half-an-hour. they put the hatches on the hold. After some time they called out "Sung" I went up on deck and saw the robbers' boat going in the direction of Tsaichowan. I then made examination of my boat and found that I had lost $1,500 which I kept in a box, over 200 pieces of clothing valued at $200, and jewellery FIRE IN QUEEN'S ROAD CENTRAL. worth over $130. We went to Shaukiwan and
that my wife was missing, and went with Inspector Gourlay to the scene of the fire. where I identified the bodies of my wife and daughters.
Од the 2nd February fire broke out on the second floor of a three-story house, kept by Cheng Yuk Chua of the Nam Loong firm. in Queen's Road Central: The flames spread rapidly till the whole upper part of the building was blazing. Fire Brigade operations were carried out under the orders of Chief Inspector Baker, a number of bluejackets lending a hand. A large crowd of Europeans backed by a throng of Chinese watched the conflagration. Inspector Dymond was in charge of police regulating the traffic.
The roof over the
block of three houses, Nos. 86, 97 and 99, crashed in. The fire was well under control at about a quarter to eight, The upper floors were completely gutted, while the ground and first floors were damaged by water. The premises were insured in L'Urbaine Insurance Company for $35,000, in the Tung U Insurance Company for $10,000 and in the Imperial Insurance Com pany for $10,000.
A fire broke out in a Chinese Bank, No. 101, The Queen's Road, on the 2nd February. outbreak is supposed to have occurred in the kitchen at the rear of the bank, and from thence it quickly spread to the adjoining premises of Messrs. Nam Hing Loong, foreign goods mer- chants. The fire had a strong hold when the brigade, under Chief Inspector Baker, arrived on the scene. The firemen, by strenuous exer- tion, succeeded in getting the fire under way about two hours after the outbreak, but not before damage estimated at $33,000 was done to the stock of Messrs. Nam Hing Loong by fire and water, the goods on the ground, first and second floors being practically destroyed. The bank premises were insured for $5,000, while Messrs. Nam Hing Loong's stock and premises were insured in the Imperial, Urban and Kung On Insurance Companies to the extent of $55,000.
reported the matter.
In reply to His Worship: on board was my earnings. banking account.
an
The money I had I never keep s
Cross-examined by Mr. Holmes:-It was dark the morning the pirates boarded my junk. They were pulling four cars. Their craft appeared to be a fishing boat. It was without masts. I could not see whether it had a hood
on.
Pepper was not rubbed into my eyes until after the defendants boarded us. As soon as they did, they bore me to the deck, so that I did not get a chance to see them. I had no passengers on board this trip. The cargo of fish on board was worth between $800 and $900. None of this cargo was stolen. I saw two
knives about seven inches long in possession of the robbers. I do not carry any arms on board my boat. Neither my fokis nor myself resisted the robbers, as they pointed revolvers at us.
The four Chinese pirates who took $2,074 from a cargo juak in Quarry Bay were brought up on remand on Feb. 1st. Mr. H. K. Holmes again appeared to defend one of them.
#L
Kwok Sau Chi deposed: On the morning of the 13th instant our junk left Shaukiwan for Victoria. When we got as far as the Soap Works I saw a boat pulling towards us from the direction of Tsaichwan. There were over ten men on board of her. When the boat got near us I shouted out What boat is that!? " They did not answer, but kept on pulling towards our boat. When they got alongside they told us not to call out or they would shoot us. They said they had come to take revenge. Seven men boarded our junk and two remained in their boat. Some of the boarders were armed with revolvers, and some with daggers. Some of them rubbed my eyes with pepper, and blinded me. One of the robbers broke the rattan of the gold mounted bangle on my right wrist and took it away. I also had a gold mounted bangle on my left wrist. This they
FASHIONABLE WEDDING.
&
Major A. C. Painter, and Miss Katharine Turner, who arrived from England, by the a... Chusan, were married at St. John's Cathedral on the 31st January. A number of friends were Military officers wore "Review present. Order." His Excellency Sir Matthew Nathan, K.C.M.G., gave the bride away. Lieut. A. R. Hannay, R.E., was best man; and the two danghters of Col. Brown, R.E., bridesmaids. The Rev. F. T. Johnson, assisted by the Rev. G. Searle, Chaplain of the Forces, officiated. Mr. A. G. Ward acted as organist.
The following were invited to the recep tion at Government House :-General and Mrs. Hatton, Capt. Ward, Commodore and Mrs. Dicken, Miss Stilwell, Lieut. Butt, R.N., Col. and Mrs. Brown, Miss Brown, Miss E. Brown, Col. and Mrs. Kent, Col. and Mrs. Bunny, Col. and Mrs. Webb, Capt. and Mrs. Watkins, Major and Mrs. Pritchard, Capt. and
Mrs.
Mrs. Barnes-Lawrence, Miss Barnes-Lawrence, Mr. and Mrs. Layton, Mr. and H. W. Robertson, Mr. and Mrs. P. Jones, and Mrs. Danby, Mr. and Mrs. Mr. Tilden, Lieut. and Mrs. Mowbray, Capt. and Mrs. Boyd, Mr. and Mrs. Fullerton. Mr. and Mrs, Peter, Miss Watson, Col. and Mrs. Caulfield, Major Dopping Hepenstal, R.E., Major Le Breton-Simmons, R.E., Lieut. Cooper, R.E., Lieut. Dankes, R.E., Lieut. Rainsford-
Hannay, R.E., Lieut. Hall, R.E., Lieut. Ogle, R.E. Lieut. Rogers, R.E., Lieut. Chesney, R.E., Lieut. Fisher, R.E., Lieut. Clark, R.E., Major Sparkes, R.A.M.C., Lieut. Craig, R.A.M.C., Lieut. Doran, A.S.C., Capt. and Mrs. Fitzwil- liams. Mrs. Rowe, Capt. Wilkinson, R.N. (H.M.S. Thetis). Mr. R. J. R. Scott, R.N. (H.M.S. Glory), The Bishop of Victoria and Mrs. Hoare, Rev. F. T. Johnson, Capt. Wake- field, R.A., Mrs. and Miss Wakefield, Capt. Jones, R.A., Major Parry, R.A., Major and Mrs. Kaye, Capt. and Mrs. Crichton, Major Josling, R.A.M.C., Major Phillips, RA, Col. and Mrs Mosse. Major Williamson, A.S.C., Capt. Gale. A.P.D. Col. Haynes, A.P.D., Major and Mrs. Chichester, Major and Mrs. Ross, Major and Mrs. Stevens, Mr. and Mrs. H. H.J. Gompertz, Major and Mrs. Strick- land, Capt. Nugent, R A., Rev. Searle, Col. Western, Major Pedley, Capt. Ellgood, Mr. and Mrs. H. Moxon, Mr. S. T. Wenborn, Mr. N. S. Brown, Mr. H. W. Looker, Mr. and Mrs. Grace, Capt. and Mrs. Mackenzie- Grieve, Capt. Muller, R.M.L.I.. (H.M.S. Tamar), Lieut. L. Gregson, Grenadier Guards, Capt. Ward. Mrs. Bryan, Miss Law, Mr. O. D. Thomson, Major and Mrs. Hurly, Major and Mrs. Thomson, Capt. and Mrs. Bushe, Capt. and Mrs. Lambelle, Capt. and Mrs. Davies and Mr. and Mrs. Cruickshank.
FATAL ACCIDENT AT MORRISON
HILL ROAD.
Sitting as Coroner at the Magistracy on the January 31st, Mr. H. H. J. Gomperts held »n inquiry concerning the death of a coolie at No. 41, Morrison Hill Road, on the 25th inst., who was killed as the result of a wardrobe falling upon him. Messrs. N. S. Brown, A. Cameron, and E. Meikle were empanelled as a jury.
William Van Epps testified to engaging six coolies to remove the wardrobe. The rope was made fast to a beam running from one window to another on the third floor. As the wardrobe was being hauled up the six-men began to walk under it. I told them to keep back and they