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and several friends of Senhor-Conselheiro Romano and Senhor Leiria. The usual loyal
toasts were honoured.
Congratulatory telegrams were exchanged with his Exc. llency, the Governor of Macao, and a special telegram was sent to the Private Secretary of the King of Portugal, Conde ΑΡΠΟΣΟ.
The torpedo boat Janus was sent by His Excellency, Sir Matthew Nathan, to Macao. conveying his private secretary, Mr. Richard Ponsonby, to congratulate the Governor of Macao in the name of the Governor of Hong- kong.
as 8
In Macao the day was observed general holiday. The usual thanksgiving was held at 8 o'clock in the morning, a reception was held at His Excellency's house at 10.30, and in the afternoon a garden party took place at the Governor's summer residence, "Flora."
SUPREME COURT,
Tuesday, 26th September.
IN SUMMARY JURISDICTION.
BEFORE ME. A. G. WISE (PUISNE JUDGE).
A PROMIS ORY NOTE DISPUTE.
The Tin Wo firm brought an action against Leung Tsung Laio to recover $800 under a promissory note.
Mr. Holmes appeared for plaintiff, and Mr. Otto Kong Sing for defendant.
The romissory note, it was stated, was given by defendant as part satisfaction of the monies he had overdrawn while managing partner of the plaintiff firm. For the defence it was contended that the present action was brought by the firm, other than as the payees of the promissory note, that the firm had been reconstructed since the promissory note was signed.
His Lordship over: aled this point and gave judgment for plaintiffs.
Thursday, 28th September
IN SUMMARY JURISDICTION,
BEFORE MR. A. G. WISE (PUISNE JUDGE).
A PETTY CLAIM,
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
about the hands and face and went to see Dr. | Jeu Hawk. B-fore visiting the doctor he called on a friend in Pot inger Street who accompanied bim to the hospital He did not visit the shop for two or three days after the fire as he was too ill to leave the house. He did not know how the fire originated, but there were lamps burning ou the slair cases
each side of the There was 'also a lamp burning on the first floor. He had been in the shop for wo years and first started 'n the furniture line about five years ago. He never had a furniture shop in Canton. The shop was first insured for $45,000, but the insurance was increased t $50,000 sometime before the fire. He valued his stock at the time of the fire at over $50,000, and had made up an account of it.
În this action Yung Tai Woon was plaintiff and Chung Sing Woon defendant, the claim being for $364-70, being money paid on behalf of defendant. Mr. Master appeared for plaintiff and Mr. Thompson for defendant. The latter submitted to judgment.
ANOTHER PROMISSORY NOTE DISPUTE.
Chung Sing Un sued Yung Fai Un for the recovery of $467.40 being a contribution ia respect of a jint d-b on a promissory nte given to Tan Chik U in D cember, 19 3, by plaintiff and defendant. Plaiutiff paid under the note, but def ndant did not pay his share.
Mr. Thompson acted for plaintiff and Mr. Master for defendant.
The further hearing was adjourned
DES VŒUX ROAD FIRE INQUIRY.
L
At the Magistracyon September 28th Mr. F. A. Hazeland conducted an inquiry into the circumstances connected with the fire which occurred at the Cheung Lee Furniture shop, Des Voeux Road Ceutral, on the morning of the 9th instant.
Mr. R. A. Harding watched the proceedings on behalf of the owner of the premises and Mr. H. W. Looker (of Messrs. Deacon, Looker and Deacon) on beha'f of the Meiji, the Western of Toronto, the North Germin, the Liverpool and London and Globe, the cun and I'Union Fire Inenrance Companies.
a.m
Lau Sui, master of the Cheung Lee Furniture shop. stated that the fire broke out at bis premises shortly after 2. He and Lau Muk slept on the premises on the night in question. He slept on the second floor and went to bed about 11 p.m. A noise awakened him and he found the room full of smoke. He ran to the head of the stairs and saw smoke ascending from below. He then went to the kitchen, opened the window, and shouted" save life" for a long time, after which he climbed to the ground by s pipe. Hewa; burnt
shop.
•
To Mr. Harding -The Cheung L'e business was started over ten years ago. For over five years his insurance had amounted to $45,000, His biggest insurance was with the Meiji Fire Insurance Co., for $20,000, and that policy was in force before he removed to Des Voeux Road. He effected new insurances with other companies because they were customers of his and asked him to patroniss them. Kum Yik Chee was ceased to be one because he had overdrawn his formerly a partner in the Chung Lee firm, and money. He did not owe any money to his landlord at the time of the fire. His money invested in other firms amounted to over $30,000, while his debts stood at over $10,000.
To Mr. Looker-He first had a one-fourth share in the Chung Lee shop, which was worth $2.500. It was his father's share, and was left to him. He also put $7,500 cash into the shop, which was to buy up the other partners. That was five years ago. For some months before the fire he was not making much profit, bat last year his profits amounted to $3,000 or $4.000. He made 20 or 30 per cent. profit this year; that was calculated without deducting expenses. About £6,000 or $7,000 worth of the goods in his shop were not paid for: he bought them from commission agents in Hongkong. Besides this amount he owed his friends and relation from $7,000 to $8,010, and people abroad about $5,000. If paid the full amount of his policies he would have about 8 2, 00 in cash when his debts were paid. His foki kept the books of the shop.
The hearing was adjourned.
The inquiry into the circumstances connected Furniture shop, 29. Des Voeux Road Central, with the fire which occurred at the Cheung Lee in the early morning of the 9th Sept., was continued before Mr. F. A. Hazeland at the magistracy on September 30th.
|
[October 2, 1905.
gone away and others had died. For two or three days prior to the fire there had been no fokis sleeping on the premises. The number of fokis sleeping on the premises was getting less and less every day. The day befor the fire there were, including witness, six fokis on the premises. They went away at seven o'clock that night. They did not. as a rule, sleep on the premises He did not know where the Wing Wo Cheung shop was in Canton,. and had never heard of it. He had not visited Canton for a long time,
Mr. H. W. Looker (of Messrs. Deacon, Looker and Deacon) represent d the Fire Harding appeared for the owner of the premises. Insurance Companies interested, and Mr. R. A.
Lau Su, master of the shop, was further cross-examined by Mr. Looker He said the time of the fire was value of the stock o the premises at the over $51,000. Tho stock was on the ground, first and second floors. He could not give an estimate of the value of the stocks on each floor, but got the to al value of the goods from his books. A lot of gods on the ground floor were not burnt. Tue goots on the first floor were worth more than $2,000, They were new goods for sale, and there was a large stock of them. The stock on the second floor was also mostly new goods, and it was of about the same value as the stock on the first floor. The goods on the ground floor were all samples and would nly be worth about $10,00. There were goods placed on the first floor about three or four days before the fire, bat some of them were sold before the fire occurred. He last inspected the first floor goods about noon on the day before the fire. Goods were not constantly removed from h's shop for two or three months before the fire. His business was middling for two or three months before the fire. Messrs. Siem sen & Co. purchased about 83,000 worth of goods, some of which were taken from the ground and some from the first floor. At the end of August he had about 26 fokis in his shop, over ten of whom slept on the premises. At the time of the fire he and Lau Mak were the only two sleeping on the premises. Some of the others who used to sleep there had gone to the country sick, others had
Mr. Looker-Well, I put it to you as a fact that there is a shop in Canton recently estab lished, carrying on business in European furniture, to which you used to consign_goods, and to which some of your fokis went.-I never sent goods there, and I know that none of my fokis went there.
Witness, continuing, said he had not consigned any furniture to Canton recently, but had put goods on board for Chinese, Japanese and European customers in Canton. He had no shop in Macao, and had not consigned any goods there this year. The man who slept on the ground floor of the shop was thera as a watchman. That was the reason he did
He
he awoke on the morning of the fire there was not sleep on the first floor with witness. When
a lot of smoke, but he did not see flames, even'ually got down the rain pipe; this would be a quarter of an hour after he woke up. He saw fire when he went to the window to gǝ. down the rain pipe.
although your hands and face were burnt, your Mr. Looker-Can you explain how it is that
garments were not touched.
Witness could not explain. Mr. Harding-They have since been washed.
said Continuing, witness the ground floor was lit with electricity, and the stair case ligt, alamp, was on the first floor. There was another lamp on the second floor which he extinguished when he went to bed. Within a week of the fire his premises were visited by sanitary inspectors. The watchman hal no interest in the firm beyond his wages.
com.
By Mr. Harding-His father was pradore of the Pacific Mail Steamship Com- pauy. He advanced $20,000 odis to the partnership in the business, which was paid in by his father. After he had dissolved with his partners he had a cash capital of more than $20,0 10. There were two houses where the fire
fire and was taken to the Tung Wa hospital. broke out, with openings on the ground floor. The first foki became sick tw weeks before the
T'en of his fokis became sick and six died. Some went away through fear, and that was the reason why witness and another foki only were on the premises that night. He could not explain how the scorched mark on his jacket
was caused. It was not there before the fire. The coat had been washed since the fire. Good trade should be done towards the end of the year in his business. Sto tly before the fire he had sent go: ds to Manila,
By his Worship He took stook of his goods the value of the stock was a little over $50.000. every year at the end of the year. Last year
The inquiry was adjourned till Tuesday afternoon.
THE KING'S ENGLISH.
We do not know whether the following circular is in Japa ese-English or Cinese- English, as it relates to a Japanese performance and i signed by a Chinese firm. It is amusing enough to print, however.
"Japanese Conjuration." This is called "Wonderful Art of Tran Substantiation" which is famous in the world but this is the first time to play in Hongkong. The play are such A gentlemen coming out and converting himself like a skeletou in a minute, a lantern, into a cage of sparrows flying about, ad g into a rabbit and a cat, and a curious picture of man smoking cigar, into the man's mouth and cigar having smoke to come out. There are still many curious arts which we can't write all in
this paper.
notification that Small boy charge half Then follow dates and prices, with the
price."
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