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t
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By the first defendant—Why did you not arrest the second defendant? Because my attention
was directed to deceased.
The case was adjourned.
AN OLD CRIME.
Although the armed robbery, for which one of the two alleged offenders has at last been apprehended, occurred in Angust of last year, the police followed the trail without success until last week when one, Lam Tezhing, was arreste i on suspicion, and appeared before Mr. H. H. J. Gompertz at the Police Court on August 6th.
he robbery, in which the defendant is lleged to have taken part, occurred on August 25th, 1906, at Lai Pak Shan village, about four miles from the Taipo Police Station. On the mor. ning of the day in question, the defendant with another man not in custody, is said to have called at the house of a farmer named Lo Hing. Kam; knocked, and the door was opened. On looking out the farmer observed that the faces of both men were blckened, both carried torohes, and one was armed with a chopper. One of the robbers put his torch in bis mouth, and seizing the househo der by the quene, dragged him inside and threw him 00 the ground. They then demanded money, and when the farmer said he hadn't any he was struck across the head and on the body with the chopper. As the unfortunate man still persisted in saying he had not any money the savage robber proceeded to burn him with his torch, hoping by this means to compel him to confess. His efforts being unavailing, the other robber proceeded to ransack the house, and not finding any thing worth carry. ing off, showed his annoyance by setting the bed clothes on fire. After this the robber conveyed the farmer to his daughter-in-law's house, some distance away, and gaining admittance asked her where her money She pointed to a drawer which was locked, and breaking it open they secured $76 and departed As soon as it was daylight the farmer reported the affair to the village genting who accompanied him to the Taipo Police Station, where & report was made. The farmer recognised the defendant as one of his assailants by the two scars on his head.
The case was remanded.
AN OLD, OLD STORY.
was.
THE CONFIDENCE MAN AND THE GULLIBLE
AMAH.
Notwithstanding the many exposures of the banknote trick in Hongkong, and notwithstand. ing the many simple amals who have fallen victims to the wiles of the confidence
21
man,
THE HONGKONG WEEKLŸ PRESS AND | Great was her consternation, and greater her, hurry to the Central Police Station, where she reported the occurrence to Inspector Warnock. Detectives were immediately put on the track, and one of the mon was found on Tuesday even. ing on a Canton Liner Steamer. He was charged before Mr. H. H. J. Gompertz at the Police Court on Aug. 7, admitted the theft, and was sentenced to six months' imprisonment and six hours' stocka.
still there are others to follow in the steps of those who have proved by experience that be is not a benefactor to mankind. Like other rogues, he is auxious to make money quickly, and the ways and means by which his ends are accomplished do not bother him in the least. So that when he approaches an amah, with as little s nse as she has money, shows her a roll of banknotes which he says he found, and tells her
that half the amount he has shall be hers if she
will consent to change them, she immediately falls into the trap Such an event happened on Tuesday when two natives accosted an amab in Garden Road. One of them showed her what appeared to be several hun red bank notes, which he said he had picked up, and offered her half the amount if she would go to a money changer's in Queen's Road and get change. This appeared to her the chance of a lifetime, and she lost no time in offering to undertake the commission. "Very well," said the " fidence" man, "Since you are willing, come to a quiet place where I can hand over the mousy."
"
THE GOVERNOR'S PERIL.
BOTH COISWAINS IN FAULT.
Before Commander Basil R.H. Taylor, R.N., at the Marine Magistrate's Court on Saturday morning an inquiry was held into the collision which took place in the harbour on Thursday between the launch Trikoo Hing and the Government launch Victoriu.
[August 10, 1907.
though they were issued in 1887 yet they have not been put into force roept a few items that the former Governor, Senhor Montenegro, thought advisable to adopt at the minimum rate of charges. The Provincial Government has not issued any Deores for the Fasenda to pas the ssid Regulations into operation and the present Governor, Senhor Continbo d'a sevedo, whose aim is to promote the welfare of the Colony and of its inhabitsats, has since been studying a better scheme for a thorough revision of taxes and other matters and to place Macao on the same footing as the Soută African Colony of Lourenco Marques, where they have now their own legislation framed by the Council &o. Matters have of late · been interests of greatly exaggerated and the merchants will not be prejudiced in any way.
I enclose my card.—Yours &o,
AN ENQUIRER.
Shek Mi Fan, master of Tuikoo Hing said that he was going to the a.s. Chinglu, and when near s.s. Zafiro saw the Victoria, orossing at right angles, about 100 yards off. Both TO THE EDITOR OF THE "DAILY PRESS."] launches kept on, and when witness saw that a collision was imminent he went full speed astern; he did not blow his whistle. The Vic- toria came on and bit witness's launch on the port bow. A "Star" Ferry launch was going in the same direction, 100 yards ahead of witness.
Mr. W. Brown, master of the Chingtu, said he was on board his ship at the time of the collision, and it appeared to him that both launches went full speed astern just before the collision, the Taikoo Hing first. Witness noticed the Governor's flag at the bows of the Victori, and that drew his attention to her progress. He first saw the two launobes one and a half minutes before the collision, and they must have been in sight of each other all the time. He considered the Victoria in fault.
Leung Tai, coxswain of the Victoria, said he embarked his Excellency the Governor at Blake Pier, to take him to the Tamar. When he got near the bows of the Zofi o he saw the Taikoo ling. The latter gave two blasts on her whistle to indicate that she was going to starboard, so witness kept straight on. Instead of starboard- ing her helm the Taikoo Hing also kept straight on, and witness went astero. The Victoria then also went astero, and the collision took place.
Captain Taylor, A.D.C. to his Excellency the Governor, said as far be remembered they were balf way between the Zafiro and the Tumar at the time of the collision. He heard no whistle. He was going to the Tamar at the time. The launches were two boat lengths apart. He could not say who was in fault.
Chang Ln Po, a deck hand on the Taikoo
Hing, said that that launch did not blow her
whistle.
His Worship- There is not sufficient evidence to enable me to form an exact opinion in this case. My knowledge of the locality leads me to the opinion that the evidence of the coxswain of the Taikoo Hing is not wholly true, while there is nothing incompatible with facts in that of the coxswain of the Victoria. Therefore, taking the evidence of the master of the Chingtu into guilty of an error of judgment, Both certificates consideration, I find that both coxswains were
may be returned to their owners.
CORRESPONDENCE.
MACAO MATTERS.
[TO THE EDITOR OF THE con-
The trio found such a spot in the public gardens, a parcel which was said to contain the notes was handed to the amab, and she left on her mission. Stay"; said the confidence man before she had gone many yards, "We don't know you, so it would be as well if you left something behind as security." The amah left bangles, earrings and other jewellery to the value of $70, and as she was starting on her errand she was advised not to open her parcel until she got in the money changer's shop. On arrival there she opened the "valuable parcel and feasted her eyes on—not greenbacks—but blank paper,
DAILY PRESS,")
Hongkong, 6th August, SIR,-Being in Macio daring the recent
holiday, I hai the honour of interviewing the hon, the Colonial Secretary of that Colony, in which the question of taxes was fully discussed. Your Macao correspondent had very likely been misled in the representations made to you and | he exaggerated matters to such an extent as to create alarm among the Macao population. I can on good authority inform you and the public in general, especially the Chinese community of Macao, that the Regulations of Taxes, lately so severely criticised in one of your leaders, through misrepresentation from you correspondent,
SIR-Your correspondent, "An Enquirer," informs the public that “the Taxation Regulations
though they were issued in 1887, have not been put into force, except a few items that the former Governer, Senhor Montenegro, thought advisable to adopt at a minimum rate of charges," and further “that the Provincial Government has not issued aoy.
decree to the Fazends to put the mid Regulations in force.
11
1 have the cuttings from your paper and I do not find the statement made that the Provincial Government has issued a decree to the Fasenda to put the Regulations in force. The statement made was that the Fazenda had put them in force-or rather, it should now be said, attemptep to put them in force.
The evidence for this statement is official evidence, accessible to everybody, and as your correspondent, "An Enquirer," has evidently not seen it, I advise him, when he next visits Macao, to secure a copy of the "Instructions and Tables of Industrial Contributions,” printed in Portuguese and Chinese, and issued broadcast in the Colony by the Fasenda few months ago. On the title page he will find these words :-" Instrucções . tabella da contribução industrial extrabidas de regula- mento approvado por Decreto de 3) de decembro de 1887 e portaria provincial No. 20% de 7 de Março de 1907."
If the distribution of these instructions and tables, giving a formidable list of taxes, was not an intimation to the public of their enforcement, why on earth were they published?
·7
One word more. What are the circumstan osa which have set the Governor “studying a batter scheme for a thorough revision of taxes? Better scheme than which ?—the scheme that was drawn up twenty years ago and has not yet been put in force?-the scheme that was throughout published a few months ago and distributed
the Colony, spreading alarm among the population ? Why was that soheme revived, an why trouble abous any other scheme if there is no intention to levy new taxes? But, in proof of the fact that the taxation arrangements have undergone a obange unacceptable to the Chinese residents of Macao, it is only necessary to read the letter which appeared in your columns recently from the Protector of Chinese and his interpreter. At the great public mesting, at which upwards of 2,000 Chinese were assembled. it was announced that a tax " recently levied " on Chinese doctors had been cancelled, and after the Protector of Chinese had given explanations with regard to other taxes, – which explanations would have been un ecessary if the taxes were not new, he announced the Government's intention to revise the Taxation Regulations and to allow the Chinese to propose what they considered beat in their interests, whereat they
* mani« fested great joy." I should think so.
But I have written suficient to show that the letter of "An Enquirer" is misleading.— Yours faithfully.
OBSERVER.