148
His Honour-Ye8.
Mr. Grist-I must leave the matter in your Lordship's hands, I submit he is entitled to his discharge. It is a question of how long it onght to be kept back. It seems rather useless to keep the mau hanging about unable to do anything, I ask your Lordship to fix it in as short a time as possible,
: His Honour-I have read the report. I pro: pose to suspend the discharge for two years,
APPLICATION FOR RELEASE.
Re Chan Sui Hon (adjourned public examina- tion), Mr. Dixon asked for the release of the debtor who had been committed to prison by the Chief Justice on a charge of having concealed portions of his property.
¦
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
was only necessary to hold an inquiry regard. ing the one.
Dr. Heanley said be examined the body of a Chinese named Leang Ws-hing on Angust 2nd. The cause of death was multiple injuries. Chan Hing-kwan. a "boy" in the Hongkong Hotel, said he was on the Queen's Road side of that building at 5.45 p.m. on August 1st. When witness went Deceased was with him, outside he saw some sand come away from a pillar. Witness said to some men who were sitting on the verandah, "raa." Lenag Wa- hing had not. time to get away before the whole pillar collapsed. He disappeared with the wreckage.
By Mr. Looker-The first pillar was over
side this-over the verandah.
||
|
|
[September 7, 1907.
Mr. Morrell-Was the orack in that pillar an old one? --- Yes.
When did you make your sannal inspsc. tion of the Hotel? -We commenced in April, and the inspection has not yet been completed. Had you examined those pillars prior to July 21st ?—Yes, and I have examined them regularly since April.
Proceeding, witness said there was no way of testing the soundness of pillars without These pillars measured cutting into them, two feet by two feet. The weight per squares inch required to crush a pillar built of "blue. bricks and mortar would be considerably less than the weight required to orush pillar made of blue bricks only. In witness' The inquiry was adjourned.
The Official Receiver opposed the application the shop front. There was another pillar out opinion the pillars were architecturally wrong. as also Mr. Bailey on behalf of certain creditors. Mr. Dixon said he would call evidence to show that the debtor had previously disposed of the property which he was charged with concealing. Debtor was seat to prison three weeks ago on evidence sprung upon him at the last moment. He was not represented at the time.
His Honour. He has only had three weeks. Mr. Dixon-If he has had three weeks
and he doesn't deserve three weeks, it is three
weeks too much.
liberated on bail.
Ilis Honour decided that it would be better to keep debtor in prison pending the adjourned examination.
A YARN DEALER'S FAILURE.
B
alterations
It was
Mr. E. Osborne, chairman of the Board of Directors of the Hongkong Hotel Co., Ld., said the building of the east wing was commenced about 23 years ago, The old wing he had heard, was built about forty years ago. one of the old original houses of the Colony. The old building and the east wing were con- nected by bridges, and verandahs ran along the Fides of both buildings. Oas bridge and part of the eastern verandah collapsed. When the collapse occurred
were being His Honour-That may be so.
made on the east wing ground floor to the Mr. Dixon pointed out that the man might be north of the collapsed portion. At this time cement floor had been put in to the west of the collapse. Previous to last year the Hotel Co. had periodical examinations of th whole building made, but on no fixed date.
Last year arrangements were made with the Company's architects for an annual inspection, which was to be made about April. The inspection this year had been practically completed before the collapse; the east wing had been passed as being sound, but the architect's report had not yet been received by the Hotel Co. Previous to the collapse some pillars of the east wing verandah had been practically reconstructed. As Chairman, witness used occasionally to visit the work of alterations to satisfy himself that the shoring was, as far as he could tell, good. He was satisfied that generally it was properly done. The Company had not received notice from the architects that the east wing, or the verandah of the old building, was unsafe. Neither had any notices been received from the Public Works Department.
Fan Wa Shan, appeared for further public examination in bankruptcy. Debtor, formerly one of the largest yarn dealers in the Colony, was questioned by Mr. Looker on behalf of certain creditors with a view to showing that he bad continued to trade knowing himself to be insolvent. Debtor denied that
the market fall from $10 to $15, and when confronted with a list of his own contracts showing an average fall of over $10, said he could not remember whether it was low or not.
After further evidence,
Mr. Looker con ended that the discharge should be refused and that the debtor should be imprisoned for carrying on business after ke knew he was insolvent.
His Honour-I cannot form an opinion on what I have heard.
The public examination was closed.
HONGKONG HOTEL COLLAPSE.
INQUIRY REGARDING THE DEATHS,
An inquiry into the cause of death of a native who was killed in the collapse which occurred at the old section of the Hongkong Hotel on the 1st ultimo, was held before Mr. F. A. Hazeland and Mesars, J. D. Morrison, H. L. Muhle and F. E. McHugh, jurors, at the Magistracy on Sept.
4th.
Mr. T. L. Ferkins from the Public Works Department was present; Mr. G. E. Morrell, Crown Solicitor, appeared on behalf of the Go- vernment; Mr. H. W. Looker of Messrs. Descon Looker and Deacon) represented the Hongkong Hotel Co., and Mr. M. J. D. Stephens watched the case on behalf of Messrs. Kuhn and Komor, Mr. Morrell, in opening, informed the jurors that they were summoned to inquire into the death of one, Leung Wa-thing. From the evidence he would call there would be no doubt as to the immediate cause of death. The man was crushed to d ath by a collapse which occurred on August 1st at the eastern wing of the Hongkong Hotel. The jurors had to inquire further than into the immediate cause of death, they had to inquire into the cause of the collapse which cansed death, After the evidence it would be found that there were ouly two verdicts open-the ordinary verdict of death by misadventure, or a verdict of man-laughter against whoever might be found guilty of cansing the death of deceased. Negligence to warrant a verdict of manslaughter must be negligence of the grossest degree. He did not think in this case they would find any such avidance. The Hongkong Hotel Compiny had met him in every way, and had helped him in the inquiry.
Mr. Hazeland informed the jurors that there were five deaths through the collapse, but it
|
Mr. G. Blood, a member of the firm of Messrs. Palmer and Turner architects, said he was acting as architect for the Hongkong Hotel Co., Ld. His firm did not build the last wing. In the collapse on August 1st the debris fell through the skylight into Messrs. Kahn and Komor's shop on the ground floor. Witness put in a plan showing the extent of the collapse. Previous to the collapse witness had to cut out two pillars, numbered eight and nine on the plan. Both were on the first floor. When they were being cut out props and "needles" were inserted in the walls close to the pillars, and the arches were shored up. Pillars eight and nine were cut out half at a time and temporary props put up to take the weight which had been borne by the half cut out. It was quite impossi ble the shoring did what it was supposed to stop, that was to say, that the outward strain at the foot of the building against which the shoring was placed caused a movement in the building. Except the two mentioned, nose of the other pillars were altered.
!
KEIR HARDIE IN HONGKONG.
Keir Hardie, one of the most cordially abused men in British politics, reached Hongkong on Sept. 5th and bat few people were aware of his He arrived earlier than was expected presence. by the P. and O. steamer Marmoro, and not being aware of the arrangements that had been made by His Excellency the Governor for his reception, came ashore in a hotel launch and meeting a friend was escorted He called at Mountain up, the Peak.
welcomed by both His Lodge sad Excellency and Lady Lugard. Sir Frederick and Mr. Keir Hardie had a long chat together, broken only at intervals to be introduced to the sisters of the French Convent (who were being entertained to tea) or to some other visitor Afterwards he proceeded to enjoy the view from the flagstaff and returned to town, leaving at nine o'clock for Canton.
Was
Being practically on the move all the time it was no easy task to obtain an interview with the leader of the Labour Party in the House of Commons. Mr. Keir Hardie is easily recognised from the photographs with which most people are familiar in the illustrated journals. A thick set man of about five feet seven or eight in height, he looks robast. full face, fresh complexion, with a beard of red and grej, and a massive round head, and there you have the features of this notable man. He does not sport the cap which gave him such notoriety in the early days, but wears a soft
straw hat.
A
To a Daily Press representative who had a chat with him, Mr. Keir Harlie said that be was recovering his strength, and hoped to be in the best of health when he returned to England. There was no aggressiveness about Keir Hardie. He gave the impression of a man who really thinks before he speaks, and to one or two of the questions addressed to
him
he did until
be not care to give sn answer knew something of the conditions which
applied. On the subject of socialism both in Britain and out of it he was very optimistic. Like others he was agreeably surprised at the return of so many Labour M.P.'s at the last General Election and had not dared to hope
for such results as had been announced in Jar- row and Colne. There was no doubt that the
wing, and though the tide of success might ebb movement was growing, especially the Socialist and flow. the party was on the path of pro- gress. Questioned to the growth of the Socialistic movement in Canada he express. Can you give any explanation of the fact whyed the opinion that the movement was more all the fallen pillars, with the exception of No. 6, are broken off just at the top of the base. while No. 6 has practically gone altogether? -No, But No. 6 may have been knooked down by the debris.
Have you any idea as to how the collapse started?-In my opinion the collapse started by the digging away of pillar No. 4.
Have you examined that pillar ?—- Yes, I found a crack in it at 3.10 p.m. on the day of the collapse. The stacco was stripped from the pillar for an examination. The orack in the brickwork was bigger than the one in the stnoco. Did it appear to you a serions orsok?—
But gave instructions that the pillar should be shared at once.
No.
1
a labour one in the East and more of a Socialistic one in the West, particularly in British Columbia, where the miners wore fairly strong. The surprising feature about So- cialism in Japan was that most of its adherents were Christians but as was to be expected the party had not made much headway there yet,
Mr. Keir Hardie was more guarded when talking about the native question. He realised that the Axiatios were elbowing the white man out in Canads but on the subject of a white Australia för instance he preferred to wait till he reached that continent before expressing an opinion.
Mr. Koir Hardie, who by the way is the 18cond M. P. to pass through Hoogkong this Was the shoring_done ?—I don't know. week, goes on to India from here by the His Worship-Have you heard since ?-1 | Murmwa on Saturday and will prossed to was informed that the shores were out and | Australia, thence to New Zealand ́and- South
Africa, taken there.