October 28, 1907.]
SUPREME Court.
Friday, October 18th,
IN SUMMARY JURISDICTION.
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
ALLEGED FORGED CHOPS, The part heard onse was concluded in which Lam Wing, as endorses of Hau Kee, and the Po Saog firm to recover the sum of $500 84. | amount of principal and interest due under a promissory note for 8500 made by the defend- ant firm on August 21st, and payable to Hau Kee on demand. In the alternative the plain.
for
money lent to the defendant firm.
Mr. R. Harding appeared for the plaintiff, and Mr. R. A. Harding for the defendant,
Before Me. A. G. WISE (ACTING CHIEF tiff claimed as assignee $500,
JUSTICE).
<<
IN THE SAME BOAT, Mr. W. F. Dixon of Messrs. Hastings and Hastings appeared for the plaintiff in an action for $1,000 and stated that the plaintiff and the defendant were quartermasters on the Empress of India. That vessel sailed on Thursday and he asked that defendant be ordered to find security, Mt. Grist, who appeared for the defendant, objected. Both were on the sɩme steamer,
is Honour-Both had better give security. Mr. Dixon said he was willing to give security for costs but he asked that defendant should give security for judgment and costs.
His Honour-You are both in the same boat?
Mr. Dixon-Defendant won't come when there is a claim for $1,000.
back
Mr. Grist-It is only a claim, my Lord. It is not judgment. He'll come back,
Adjourned.
A LOST PAIR OF TROUSERS.
F. Blunck sued the Connaught Hotel for $12, the value of a pair of trousers. Mr. R. A Harding appeared for the defence and stated that plaintiff was bringing an action for the recovery of 812, the value of a pair of pongee silk trousers which was lost, The trousers were given to a laundryman who failed to return them. In the plaintiff's room as in every bedroom in the hotel there was a notice to the effect that "the hotel des not undertake a visitor's washing but if desired the bedroom boy will send for a washerman." The defence was that they had nothing to do with the
trousers.
Plaintiff entered the box and stated that the pongee silk (roasers cost more than he claimed. When he gave them to the washerman the boy said that he was the hotel washerman. When the clothes were returned he found that instead of his trousers there was a pair of workman's trousers which he would not wear.
His Honour-You can read ? Plaintiff Yes, Sir.
His Honour s id he was not in a position to decide whether the chops were forged by the plaintiff himself, but there could be no doubt that there were two sets of chops either used by Mai Hing with the connivance of his fokis to deceive outsidera or by the late partner who had severed his connection with the firm. In he gave judgment for
the circumstances defendant.
witnesses were arrested on a warrant.
On leaving the Court the plaintiff and three
Mond y, October 21st.
IN CRIMINAL JURISDICTION.
BFOR ME. A. G. WISE (ACTING CHIEF JUSTICE).
THE TRIAL OF ADSETTS.
Curiosity attracted a large crowd to the Sessions opened and Adsetts was arraigned on Supreme Court to-day, when the Criminal
the capital charge. Before the hour of ten struck, a large crowd held the footpath before the Court House, brought from the Central Statio in a chair, was At ten Adsetts, who was
escorted to the dock b two policemen who seated themselves one on each side of him. When the Deputy-Registrar charged William Hall Ad- and of his malice aforethought, killing and Betts with on August 4th feloniously, wilfully murdering Gertrude Dayton, and asked the prisoner how he pleade 1, he replied "not guilty" Davies, instructed by Mr. G. E. Morrell, of the The Attorney-General, Hon. Mr. W. Rees Crown Solicitor's office, pros outed, and Sir Harding appeared for the accused. Henry Berkeley. K.C, instruoted by Mr. R.
The special jurors were:-E. A. Ram (fore- man), C. W. May, D. W. Craddock, J. Barton, A. Taruer, H. P. White and G. L. Tomlin.
The Attorney-General, in opening informed
WOMAN
His Honour-Is that (pointing to notice) in his Lordship and the jury that the prisoner at your room ?
the bar was before the Court on an information named Gertrude Dayton, charging him with the murder of a
The details of the crime were most revolting, and disclosed circum stances which he might say were almost unpar. alleled in the "unale of crime. It would be idle
Plaintiff I never saw it. Mr. Harding-You never saw that in your room ?
Plaintiff I never saw one in my bedroom. I have been there six months.
Mr. Harding-You mean to say that one of these notices was not in your room? Plaintiff-It was not in my room. His Honour-Did you pick out a without this notice ?
room
Plaintiff-There is a notice about gas being charged after a certain hour.
to suppose that all Hongkong, indeed he might say all the Far E381, were not familiar with the details of the tragedy, but it was his duty to ask the jurors, sitting as a jury on a capital charge, to banish from their minds ny preconceived ideas which they might have formed of the case. They should study te evidence put before them, and on that evidence find their verdict. The prisoner WBS 8 citizen of the United States of Americз, and until recently had been staying at Manila. Th deceased was also an American, and belonged to the demi-monde. The prisoner and deceased Did you tell the boy you wanted a laundry-left Manila by the 8.8. Easter on July 3 st, man ?—I did not tell him. He told me.
His Honour-Did the boy tell you that the Hotel did the washing?
Plaintiff-Yes, Sir. Cross-examined by Mr. Harding. Do you say this hotel has a laundry f--No, I don't say that. They employ a lanndryman.
He told you that if you wanted a laundryman he could get one ?-He recommended the hotel laundryman.
You agreed to employ him ?—Yes. And the laundryman came for the things each week? -The boy took the things out each time. When the account was presented you handed the amount of the bill to the boy ?-Ub, no.
When was this lost P-I gave the clothes on the 23rd June and they were returned on the 28th.
and travelled together apparently as husband and wife under the names of Mr. and Mrs. W. H. Jones. The ship arrived here on August 3rd, and was met in the ordinary course of affairs by the runner from the Hongkong Hotel who brought them ashore together with two other passengera This was at about eleven o'clock in the morning and they went to the Hongkong Hotel. The prisoner went to the office, and registered the names Mr. and Mrs. Jones, and they were assigned room No. 184, which was on the top floor. The prisoner and the deceased were seen to go to the room by two boys, and the woman gave some soiled clothing to one boy to be washed. Needless to say the movements of these people were not watched, but they were seen to anter their room, where they remained until about a quarter to ten at night. Then they were 1000 to go down in the lift, and it appeared that they His Honour-Well the case is adjourned till proceeded to house No. 52, Hollywood Road next Friday.
commonly known as No. 12. The landlady of
Plaintiff added that when he found there was a pair of trousers not his own he complained to the manager who promised that the amount should be deducted from his bill. That was said in the presence of the runner.
His Honour-Do you wish to subpons this man P
Plaintiff-Yes,
|
273.
this house was well known to the dedansað woman, and she would state what occurred at her place. They arrived at this house about ten o'clock and stayed there for about an hour sati a half or two hours. During that time they had several drinks in the shape of pints of cham- pagne. The deceased woman signed shits for these drinks, but the landlady tore them up for reasons she would reoite. The deceased also offered Mrs. Hempstead, the laudlady, some Post Office Orders requesting her to es h them. They were produced from prisoner's pocket, but were not accepted by Mrs. Hempstead. The pri- soner and deceased were next seen at 8, went from No. 52. Miss Leavitt, a friend of the Hollywood Road, where it was presumed they deceased woman, would speak to seeing them. They stayed at this house about half an hour and had two piate of champagne, leaving about two o'clock, The deceased signed a chit for drinks at this house and it would be pro- duced in evidence. After leaving this house the woman was not seen alive again. Neither of the women at 52 or 18 definitely idea ifled the accused but said he was an Americas, When they heard these witnesses describe the prisoner's appearance he did not think the jurors would have soy doubt in arriv- ing at the conclusion that he Was the man in the company of the deceased at the two houses. At six o'clock on the morn- ing of the 4th the man was seen at the door of his room in the hotel by a boy, who would also say that he saw him again at eight o'clonok. The man told the boy not to enter the room his wife was asleep. At about 6.30 that mora- ing, presumably after the boy had first seen him, the pri oner went to 113, Wanchai Road, and bought a camphorwood trunk for which he paid 89.15. The carpenter who sold the trunk absolutely identified the prisoner, and there was no doubt that he was the man who bought the trunk and took it in a riosha to the Hongkong Hotel At about eleven o'clock the same morning the accused rang the bell of his room and told the room boy to done get two coolies to Garry a box. This was
aud two hotel coolies carried Saratoga track down in the lift. The Attorney- General asked the jurors to bear in mind that the Saratoga trunk was different altogether from the one the accused purchased at 113 Wanchai Road. Below, scoused gave instruo- tions that two outside coolies should be called to
Swire's take the trunk to Messrs. Batterfeld sod These conlies were procured, and the prisoner accompanied the box to Mars. Batter- f-ld and Swire's shipping office. There it would be proved that a man described as an Americ›a bai an interview ith the shipping olerk. The shipping clerk could not identify the socused, bat the man who called there asked to have the trunk sent to Hoihow by a ship sailing the n-zt day. He asked if the box could be sent off at one, but was told by the clerk that it would go off in due course. The man gave the name of F. Jackson, and aid the box was to be sent to A. H. Jacks, About an hour afterwards the
mean
•
to
accused returned and said he wished the box sent to Sydney, saying that the addressee would eventually go to Australia, and that it would be more convenient if the box was sent there. This was on Sunday, and the shipping slark requested the man to relaru on Mondthe morning in ordinary ofloo hours. the prisoner, after making two visits to the in the course of the day, appetu changed his mind again, for have been betw en four and five o'clock, be When the street coolies Dear Pedder's Wharf become more swear to bis identity-and took th Butterfield and Swire. There ↳ eight days the trunk, and instructed the cooled by the face the bamboo wharf in front of le. he put it aboard a sampan, wh ́ by two women, and there wakely ?—I should board. One of the women the prisoner who, when impan owner, said the board direct d them to gampan on August 4th. wards to the Monteagled wait for him at the evidence not given beff two ocolies carried a box he proposed to tender boat. The box was placed the two women s and accused sat in the well got up, went to ter they had started, Prisoner the mast, pat iter the port side of the sampan, hand as if to by his hand. He put it right Finding, appar, and it floated. Witness asked him it on board, the box in the water and be
My
!
N
11