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THE BUILDING COLLAPSE AT
YAUMATI.
CORONER'S INQUEST.
Before Mr. J. H. Kemp, sitting as Coroner and Messrs. F. Austin, Hugh Dinning and G. G. Catchick (jurors) an inquiry was held concerning the deaths of six Chinese who were killed as the result of a collapse which occurred at No. 36, Portland 8 reef, Yaumati, daring the typhoon of 27-28th July.
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THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
In order to rescue people and and to get out | the bodies, did you have to use picks and crowbars to break up the debris ?—No, we used a couple of shovels. We wouldn't dare ass a pick.
Constable Conlan deposed tɔ attending the Portland Street collapse shortly after 7.30 a.m. on the morning of the 28th. On that day and the nex, assisted by a number of coolies, he turned over all the ruins in search of bodies, and rescued one boy on the first day. No part of the building was pulled down by witness's ooolies daring the search. He found it neces- sary to use a pick to remove malting and pieces of wood. The bricks were single, not in masses. Mr. F. B. L. Bowley, Crown Solicitor, ap- Mr. H. Haggard, assistant engineer in the peared for the Crown. He stated that the Public Works Department, said the plans before inquiry was into the deaths of six Chinese, who the Court referring to the buildings in question, appeared to have been resident at 36, Portland were passed in October 1900. The next memo Street, Yaumati. Between one and two o'clock recorded in the Department was the report of | on the morning of 28th the house in question the falling of five verandals to these houses. and a number of adjoining ones collapsed. In The plan of verandahs put in was passed by the course of the same day six corpses were Mr. Ormsby, then Director of Public Works, taken out of the débris. The object of the on October 20th, 1900. Op June 16th, 1902, inquiry was to ascertain whether the falling of witness inspected the houses at Yaumati and the building was due to the culpable negligence reported that the whole of the verandahs and of any person concerned in that building. No. front walls in the north, block (the blook includ 36, or properly 35, was the end house of a blocking the houses which have collapsed) should be of thirteen, and along the side wall ran a street pulled down as there were some very serious called Pitt Street. These buildings were on & cracks, and men were packing these up. The lot acquired from the Crown by the Humphreys front walls had then fallen away from the party Estate and Finance Co. in 1898, and in 1900 they walls. When that report was made there was proceeded to build. The plans in this case were very poor bonding between the party walls and prepared by the well-known firm of Messrs. the front walle, Mr. Tooker examined the Palmer and Turner, and they gave notice to the buildings. Subsequently the collapsed verandahs Director of Public Works on July 16th, 1900, were rebuilt. When witness bad made his to the effect that they were about to erect there report to Mr. Tooker the matter passed out of 13 houses, and also 13 on a lot on the other his hands for the time being. The next thing side of the street. They ubmitted plans which on record was the architects application, dated came before Mr. Tooker, who made a note on 9th October, for inspection. This was passed to the architects' notice to the effect that they did witness for report by Mr. Tooker. He inspected not comply with a certain section of the Ordia. the buildings with Mr. Crisp on 22nd Oc ober ance. The notice was referred back, and per. and the report put in by the latter to the effect mission was eventually granted. The next that the whole block was in a very unsound material fact was that on May 14th, 1902, condition, was correct, ive verandahs of this block of houses collapsed. On June 6th Mr. Haggard, of the P.W.D., re- commended that the whole of the varandahs and front walls of the north block should be pulled down as there were some very s-rious oracks.
Dr. Macfarlane, medical officer in charge of the mortuary at Kowloon, deposed to inspecting the bodies of six Chinese reported to him to have come from 36, Portland Street. He found the cause of death to be multiple injuries and asphyxia.
Lam Shiu, shop coolie, spoke to bein at 36, l'ortland Street on the night of the typhoon. He was awakened by the breaking open of he side door. Witness and several fokis tried to mend the door. Just then several bricks fell from upstairs and the people above called oat, "The house is going to fall." Witness and the fukis ran into the street and escaped.
Chung Yang said he was in house No. 36 on the night of the typhoon, but escaped through a broken door before the collapse. Outside, he heard other houses falling.
Sanitary Inspector Charles Ward, in charge of the Disinfecting Station at Yaumati, said that while securing his own quarters dur ing the typhoon of 28th July he heard three crashes. Witness went out at 4.15 in the morning, and saw that 36, 38 and 140 Portland Street had collapsed. The roofe of all the houses were completely gone. Witness then proceeded to the police station, but leara ing that the police were engaged elsewhere, returned and got 32 of his own coolies.
These he took to 36 Portland Street, and started them to work. They heard cries coming from the rains, and eventually succeeded in rescuing nine persons. Three corpses were also unearthed. The resouers had to work by hand. There were no shovela available. Witness thought the end wall fell outwards, and the party wall between 36 and 38 fell into 36. When pulling down the end wall witness noticed that it was built like two nine-inch walls with a hollow in between.
Was there any cross-bonding between the two portions of the wall ?-Here and there an odd brick,
Did the fallen brickwork fall in masses or not ?-It fell loosely, and the bricks were per. fectly clean.
Did you see anything like morlar P—'t was an apology for it; you couldn't call it mortar,
What did it look like ?-Red earth.
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At this stage the inquiry was adjourned.
MERCHANT CHARGED WITH FALSE PRETENCES.
At the Magistracy on Sept. 22 Mr. Wood heard a charge preferred against H 8 Holmes of obtaining $3,000 by false pretences from Cheang Team Leang. Mr. C. F. Dixon, prosecuted, and Mr. G. K. Holmesdefended his brother.
Mr. Dixon explained that defendant was a merchant and the complainant desired to become his compradore and negotiations were entered into between them with a Chinese named Yeung place and at these it was represented to the aa interpreter. Three or four interviews took
complainant that Mr Holmes had obtained contrac s from the Canton Railway Company,
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and that be desired to start or continue so import or export business in respect of which he bad obtained orders. The complainant was asked to become the compradors and to put up $10 000-$5,000 ossh and $5,09 in title deeds. Complainant could only flud $5 000 in cash bat Yeung promised to find the title deeds As a result of the negociations complainant was ta- ken to the cffice of Mr. d'Almeida where he sign ed a compradore's agreement without being told of the real compradore that defendant had already engaged, and without being told that defendant was carrying on business in another office under a different name. He was told that his office would be in the same building where Mr. d'Almeida had rooms. He was provided with a desk, and bought a set of books. Mr Holmes came there occasionally and Young also visited the place at times, but no business was done. As a matter of fact his client only advanced $3,000, and naturally wished to business before be paid the rest During the three months from the ead of May till the end of August no business was done, but complainant was paid his salary. A small business was done at the office in Daddell Street where another com. pradore was employed.
EBA some
His Worship You suggest the false pre- tences consisted in saying that be bad contracts with the railway which be had not?
Mr. Dixon-Yes; and I shall submit that his aotion and words constituted false pretences.
September 23, 1908,
Ia conclusion he asserted that the story of the business was a myth and that defendant planned to swindle his client.
Sid Leung Kit, trader, spoke to being security for the compradore employed by defendant but though he attended at the offices he saw no goods imported. As there was no business done complainant said he wanted his money back. At 56 Queen's Road and at 4 Queen's Rond defendant carried on business as a foreign trading company, and it was not until the middle of Jine that he learned that defendant was carrying on business at 33 Queen's Road as the Hing On Foreign Trading Company. Witdess was sueing the defendant in the Supreme Court for his $5,000,
Cross-examined-Iq Jane he instructed his solicitor to write to defendant that he refused to act as security for the compradors any longer.
The case was remanded.
At the Magistracy on September 23rd before Mr. A. G. Wood the hearing of the charge agaidat H. 8. Holmes, merchaut, of obtaining $3,000 from Cheung Chim Leung by faise pretences was resumed. Mr. C. F. Dixon appeared to prosecute and Mr. G. K. Holmes defended.
Complainant detailed the negotiations which took place between defendant and himself at which a Chinaman named Young was present and noted an interpreter. Defendant said he wanted a compradors for an import and export basigess and added that he wanted $10,000 security-85,000 in cash and $5,000 in title deeds. Witgess said he could only put up $5,000 in cash and Young offered to find the $5,000 in title deed. At one interview defendant said he had secured the contract for engaging labourers in connection with the Kowloon Railway, and subsequently witness and Young went to Mr. Holmes' office to inquire if defendant intended to proceed with the two businesses. On being answered in the affirmative he agreed to become the com- pradure because he anticipated that good results would come from the two businesses. At the fourth laterview witness took $3,000 with him 18 part payment. of his security of $5,000 as compradore. Defendant told him to go to Mr. d'Almada's office and accompanied him there with two others. In that office an agree. men was read over to him. This he signed and paid over $300 to the solicitor ho handed it to the defendant. Up this time neither defendant nor Yeung said anything to bim about carrying on any other basinoms. Who at Mc, d'Almada's office he was told by defendant that an adjoining room would be ocouped by him There he was to conduct his business
as compradore. Three days later he moved into this office where he attended daily for over a month when he went for eighteen
daya into the country. The name of the firm Was the Ring On Trading Company. Ou returning he resumed his duty at the office aud jabsega-aily went to the country a second time for seven or eight days. When he re- turned to Hongkong he again took up his daries which he consed ■bout the middle of the defesdant came several times to the office but present month. Daring the time he was there
no business was done. Several people oallad to to make inquiries. Young was oocasionally had nother business a few weeks before be left there. Wito-ss first found that defendant
the office.
Cross-examined—He was not a wosithy man and Yeung Chik Tum and another were in- terested ia the compradorsship. He did Dot put up the remaining portion of his money because during the time he was there no goods came in and none weat oat He re- osired his salary for two months. It was his duty to look for business but he did not secure Boy boatracía, He became compradore because the commission and the salary were good and E- mado because he expected good basiness. inquiries concerning the defendant from his friends and be was told defendant was pretty good. He regarded a second_compradore as prejudicial to his intersets. There would be less for witness than if there were only ons.
Defendant was asked if he had received any consols from the Kowloon Railway, and answered in the negative.
The hearing was adjourned,
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