June 12, 1909.]
CORRESPONDENCE.
LIFE INSURANCE,
[TO THE EDITOR OF THE
K HONGKONG DAILY PRESS"]
Priory Mount, St. Leonards-on-Sea.
May, 12th 1909. DEAR SIR,- A copy of your issue of the 3rd April containing the letter of the Secretary of the Standard Life Assurance Co. has only now reached me. As the statements made there. in place my action in quite a wrong light I shall be glad if you will publish these further remarks.
Mr. Trevor states that, before the copies of the correspondence arrived at his Head Office in Edinburgh, I had already accepted the sum offered me by the Company.
Much correspondence passed between the Head Office and me on the subject of my policy. I insisted on a search being made in the Shanghai correspondence and eventually received from Edinburgh a letter dated 10th February as follows:-
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"We have received a letter from our repre- sentative in Shanghai stating that he has made a thorough search among the records of our office there for the years 1893-4 and that he has been unable to trace any letter from 14 you to
r. W. T. Phipps our late Agent in Shanghai or from Mr. Phipps to you bearing on the question of Bonus." Copies of two letters to me from Mr. W. T. Phipps written after the policy was issued, and having nothing to do with the present issue, were enclosed as (presumably) the sole correspondence which passed. It was only on receipt of this letter that I accepted the sum offered for my policy as I was unable to produce any written proof, of my statements.
L
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Mr. Trevor characterizes my letter to you as "both inaccurate and malicious." In accuracy I must, in view of Mr. Trevor's letter to yon, admit to this extent, that Mr. W. T. Phipps appears quite exonerated in this matter. would however, put it to your impartial readers whether the Standard Head Office were acting honestly and ingenuously in withholding from me the letter from that gentleman to the Foochow agent quoted in Mr. Trevor's letter, to you, especially in view of the long corres- pondence which had passed between us? It is now proved conclusively that the question of bonus was raised by me at the time and referred to the Shanghai Chief Agent, though not, as I believed direct, by me but through the Foochow agent. It would be interesting to know in what terms the letter from the latter was couched which drew forth the reply which Mr. Trevor quotes.
I have only further to added that Mr. W. T. Phipps letter was not shewn to me and that I was informed by the local Agent, as a reply coming from the hief Agent that the over-rate of premium for residence in China would be made up to me (if I survived) by increased quinquennial bonus. This statement appeared to me on the face of it quite reasou- able, and it was on that understanding that I took out the Policy.
The inaccuracy" spoken of by Mr. Trevor does not seem a very serious one considering that it referred to a transaction which took place 15 years ago.
I am sincerely glad that the former Chief Agent is entirely exonerated and trust that you will publish this letter which I think will convince you and your readers that there was neither malice nor intentional inaccuracy in my communication to you.-I am, dear Sir, Your faithfully.
R. W. MANSFIELD.
A serious fire occurred in East Hanbury Road Shanghai on the 2nd inst. which unfortunately was attended with serious accident. A pony was burnt to death, and foreman A. E. Fenton, of Hongkéw, was seriously burnt about the face and hands, his injuries necessitating his removal to the hospital for medical attention. Between forty and fifty shops and houses were destroyed before the fire was got under control.
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CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
NUMEROUS CONVICT、 ESCAPE
FROM PRISON.
A PANIC AT SHUN TAK.
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dezons at a moment's notice.
ren-
Our Canton correspondent writes:-On the 3rd instant at about 5 p.m. over 150 prisoners of the Shun Tak prison rebelled and fought their way out of the prison with very little resistance. It appears that the whole affair was planned many days ahead by notorions pirates named Lo Wing. Ng Man Ng and Ng Man Luk, who were awaiting capital sentence to be passed upon them. their escape had been made with the assistance All preparations for
of their confederites outside. Several steam launches ready to leave the varions places of
were engaged and had steam-up,
noon of the day in question the wife of one In the after. of the pirates, having bribed the turnkey of the western prison (outer prison for prisoners of minor offences), took a large bundle into the prison supposed to contain clothes, mosquito nets etc., but in reality the contents were revolvers, pistols and swords. From the western prison she managed to smuggle the bundle into the inner prison (for confinement of prisoners clurged with serious offences), where Lo Wing and his associates were confined. These leading desperados had already bribed the gaol-keeper to have their fetters removed several days previously in anticipation of the opportunity to escape. Lo Wing, on receipt of the bundle from the woman, immediately opened it and distributed the weapons amongst his fellow prisoners, about seventy in all. He took the lead and broke opeu the prison gate at the same time shouting,
Those who desire freedom follow me!"
Lo Wing led them to the outer prison aud there he repeated his appeal. Then they all rushed to the guardroom where Lo Wing shot, the officer in charge of the soldiers, and took possession of all the firearms. after which they went out into the street, and left the city by the East gate. There was a regular panic in the whole city as the prisoners had confederates posted in all quarters. Some of the citizens beat gongs to call the attention of the police, but none of them made any effort to recapture the prisoners. After leaving the ast gate, the fugitive had a very trying time city, and before the prisoners got there, many of as there are many military stations outside the the stations were warned of what had occurred.
The soldiers were ambushed in many places and fired on the prisoners as they passed. A general fusillade ensued between the soldiers and prisoners, during which about 15 prisoners were killed and over 20 were recaptured. the three leaders, only Lo Wing escaped: Ng Man Ng was killed, and Ng Man Luk was re-captured; the rest of them escaped by launches.
Of
Several soldiers are reported to have been killed and wounded in the fight. report the matter at once.
The Shun Tak Magistrate did not dare to The gentry of Shun Tak, fearing that the escaped convicts might take revenge, sent a deputation to inform Viceroy Chang of what had occurred. The Viceroy was incensed on hearing of this and immediately cashiered Magistrate Lai and six military officers of Shun Tak, and has given them a fortnight to recapture the fugitives. A new mugistrate surnamed Shum has been appointed to fill the post of Lai. The Viceroy has deputed the Kwong Chau Prefect and several high military officers to Shun Tak to investigate the matter. A few gunboats were also dispatched to search for the steam launches which were engaged by the fugitives.
ELECTRIC LIGHT AT CANTON.
The position of managing director of the new Electric Light Company at Canton, our Canton correspondent says, has been offered by the Chinese Government to Mr. Fung Wa Chun after the concern is taken over by the Chinese Government and the merchants, but our con- tributor is informed that Mr. Fung Wa Chun has declined to accept the position. It is reported that last week the Chinese in Canton bought over 1,000 shares of the hina Light and Power ompany, paying prices varying from $7 to $8 per share.
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PLAGUE AT CANTON.
497
A WILY PLEA TO CONTINUE THE BOYCOTT.
The following is a translation of a letter sent by Chan Yan Pni to the Self-Government
Society of Canton :-
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I beg respectfully to draw the attention of the Self-government Society to the prevalence of plague in Canton. The number of people who have died through contracting the disease
and has been countless
the epidemic is still spreading rapidly in every part of principal medium of conveying the disease the city. People say that rat fleas are the
and that pork is a hot bod for the incubation of plague germs. These assertions are indisputable and unquestionably correct. But very few people are aware that sea delicacies awabe, mushrooms, etc., have more germs con- such as dried cuttle-fish, shrimps, beche-de-mer,
cealed in them than any other kind of food stuff; consequently these articles of food are more adaptable to receive plague germs and furnish rich food for them to thrive. If one would take the trouble to examine a dried cuttle-fish or a
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dried shrimp through a microscope one would see innumerable germs in it. Besides all sea delicacies are hard substance and very difficult to digest, moreover, there is very little nourishment in them. They are very injurious to health and that is the reason why western people do not eat them. Recently, those Chinese who are studying hygiene, have been giving up eating sea delicacies, and on account of this, the sale of sea delicacies in our markets has greatly declined Large quantities have remained unsaleable in the markets for a considerable length of time and thus the germs in them have been accumulating. At the present time when plague is so prevalent, and as sea delicacies form one of the principal media of conveyance of that disease, I respect- fully beg to exhort all my brethren who are desirous of preserving their health and life to give up eating sea delicacies."
Sea delicacies form one of the leading lines of import from Japan-ED.]
A FATAL COLLISION.
VERDICT OF MANSLAUGHTER.
Mr. J. H. Kemp, sitting as coroner, and Messrs. jurors, an inquiry was held into the circum T. Hunter. A van Ginkel and A. F. Warrack,
stances of the death of a Chinese boat girl named Lo Kam Tai, who was drowned through an unknown launch colliding with, and capsizing the boat, on which she was sleeping.
At the Magistracy on the 9th inst, before
The master of fishing boat No. 3238 stated that the collision occurred at 2 a.m. on May 15th.
His vessel was at anchor near Shaukiwan at the time, and his family, including deceased, were on board. When witness heard the noise made by the approaching launch he arose, but just then the vessel struck the fishing boat and capsized it. Witness dived from beneath his boat and called out "save life." The crew of the launch did not offer any assistance, but steamed witness succeeded in rescuing all on board with straight on. Assisted by other boats' crews,
the exception of Lo Kam Tai, who was under the upturned craft. His young son, who was on board at the time, died on the same day at the French Convent.
His Worship informed the jury that in the case of the second child, a doctor certified that
he had died from bronchitis.
not anchored in the track of any launches, Witness, proceeding, said his vessel was
or near any wharf. Another boat was anchored alongside his, and both vessels were struck. Both boats had lights at the stern which showed above the hoods. Witness trimmed and lighted his lamp, and it should have burned all night. The only light witness saw on the launch was at the stern.
Another boatman, who corroborated the evidence of the previous witness, stated that the hall of the launch which collided with them was gray, while the funnel was yellow.
The jury, after hearing his Worship's directions, returned a verdict of death by drown- ing, and of manslaughter against some person or persons unknown, on board of an unknown launch.
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