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What did you do with the balance of $3,000 P -On November 13th I put it in the Yokohama Specie Bank, in current account, in my own
name.
Did you draw cheques on those accounts P Yes. The first was for $500, which I paid to the defendant.
Did you draw another cheque for $500 P- Yes, and paid the amount to the defendant.
Did the defendant say anything to you about these two sums of $500 ?—He said he must pay them to Messrs. Wilkinson and Grist,
Did you also buy a sterling draft for £500 ?----- Yes, from the Yokohama Specie Bank, at the defendant's request.
What did you do with that draft? A week later defendant told me to sell it, and I lost $200 odd on the transaction.
You know the defendant filed his petition in bankruptcy on 10th, January, 1903-Yes.
And Mr. Kemp has told us that you paid him some money. Can you tell us about that--n January 24th Mr. Kemp, a bailiff and an usher called at my shop. I was sitting at a table, and the defendant told me that the Official Receiver had a warrant to take that money. I asked him why he did not tell me before, and he said, "If you do not give me the money they will put me in gaol." I said I had $4,800 only in the bank The rest was in the shop. Defendant told me to tell Mr. Kemp that I'd pay the rest of the money a few days later. I gave the defendant a cheque for $4.800, which he endorsed and handed over to Mr. Kemp. Subsequently I made other payments to Mr. Kemp.
Do you know Mr. Moxon ?—Yes. : Did you see him on January 26th ?--Yes, in the National Bank of China.
The defendant in his statement of affairs put down as a creditor, S. E. Allana and Co., $3,000. Did your firm owe him that ́amount?
-Yes, about $4,000.
What for?-Goods delivered, and in respect of this amount the defendant took a promissory
note for $3,000.
Had that promissory note anything to do with the $8,000 that you received from the defendant P-No.
Did you by this deed (produced) agree to contribute $3,000 to the debtor's trustee?--Yes. Why? The defendant told me if he did not pay so many thousand dollars he could be put in gaol. He told me to pay this amount and deduct it from his share in Allana and Co.
Are the two sums of $3,000, one owing by Allana and Co. and one you promised to con- tribute, different or the same ?-Different.
Have you got the partnership book of S. E. Allana and Co. ?-No.
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In November, 1908, you transferred the busi- ness of Allana and Co. to Marican? Yes.
How did that come about?-A creditor pressed me to pay.
I told the defendant we had no money and asked what we should do. He said as my name had appeared in the newspapers, it would be better to transfer the business to Marican. I asked him on what conditions. He said the transfer to Marican would be purely nominal, and we would hold a half share each
as before.
When you transferred to Marican what was the price $12,600, payable in monthly instal. ments of $400, which was arranged by defendant. Did you say anything to defendant ?—I told him my book debts were worth over $9,000, and my goods were worth over $22,000. My creditors knew this, and if I transferred I would be charged for fraud. The defendant told me he had committed a big fraud and did not go to gaol, and told me to have no fear.
Mr. Beavis objected. The conversation was not relevant to the case, and was extremely pre- judicial to the defendant.
Mr. Bowley-I think it is relevant, but have no objection to your Worship omitting it. Mr. Bowley (to witness)-Did the defendant persuade you to carry through this transac- tion Yes.
Was anyone else present when you and the defendant were talking over this transaction ?---- Marican.
Did he take any part in the conversation ?— Marican said, "If you do not transfer, the defendant will lose his share and you will lose
yours."
And you did sign a deed of transfer to Marican-Yes.
The hearing was again adjourned.
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
CANTON,
[FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.],
20th Novembor.
THE VICEROY,
It is rumoured among the natives here that the Tartar General has denounced Viceroy Yuen on no less than four counts and has memorialised the Throne concerning the same. The matters are said to be relative to the treatment by the Viceroy of the people in the Eight Banner Settlement. The Manchus n' Canton are said to be highly excited over the
affair.
CRIME IN HONAM..
There have been several bad cases of robbery on Houam Island. Two nights ago a gang of well-armed robbers attacked a farmer's house at a place called a Tau. They did not receive much booty und so proceeded to loot the farm. They were in the act of driving off some of the farmer's best bulls when the watch appeared on the scene, There was a fight and the robbers were driven away and the booty recovered.
Unfortunately, far worse crimes are recorded from other parts of the island. At a place called Tin Tow the raster of the house died and the funeral rites attracted a large number of friends and relations to the place. During the night a scoundrel committed an outrage on a slave girl aged 12. He so frightened the child that she dared not scream for help. The next night he attempted another outrage on a still younger girl. This one, however, screamed loudly and brought people to her assistance. The man was at once handed over to the authorities. According to Chinese law the punishment for such a crime is decapitation,
SELF-GOVERNMENT.
Under the auspices of the Sun Wui Magis- trate a meeting was held to consider the advisability of starting a Self-Government Society in the district. It was agreed that such a society be formed, and delegates have been sent to other districts to find out the best way of working these institutions.
MARRIAGE COMPLICATIONS.
A queer case is reported from the Manchu Settlement. A certain widow remarried for the third time and had a daughter by her new husband. Soon after the child's birth the husband died. The woman forthwith sold up the home and the girl and married again for the fourth time. After a time the third husband's father came to Canton from the North. Here he learned of his son's death and the conduct of his daughter-in-law. After a long search he succeeded in finding her and charged her with selling his son's property and child. The woman pleaded that she sold them in order to buy a coffin and give the man a decent burial. After a lot of wrangling in court the Magistrate said he was unable to give a decision in the affair and the case has been reserved for trial before a higher court.
FIRE SIGNALS.
The people of Honam deserve credit for an ingenious arrangement which has just been made in an important part of the town. Over one of the chief streets a skeleton tower has been erected giving a view of the whole town, This is to be used as a fire signal: When a fire breaks out a flag of a certain colour is hung out if in the day time, while a lamp of similar colour is lit at night. The various colours indicate the direction of the fire. In case of a robbery alarm, whistles and drums are to he used to warn the people.
November 23rd.
RETRENCHMENT.
on
Some time ago I reported that the Viceroy, acting on orders received from the Capital, was
Government making great efforts to run the Provincial a more economical basis. Among other reforms he ordered his immediate subordinates to limit the number of those serving on their staffs, and this has in many cases been done. The Kwongchow Brigadier General has been able to send in a report show- ing that reduction of staff in his department has effected a saving of 1,580 taels per month. By orders from the Capital the Kochow Brigadier has discharged many soldiers from his various regiments. There has been no trouble over the matter, and Captain Lo waş ordered to see that the men reached their native places in
[November 27, 1909.
safety. Shifts such as these show what a tight position the Chinese Government is in financially, and make one suspect that there is a difficulty in providing for the running expenses of the Administration.
BOUNDARY QUESTION.
The Society for the Protection of Boundary Rights has been again active. A few days ago a meeting was held to consider what steps should be taken in the following case. It was reported to the Society that a Portuguese river cruiser had anchored in front of the Nam Ping village for three whole days and still showed no signs of going away. The Society resolved to send a message to the Viceroy asking him to request the Portuguese. authorities to remove the vessel without delay, as the boundary- dispute being yet unsettled the people are in a very excited state. It was further resolved that should the Portuguese, refuse to take the vessel away the much talked of militia force be immediately raised to protect the locality other meeting of the Society is to be held on the 25th instant.
An
BIRTHDAY OF THE LATE EMPRESS DOWAGER. Yesterday was the anniversary of the birth of the late Empress Dowager, and in accordance with custom, boing the first birthday after her death, the occasion was taken to sacrifice to her manes in the chief temples in the City. There was a service in the Ming Lun T'ong, which is the largest assembly hall here, and it was largely attended. There was no issue of the vernacular Press.
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OPIUM.
The Tartar General, Tsang, is a terror to opium smokers, and he has done excellent work in endeavouring to restrict the use of this drug. Till lately he has been taken up with purging the Manchurian Settlement from drug takers, but he has now turned his atten- tion to the army. At a recent inquisition no fewer than 586 smokers were found in the forces under his command, and it is highly probable that a still larger number escaped his vigilance. Regarding the state of affairs as very bad, the General has applied to the Viceroy to start an opium bureau on his own account in which he can deal with smokers found in the ranks. There is no money, how- ever, available for such an institution, and he is not likely to get the two thousand taels for its start for which he has asked the Viceroy.
EDUCATIONAL MATTERS.
It has come to the ears of the Minister of Education that Middle and Normal Schools have not yet been established in all the prefectures of the province. He has ordered the Viceroy to take such steps as are necessary to open Middle Schools in every prefecture before the expiration of another year, but he states that one Normal School may be sufficient for the needs of two or three prefectures. The Viceroy has notified the Educational Commissioner of these, messages.
A COWARDLY CREW. Yet another story illustrating the worth- lesness of the force with which this district is supposed to be protected. A man of the Pun Yin district hired a plot of land at a place called Shek Moon to grow rice. He took his wife and two children (sons) in a boat to reap the grain. During the evening the little family was attacked by an armed gang who endeavoured to kidnap the boys. The parents made a brave resistance, but the two boys were captured. The youngest one was severely wounded, but the bandits for all that dragged him along. Soon after he died, and they threw his body on the roadside. Now while all this trouble was going on they were within hailing distance of a guard-boat. During the fight the parents shouted for assistance, but none came.. After the robbers had gone the father besought the guards to go in pursuit, but they would not listen to him. He then begged the loan of a gun to pursue them himself, but they took no heed of him. During the fight both father and mother recognised one of their assailants as a man who worked in a gambling house.. The father reported the case to the district magistrate and the man was arrested. The father and mother insisted that the man was one of the gang and offered to undergo punishment if their words were proved false.
The arrested man was detained, but later on he was bailed out by the proprietor of the gambling house for whom he worked,
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