December 6, 1909.]
LOCAL SPORT.
FOOTBALL NOTES.
The
The improved play of the Yarders was the cause of no little comment on Saturday, and only for the lack of staying power, which was very much in evidence in the latter part of the game, a much more evenly contested match would have resulted. The scoring of the first half by the Yarders came as a surprise to all, and probably to the players themselves. wide, well-placed passes of the forwards and the tricky footwork of the new centre-forward, Sullivan, contributed largely to the initial success and the general effectiveness of the play. The Yarders have now got a strong team together. What if they are all naval men! Surely the men from the smaller boats are allowed to play football? With careful handling and training the Yarders should now be able to improve their place on the League table.
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At the commencement the Buffs were com-
pletely at a loss, no doubt due to the fact that they had expected an easy win. The defence has rarely been tested to the extent it was on Saturday, and the fact that only one goal was registered against their side reflects great credit on the Buff trio, especially Black, who effected several marvellous saves. Of the forwards it can only be said that they failed to get along quite so well as they generally do, but this was largely due to the wild kicking of the halves, and particularly Dare, who, although he is quite the hardest working half in the Colony, nullifies a lot of good work by baulking his own men.
The Sappers certainly exceeded the expecta- tions of even their most sanguine supporters by inflicting such a heavy defeat on Kowloon. Of the new players Brown and Blackwell were best, but the others also did all that was required of them, and are good for even greater things when they get settled down.
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The failure of the Kowloon team to score could not be blamed on the forwards, as for the greater part of the game they had no support from the halves; even Storrie, who is generally the redeeming point of the trio, was off; couse- quently, with some of the forwards assisting the defence, the others had little chance of making the desired headway. The result was most disappointing, but may be due to the team not having played together for a week or two.
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A feature of the football on Saturday was the fact that there were no fewer than four players named' rown playing for first League teams, and three of them played centre for their res- pective teams.
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CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
The handicapping times being allotted it wa. found that the prizes had been won by :-
J. R. Forbes G. H. Saunders
A. A. H. Milroy
...Dorothy 1. Tremona 2. Sirius 3.
A motor boat race also started from the Clab-house over the five mile course, and resulted in an easy win for Corinthian.
D. McCrae
W. W. Pearse
Corinthian
Jean 2
On the arrival of all the boats at Li-Chi-Kok
tiffin was served, and when ample time remaining events to be decided.
had been allowed a start was made with the
Motor Boat Race.
W. W. Pearse
Jean.
In this race the prize was awarded to Jean as being the only boat to cover the specified
course.
A. A. H. Milroy (Mrs. Milroy)
Ladies' Hayward-Hayes Race. D. Gow (Mrs. Duncan)
Sirius 1 White Rose 2 Non-Boating Members' Race. Gael Class. Rodgers and Witchell (Mr. Gregory) Asthore 1 Wood and Leask (Lieut. Shedden)... Toinette 2
Ladies' Handicap Class. Mackay and Coombs (Mrs. Bond) A. P. Storrie (Mrs Milroy)
Motor Boat Race.
.Corrinee 1 Dalhousie 2
Corint ian 1. Jean 2.
D. McRae W. W. Pearse This race had to be re-sailed owing to her chance through rendering assistance. Corinthian going on the rocks and Jean losing
Ladies' Gael Class Race.
| J. A. Dove (rs. Doughton)...Beatrice 1 Rodgers and Witchell (Mrs. Pepper) Asthore 2 TEAM RACE.
From a spectator's point of view this was quite the most interesting race of the day, no fewer than 16 boats manoeuvring behind the line in their efforts to anticipate the gun! Eventually all with the exception of Dalhousie got away in a cluster. The finish was quite in keeping with the start, the Commodore's yacht beating Dalhousie by a from the leeward of the outer end of the length and a half after a clever bit of tacking finishing line. The Commodore's team by a very narrow margin. The first four boats past the post were:-
I
Commodore Clark A. P. Storrie...
'olleen Dalhousie Ayesha Curess
won
· Bond and Thornhill A. F. Ramsey..... After the races handsome prizes were present- ed to the winners by Mrs. Hazeland and a most enjoyable day terminated with Commodore Clarke bouquet.
presenting Mrs. Hazelaud with a
THE KING'S BIRTHDAY CELEBRA- TION AT SHANGHAI.
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LEADING GOAL SCORERS.
Taylor, Huffs
(7)
18
Watts, R.G.A.
(5)
10
THE EXECUTION ON THE RACE COURSE.
Brewster. Buffs
Brown, Kowloon
(7) (5)
10
7
The informal part of the day's celebration at Numbers in parenthesis indicate matches Shanghai included the lighting of a boufire on played.
YACHTING.
REFEREE.
The opening cruise of the Corinthian Yacht Club took place on Sunday under ideal climatic conditions. A large number of members and their friends journeyed to Li- hi-Kok to witness, and take part in, the various events. The two opening races of the day started from the Club-house at Wanchai. The first on the programme was open to all classes and all the yachts took part, handicaps being allotted according to class. For the greater part of the distance the breeze was very light, but it freshened as the boats passed Stonecutters' Island with the result that they finished in a cluster. The winners in the various classes
were :-
Handicap Class.
t
Mackay and Coombs' Corrinee.
1 ime 1 hr. 47 min. 02 secs.
"Gael" One Design Class. J. R. Forbes' Dorothy. Time 1 hr 52 min. 48 secs.
"Hayward Hays" Class. G. H. Saunders' Tremona,
Time 1 hr. 52min. 18 secs.
the Recreation Ground. The following report of this feature is given in the N. Darly
News:
At 9 p.m. the hour appointed for the forming up of the procession to escort the "condemned to execution, the only sign that there was anything unusual afoot in the Recreation Ground was the presence of a small knot of foreigners, a donkey and a big drum.
A few minutes later, with much toot-tooting, up drove a motor car, the most conspicuous passenger in which was a figure who bore placards on his chest and back inscribed "Cur" Hardie." He wore a cap of the style common among labourers of the lowest class at home, and round his neck was a thick hempen cord. Without more add he was lifted from the car and seated backwards, astride the long-suffering donkey. Crowds seemed to spring up from nowhere, a band put in an appearance, and a minute or two afterwards an escort armed with flaring torches was waiting to start for the place of execution. The proces sion was led by the band, which endeavoured to play a funeral march in slow time, but was hustled along so rapidly by the torch-bearers and the crowd of spectators behind that at times the air might have been mistaken for a two-step. The "Cur" was supported by stalwart guardians ou either side of his mount. He had a stupid
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leer upon his features which might have been mistaken for fear or contempt.
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The procession across the grass to the Grand Stand was a weird spectacle. First went the band, flanked on either side by curious spectators. Then followed a dozen torch-bearers, and im- mediately behind them, surrounded by more torch bearers, came the donkey and his rider. A long train of spectators followed in the rear Entering the Race Club enclosure the procession encircled the Grand Stand, which was filled with eye-witnesses, and then, marching across the course again, made for the scene of the bonfire. A bell now began to toll, and the crowd taking part in the procession was augmented by more spectators who were waiting in the enclosure.
Above the bonfire tall gallows had been erected, and the original intention was first to hang the effigy, and then to burn it. Rumours of an attempt to rescue the victim were current during the day, but the opposition adopted the more insidious course of lighting the bonfire before the arrival of the funeral procession, thus destroying the rope and pulley which had been put into position for the execu tion. A large circle of humanity, the circum- ference of which was determined by the heat of the flaming barrels, had assembled round the place of execution, and through it passed the torch-bearers, the victim and his execution- er. Coming to a halt near the flames the executioner lifted "Cur' Hardie
71 from his seat and cast the effigy into the flames, amidst loud cheers "God save the King" was theu sang enthusiastically by the assembled crowd, the bell referred to before was tolled vigorously and three hearty cheers for King Edward were given. The spectators waited a while to see the bonfire burn down and to watch the display of coloured lights and fireworks.
FAR EASTERN TELEGRAMS.
JAPANESE DIPLOMATIC CHANGES.
Tokyo, November 30th. It is officially announced that Mr. Akizuki, the Minister to Belgium, has been appointed Ambassador to the Court of Vienna.
JAPANESE TRADE IN MANCHURIA.
་
AN
AMERICAN CONSUL'S STATEM¿NT
CONTRADICTED.
Tokyo, November 30th. The Japanese authorities deny a report by the American Vice-Consul at Mukden that Japan- ese goods enter Manchuria duty free, and also the further statement that Japanese merchants receive advances from the Yokohama Specie Bank at per cent. interest.
TYPHOON IN THE JAPAN SEA.
Tokoy, December 1st.
The S.S. Kiskata Maru from Dairen to Yokohama with a cargo of beancake, foundered in a typhoon off Shimonoseki on Monday night. The ship went down with all on board. Many other casualties are report as a result of the typhoon.
s
[FROM THE CHUNG NGOI SAN FO.”
CHINESE VICEROY DISMISSED.
Peking, November 26th. The Viceroy of chihli has been dismissed by an Imperial decree for having, at the funeral of the Dowager Empress, sent some people to take photographs of the present Empress Dow ager, and for passing across the route of the funeral in a chair.
The Provincial Treasurer is appointed to act in his stead until the arrival of Chan Kwei Lung, Viceroy of Hupeh.
is about to be settled at an early date, another While it is reported that the loan question report says that the officials and gentry of Hupeh province have raised Tls. 20,000,00 for the line, and that they have appointed a vent a foreign loan from being concluded, representative to proceed to Peking and pre-