December 20, 1909.]
Mr. Fred J. Halton has been appointed Agent of the Pacific Mail Steamship Co. at Hongkong, vice Mr. S. Silverstone, who resigns at the end of the present year. Mr. Halton has been the chief assistant in the office for the past three years and acted as agent during the absence of Mr. Silverstone at home on leave last year.
Mr. Halton has just returned from six months' leave, and his many friends in the Colony will be pleased to hear of his promotion.
The On Lee, owned by the Sze Yap steam- ship Company, on the 12th inst. made her third pleasure trip to Macao. She is a new vessel capable of accommodating over 1000 passengers and runs on week days to Kongmoon, making the trip to Macao every Sunday. The On Lee does the journey to the Portuguese a half hours and is well equipped for the convenience of European and Chinese passengers. The fare is remark
settlement in three
ably low, being $1.20 first class each way.
CHINA OVERLAND TRÅDE REPORT.
Apparently the Sanitary Department offices have been put in a proper state of repair, as it is announced that the fortnightly meetings of the Board will in future be held there instead of in the Council Chamber.
The funeral of Gunner Hunter, R.G.A., who died at the Military Hospital, Bowen Road, on Ihursday, took place on Friday morning. The cortege consisted of Officers, NC.Os. and men of 87 Coy. R.G.A.; and the bands of the Buffs, the latter playing the funeral marches en route to the Cemetery, Happy Valley. We understand deceased only arrived here on the Rewa last month, and leaves a widow and four young
children.
A Chinese youth, 13,
years of age, was charged before Mr. E. R. Hallifax at the Magistracy on Dec. 10 with conveying a letter to a prisoner in Victoria Goal. His Worship discharged the prisoner with a caution. A lukong was then placed before the Court on a charge of aiding and abetting the youth. On the charge being proved a fine of $100 was imposed, the alter- native being three months' imprisonment with hard labour.
An interesting case was continued at the Magistracy on Dec. 13th when the hearing was resumed before Mr. J. R. Wood of the charges against Li Fuk alias Li Kai Mi of forging a Two magisterial inquiries took place on deed of mortgage for $10,000, which purported Friday. One was with regard to the death of a to be made by one Li Fuk, the registered owner Chinese, presumably a countryman, who while of section B. of Marine Lot 163 Hongkong.èrossing the road near the Taiping Theatre, be Mr. Dennys prosecuted, and Mr. Looker, of caine so alarmed when he found himself in Messrs. Deacon, Looker and Deacon, appeared front of an approaching tram that he jumped for the defence. Evidence was called and the clear of it only to collide with another car. He case adjourned.
received injuries to his skull to which he suc cumbed in the hospital. Death was found to be accidental. The other inquiry was with respect to a Chinese found drowned in the harbour on the 17th November. Found drowned was the verdict.
One of our American visitors, a lady, had an undesirable experience on Thursday. While enjoying the sights of Queen's Road Central she felt a tug at her purse and looking down found that it had disappeared. At the same time she noticed a Chinaman running off. The alarm was raised and he was promptly pursued by policemen, sailors and soldiers, but the honour of the capture went to a civilian. The theft took place about three o'clock and half an hour later he was in Victoria Gaol, having been sentenced to six months' imprisonment and prdered to receive ten strokes with the birch.
His Excellency the Governor has given his assent, in the name and on behalf of His Majesty the King, to the following Ordinances passed by the Legislative Council:-Ordinance No. 40 of 1900. An Ordinance to amend the Law relating to Trade Marks; Ordinance No. 41 of 1909.---An Ordinance to exempt Crown Leases granted in respect of Foreshore and submerged lands in the New Territories from a certain condition imposed under the Foreshores and Sea Bed Ordinance, 1901; Ordinance No. 42 of 1909.-An Ordinance to amend the Wireless Telegraphy Ordinance, 1903, and the Wireless Telegraphy Ordinance, 1909; and Ordinance No. 43 of 1909. An Ordinance to amend the
Order and Cleanliness Ordinancé, 1867.
Chief Excise Officer Hoggarth and a party made a good capture in Conduit Road on Tues- day. They secreted themselves on the slope of the hill and succeeded in arresting two men as they were depositing opium in their cache on the hillside. Not only had the two men a quantity of opium in their possession, but one was found with a printing die which was intended to apply a false trade description to the opium in their possession, purporting that it came from the Opium Farmer. The first defendant was at the Magistracy on Dec. 15 fined $26, ten times the value of the opium in his possession, and the second was fined $33, ten times the value of the opium which he had when arrested. The charges of applying a false trade description was remanded.
i
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523
THE ALLEGED FRAUD ON A
SOLICITOR.
The case in which Lam Fuk Chin is charged with obtaining the sum of $24,000 from Mr John Hastings by false pretences was again - called in Mr. Wood's Court at the Magistracy on Dec. 10, when Mr. W. E. L. Shenton (of Messrs. Deacon, Looker and Deacon) appeared to apply for the discharge of the defendant, Mr. F. B. L. Bowley, Crown Solicitor, repre- sented the Crown.
His Worship The prosecution now stands that the King is prosecuting by the Crown solicitor.
be the case on the authorities. As his Worship Mr. Shenton submitted that such could not had already seen from the Hongkong Or- dinances, there must be an informant or complainant before the Court, or such a person' must be represented by a solicitor. The pos- ition was put forward by Mr. Bowley that he was representing the Crown as informant.
Mr. Bowley-As prosecutor.
Mr. Shenton submitted that Mr. Bowley could not appear before the Court in his representative capacity, because the Court in which his Wor- ship sat had authority delegated from the Crown itself, and he thought it was impossible for the Crown to come into its own Court as a common informant. There was a proper procedure set ou and stated in text books, and that procedure was that the Attorney-General submitted the charge to the jury straight away. He did not come to a grand jury in a magisterial inquiry; the matter was put straight away before a common jury. The speaker had taken considerable trouble, but had been unable to find an authority or precod- Important seizures of counterfeit coin were ent for the course of procedure the Crown made by the police during the week-end. At Solicitor wished to adopt, and before his Wor- one house, 40, First Street, Detective Sergeant ship could commence or adopt a precedent Appleton seized 276 Chinese twenty-cent pieces, wholly unknown to the Court, he must be 108 Chinese ten-cent pieces, 44 Hongkong ten-satisfied that there was a precedent to cent pieces, and 32 Hongkong five-cent pieces, act in this way; His Worship had seen that and arrested three men. Chief Detective any person could lay an information, but the Inspector Hanson at 1 Ng Fuk Hong seized speaker submitted that that did not bind 1-367 Indo-China piastres and 321 Hongkong the Crown, and unless the Crown Solicitor
dollars. All the coins were beautifully made. sounded well when rung, but weighed lighter than the coins they counterfeited. The police have been working with a view to this seizure for three or four months, and they have spent about $200 in making purchases to trace the sources, from which the spurious coins were issued,
A party of police from Victoria had rather a long excursion on Tuesday when they embarked on a launch for Tai O, which they reached when the shades of night even had fallen. Then they made their way, escorted by the local police, to a certain house, where it was found that gambling was proceeding and that quite a large number of people were participating. However, the advent of the police created the usual scare, and by far the larger number of those present made good their escape. Fifteen mén fell into the hands of the police, but what was their surprise to find that the keeper of the gambling house was a Chinese detective. When the case was brought on before Mr. E. R. Hallifax at the Magistracy on Dec. 15th the detective was defended by Mr. Otto Kong Sing, and the hearing was adjourned.
was able
one
to produce a precedent for the procedure he proposed to adopt, his Worship was wholly unable to consider the application. The matter was a very simple one. All that Mr. Bowley had to do was to submit, or place on
of the record, the name
of his witnesses. He submitted that the Crown was unable to come înto its Court
2 common informant, and his Worship was bound in duty to discharge the prisoner.
as
own
His Worship-I think it is my duty to hear the evidence called by the Crown Solicitor, and will remand the case.
Vice-Admiral Sir Alfred Leigh Winsloe, K.C.B., C.V.O., C.M.G., has been appointed to the China Station, Vice-Admiral Winsloe, who is a Lord Commissioner of the Admiralty, was born in 1852. His record is given as follows:- Entered Navy, 1865; Captain, 1892; served
Mr. Bowley I would like your Worship to Egyptian War, 1882; member of Committee for Revision of Naval ignals; served Naval mention the fact, which is obvious to every one Brigade in Expedition against Sultan of Vitu, except my friend, that the Crown does not appear as a common informer. The information East Africa, 1890; went as Commissioner to
was laid by Mr. John Hastings, and on that Massikesși to draw a boundary between the
information the Crown is acting. Portuguese and the Chartered Company, 1891;
Mr. Shenton-I would ask your Worship to commanded H.M.S. Spartan during Chinese-note that, as I will want to make use of it at a Japanese War. Rear-Admiral Nov., 1904; Vice-Admiral, Nov., 1908; 4th Sea Lord of the Admiralty since 1906. Commanded the Ophir on the Royal Tour.
later,
date.
said he would remand the case formally for a
His Worship, after noting the statement,
week, and fix Monday afternoon, the 20th instant, for the hearing.
Mr. Shenton applied for bail.
His Worship-What bail do you want?
Mr. Shenton submitted it must be a reason. able sum. He did not know what sum his client could put up, but the defendant was not a very wealthy man. Mr. Shenton suggested that $20,000 would be sufficient.
Mr. Bowley agreed to this amount, and bail was fixed in the sum mentioned.
An interesting case was heard at the Magis: tracy on Dec. 16th before Mr. E, R. Hallifax. Acting Sergeant. Graut prosecuted a well- dressed Chinese, who was said to be a compradore in the service of Sir Paul Chater, with being in possession of a shot gun. As the licence for the gun was produced in Court, his Worship suggested that the summons be withdrawn, but as the defendant preferred a charge of assault against the police officer Mr. Hallifax decided that the case should be more fully heard, which was done later in the day. The policeman's story was that he was approached by a ricsha coolie, who informed him that he had taken a fare to the Shanghai Municipal Council to contribute a Chinese club and the latter had not paid him.ls. 25,000 towards the building of a second When he tried to enter the club he was driven Municipal School for Chinese on certain terms. off by the fokis. The officer went into the
The offer was originally made in 1907, but the club to find the man and was accosted by Council at that time were of opinion that the defendant, who challenged him for being on the
scheme was premature. The Committee of the premises without permission. Sergt. Grant then present school has made strong recommendation noticed the gun standing in a corner and asked
that the proposals made by Mr. Kadoorie should if defendant had a licence for it. As he could
be now accepted, and the scheme is to be not produce it the officer took possession of the
submitted for sanction by the ratepayers at the weapon. The defendant alleged that the officer next annual meeting.
struck him in the chest.
Mr. Ellis Kadoorie has renewed his offer to