11
$3,000 EXPENDED ON "SUNNING" PIRACY.
FURTHER EVIDENCE BY SHIP'S OFFICERS.
LIFEBOAT SET ON FIRE-AND THEN THE SHIP.
MR. HURST'S ESTIMATE OF THE
CASUALTIES.
Yesterday's was the dith hearing at the Dentral Magistracy, balore Mr. B. E. Lindrall, of the case in which twenty Okinase are held on charges arising out of the pirating of the s.3, ""Sunning,” Two sexRİOUS were agam held. In the morning the Second Oncer, Mr. J. W. Hirsi, related his story of the piracy, and in the early part of the afternoon he was cross-examined.
Mr. W. Or, the Second Engineer of the ship, addad some Interesting detalls to those previously related and this witnemi's story was not con- cinded when the Court rose at 4.30 until this morning,
Mr. Hurst related how he was tripped up on the bridge by pirates and overpowered, and how later, in consultation with the Chief Oncez, be made plans for the recapture of the vessel. Mr. Hurst, in answOF to a dafending solicitor estimated the casualties among the pirates as 10: or 11, and put the number of pirates participating in the captors of tha "Sunning" at about 30 to 35. An interesting statement made by Mr.. Hurst was that the pirate chief told him that 33,000 had been expanded . on the coup
The Second Engineer dealt with the setting fire by the piratas, of a lifeboat, which was a separate act of incendiarism, apart from firing of the ship,
THE MORNING HEARING...
Second Officer's Story. Mr. H. K. Holmes appeared on behalf of the Crown. Mr. J. A. Gordon Leask,
of Messrs. G. K. Hall Bratton & Co., defended the 19th accused-a Ningpo mua, Mr. Leo d'Almada defended the second accused, whilst Mr. M. E. Lo appeared on behalf of So Tik Sai (the 6th accused) and ten others.
Mr. Hurst said that while the Sunning was at Amoy Chinese could, and did, move freely between the ship and the shore during the hours preceding her de- parture at about 9.30 am. on the 15th In answer to Mr. Holmes, Mr. Hurst said that at 3.40 p.m.,, he was on the bridge. Suddenly some one came up from behind and twisted his legs, causing him to fall on his back. When he looked up ho found two men covering him with, re volvers. He could not identify either of
the two men.
THE HONGKONG DAILY PRESS FRIDAY DECEMBER 10TH, 1926.
came up under cover of the bosta and
POSITION IN SWATOW.
NO BRITISH CARGO.
ACTIVITIES OF LOCAL UNIONS
[FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT ] *** -
SWATOW December 7th. The boycott position is - unchanged. Not a single package of British cargo la being imported by Chiness and the latter are not taking delivery of British goods. from the godown
The local Unions have been busy amongst Northern charterers and British steamers are bringing practically nothing down. Beancake and rice should normal ly be rolling in now,
A NEW CHIEF OF POLICE
APPOINTMENT OF A MILITARY OFFICER..
POSSIBLE EFFECT ON LABOUR AGITATORS
THE BANK CLERKS' STRIKE.
[TROM OUR CHINESE OGRESSPONDENT. Į
General Chiang Kai-shek, upon the departure of the principal officials för uchang, ordered General Chien Ta Chun, Canton Garrison Commissioner, to act also as Chief of Police
It is the old story. The merchants are
The appointment of a militarist as afraid to trade because of the intimida-Chief of Police of Canton, will, it is tion of the Unions and there is no-one hoped, be followed by the enforcement of here capable of keeping the Unions in the recent Kuomintang order prohibiting order.
the arrest and punishment of citizens by labour agitators and Union oficials.
Mr. Lo: At the time of that conver sation, the pirates had no mepicion that you would attempt to recapture the ship?
Witness: No.
Mr. Los Have you any doubt in your mind that the people who were shot were pirates!
Witness: No. 1 believe they were! pirates
No. 6 Boat,
Referring to No. & boat, which Mr. Half an hour later, six or even murst saw from No. 2 boat, Mr. Lo made another attempt to recapture the asked: Do you mean when you speak ship. Both sides opened Ere, and inter of firing your revolver in the air that mittent firing continued for long you would have fired at No. 6 best if
your shots had not been too small!
Witness: Yes, if I had had a chance would have done.
while.
Mr. Lo: Why would you have fired at it. Did you think that No. 6 boat con- tained pirates?
All that remained for the officers were the No. 3 lifeboat which was burnt through, the No. 1 lifeboat and the 4 ordinary boat. The No. 2 boat was also available, and the officers launched this, after putting aboard the wireless operator, the lady
Witnesa I am quite sure it did, be passenger, the two quartermasters and cause I saw them fire from the poop the Third Engineer. The painter or tow-deck before they launched this boat. rope was burnt through and it parted, casting off the boat to drift on scas heavy with the freshening of the mon soon. We were picked up some time later by the Norwegian str. Ravensjell," said witness, and were afterwards transferred us to HM.S. Verity, who brought us to Hong Kong."
Mr. Holmes: Do you recognise any of the other pirates Yes, No. 4 was guard ing me most of the time.
Mr. Holmes: Did he seem familiar with a riffet-No. He could not even
Proceeding, witness said that he then rushed into the Captain's room followed by two pirates. The latter demanded, and received, the Captain's revolver and Gifty rounds of ammunition. All return-load it. ed to the bridge where a discussion.took place in regard to changing the course of the ship.
Witness heard the pirates say that they wanted to go to Sai Mun and Pinghol He identified amongst these men the No. 1 and No. 2, prisoners now in Court.
Witness then went to the Chief Officer's room where he found Mr. Lapsley, the Second Engineer, and the lady passenger The Third Engineer joined the party
later on,
A Hliden Automatic."
In witness' own cabin there was a rifle,
This concluded Mr. Hurst's evidence, and at this stage the Court was adjourn
ed.
THE AFTERNOON. HEARING.
Mr. Lo: How many people do you estimate were in that Boat
Witness Between eight and twelve. Mr. Hurst left the witness box at 3.30
Second Engineer's Story.. The next witness called was the Second Engineer of the Sunning, Mr. W. Orr, who stated that he was in his cabin at 3.50 p.m. on November 16th, when be heard police whistle blowing. Ho stop. ped out of his cabin, but was held up by three or four armed Chinese. All the men were armed, with the exception of one, who carried a water bottle.
Witness said, when asked from what direction his assailants had“
come, that
they must have come from for ard and climbed over the grilles. He identified Nos. 1 and S accused and also No. 3 a being among the pirates.
Where Was Mr. Lapsley, When the hearing was resumed in the afternoon, Mr. Hurst in answer to Mr. Holmes, said that he was one of the
Witness proceeded that he could not officers in the No. 2 boat, which drifted recognise in Court the mon who held him away from the Sunning. At daylightup, except the seventh accused who was another of the Sunning's boats, the No. the man who carried the water bottle
in it.
Mr. Holmes: Assuming that Mr. Lapsley was in No. 6 boat would it have been possible for him to have hailed you? Witness: I don't think so. The wind was too strong for his voice to have car red the distance between us.
The Labour Union officials have for a long time been ex xising the power of arrest. This, however, is to be taken from them and they are to be debarred from picketing institutions concerned with
public finance, communications, military supplies and food-stuffs.
The Bank Strike.
"A conference of representative mem bera of the Kuomintang, labour leaders and business men is being held in Canton with the object of finding some means of settling the strike of the bank employees. à supreme council appointed by the Kno mintang will act as arbitrators and it is expected that the trouble will be ended in a day or two. ¦-
>
Since the strike of printers in Canton in August, and the rise in wages, the number of newspapers in the City has been reduced from 10 to 15, and as a result several hundred workmen are un
employed. The decision of the nomin
tang to transfer part of its propaganda staff to Wachang will also, it is thought, throw more men out of work. The num
ber of printing establishments has been considerably reduced since the increase in printers wages,
THE TRADE POSITION.
Reports have been circulated among the Chinese during the past few days that" the boycott of the vessels of the Hong Kong, Canton & Macao Steamboa Company will end very shortly.
No official statement has been made
pro- upon the subject, but certainly, the
6 boat, which had previously left the ship and struck him with it partially stunning spects seem brighter than they have been was scen. Witness fired his revolver in him. Witness was then taken to the for some time past. Yesterday the the air to frighten the people in that Chief Officer's cabin in a dazed coadi Lungshan brought down over 1,300 pack. a ship's revolver and a private revolver-boat, but he did not recognise anyone tion...
Witness went on to detail incidents ages of merchandise, in addition to her an automatic. Witness went to his cabin at 4.30 and saw at once that the rifle
which occurred while he was in the usual supplies of produce, and this may and ahip's revolver had been taken by
Chief Officer's cabin, and which have pre- the pirates. He was unable to look for
viously been reported. He said that possibly be an indication that interfor his private automatic as a pirate was on
later, he went down to the engine room, grace, with the trade is censing. The guard outside. A few minutes later wit
where he remained until seven o'clock, Tung On brought down nearly 1,000 when he was relieved by the Chief En- passengers and over 800 packages of ness pointed out a passing ship. That made the guard leave him for the bridge.
ginter. He identified No. 2 accused as general cargo. Witness put his automatic into his
a pirate who frequently visited the Chief Officer's cabin while he (witness) was pocket and went to the bridge, where he
*4ད there, found the Captain, Chief Officer, two
Witness proceeded to speak of the two quartermasters and four pirates. These four pirates were the 1st, 2nd and 3rd
men who were stunned by the Second defendants and another tall man who
Officer, with the lead and said early in wore spectacles. The latter was not in
the morning of the feth he lowered one of them, who was struggling along the bridge in a lifebelt to the deck-below. The other man who had been knocked out refused assistance and lowered himself.
Another Trial ma
Court.
Mr. Holmes: Do you think it possible that he could have let you know in any way that he was in the bost!
Witness: No, I don't think it would have been possible.
The undefended accused were asked if they had any questions to pat, and a number were naked by the first accused, who denied that the witness met him on various occasions on the Sunning while the pirates were in control of the vessel. To this witness replied that he did..
The third accused also challenged the
CORRESPONDENCE.
THE CAFE PARISIEN.
(TO THE EDITOR OF THE “HONG KONG DAILY PEERS."T
Continuing, witness said that he went down to arrange for tea. He was not followed either then or at any subse.
SinThe affairs of the Café Parisien - café of much popularity amongst the quent time." After tea, I saw the Chief. Officer on the bridge without a guard. Second Officer's recognition of him, to His Worship: I understand that this British and other nationalities of this He kept watch whilst I loaded my re- which Mr. Hurst replied that he was a other injured man has been discharged the writer, a person of British nation- Colony-having come into the limelight, volver and hid it in a drawer under man that he hail sen carrying ammuni- from hospital, or is about to be dischargality of long residence in this Colony the chart desk. I then went to search tion (both revolver and rifle) to theed: [One of the alleged injured men, would enquire as to why it is that for more arms and found a revolver and bridge..
In reply to questions by the fourth the twentieth accused, is a present in amongst the members of the licensing fifty rounds of ammunition under some
Court old clothing in the Second Engineer's accused, witness said he had seen this
Mr. Holmes: He has not been dis board is to be found the director of a rival establishment.” This does not seem foom. At 6.30. I went up and told the man on the bridge between seven and charged to my knowledge. There were like British Fair Play! Captains that dinner was ready. After nine o'clock in the evening
to sick men in hospital. One is ready Do you not think that it would have dinner I got the Chief Officer aside in
or nearly ready to come into Court been fairer had this gentlemen refrained the Captain's cabin and we talked things Mr. Leo d'Almada naked if witness The question is whether should nak from using his vote and induense in this over. At 9 p.m. a pirate came in and could give a rough estimate of the num- your Worship to start all over again to matter, where a rival and similar estab said that the grilles had been locked. The ber of pirates there were on the Sonning. introduce this man, or have a fresh trial. lishment to that of the one of which he man appeared very suspicious. Another Witness replied that he thought, be The other man, whom you refer to, is is a director, is concerned i pirate came in with Mr. Lapsley. Between 20 and 35, of which be personally still very sick. I cannot very well nak
DINER OUT. was wearing Mr. Lapsley's shoes
your Worship, at this stage, to open the for the sake of the other
Mr. Holmes: When did you last see "Mr. Lapsley 1-I saw him leaving the bridge at about midnight. I remained on the bridge after that.
Pirates Enocked Out. Continuing, witness said that when Chilang Light appeared, “Acting in so cordance with our plans, the Chief Officer banded the glasses to one of the pirates and pointed out the light. I picked up the lend, and, creeping from behind, Bruck them both on the head. The first man was laid out completely, but the
BAW 10.
The Number of Pirates,
In answer to his Worabin witheis said case the No. 1 pirate had stated in convensa- nian, tion that there were 25 pirates on board. His Worship: As it is very likely that Asked by Mr. d'Almada if he could the other tann will die, will you ask for say how many pirates were killed on a fresh hearing for the other one f board, witness said that there were about tea or eleven, either shot or burned to death on board; while five or six others were shot and fell overboard.
Witness identified Nos. 1; 2, 3 and 4 accused as being among the pirates he saw on board.
Mr. Holmes replied that he thought this would be best, as he could concen- trate on the case against this one parti- calar man and he need only call such evidence as would apply to him. A fresh hearing would simplify matters.
Life Boat on Fire.
.
"THE PIRATES OF PENZANCE.” OPENING PERFORMANCE
WTO-NIGHT.
The Philharmonic Society will open their season at the Theatre Royal to- night, when they will present: “The Pirates of Penzance" The season ex- tends throughout next week, concluding on Saturday, December 18th. Wednesday night and has fully come up The final dress rehearsal took place on
$3,000 Expended on Coup. Mr. Or proceeded with his evidence, second man was only knocked down. He In naswer to Mr. Lo, witness that and described how he saw pirates set fire to expectations The performance is ex- fired a shot and I gave him another blow there was a conversation in the Chief to one of the boats. The coners were re-tremely well staged, and while the prin- with the load. The 20th defendant was Officer's cabin, in which the No. 1 pirate moved, and he saw a number of mencipals appeared to be holding themselves one of the two men, but I cannot say took part. This pirate chief bragged that carrying cans, get into them. Afterwards which. I then took the revolver from $3,000 had been expended on planning he saw them leave and soon after smoke reserve, the performance indicated. the first man and gave it to the Caj the coup, and he also gave the number and flames issued from the boat in ques- that the presentation will be thoroughly
enjoyable tain, myself getting the two that I had of pirates involved as 25. The No. 1 tion The best was deliberately not on Booking has been heavier than ever concealed in the chart desk.
pirate added that some of the pirates are by the pirates, and was a separate before, and is likely to increase had travelled on the Sunning before. - act apart from the setting fire to the further after the "frst night of this Mr. Lo: The chief pirate was not ship. Later, with the help of passengers delightful Gilbert and Sullivan opera. minimising the number. He was not and crew witness set to work to ex-The following are the principals:-Mr. bragging about it forth tingish the flames & L. Brock (The Major General), Mr.
believe him. We knew there were until his thing as
Keown (The Pirate King, Mr. R. 6. W Paterson (Sumsel). Richards (Frederick), Mrs. A. M. Bowes Smith (Mabel), Mrs. W. G. Watt (Ruth);
44 Under Cover of the Chief Engineer.""
"A minute later, an attempt was made to recapture the bridge. "A gang arrived under bore of Chief Officer,
fired, but the Chief Officer's revolver jammed. I fired several shots as a result of which the pirates retreated. The lady passenger, wireless operator and Third Engineer then came up through the sky- light
not believe him. We knew there were ed until this morning at cleven o'clock moze on board. He was bragging about Mr. Or will then conclude his evidence the money expended on planning the and will be subjected to cross-camins piracy, but he was reticent about the tion. The hearing will be continued | Miss D. Puncheon (Edith), Mrs. WR number of pirates
again this afternoon, when further evi- Fleming (Kate), and Miss, V. Jefford dence will be tendered.
(Isabel).
-- (Continued on next Column).
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