Page
THE HONG KONG DAILY PRESS, FRIDAY, MARCH 22, 1929.
WONG SHIU HUNG NO FIRE DRILL AT KING EDWARD
INTERVIEWED.
DESIRE FOR PEACE AND SETTLEMENT.
REMAINING IN THE SOUTH.
(FROM OUR CHINESE CORRESPONDEST.].
CANTON, March 91.
General Wong Shin Hung, Chair- maa of the Kwangsi Political Coun cil and C-in-C, of the 15th Army, is still in Canton conferring with the local authorities on matters of provincial importance. Interviewed by Pressmen on Wednesday (before news of the serious turn which the Waban crisis has taken had reach ed Canton), the General said that he intended to return to Kwangsi early next week. He had originally intended to go to the Nanking Con- ference as one of the Kwangsi re- presentatives, but owing to unfore. seen delays and the mishap to his colleague General Chen Ming Sha in the Hong Kong hotel fire he had decided to stay in the South.
ATTITUDE TOWARDS
NANKING."
to the
HOTEL
CORONER'S SEARCHING QUESTIONS TO
MANAGER.
SURVIVOR'S GRAPHIC "STORY OF HIS ESCAPE.
HOW GENERAL AND MRS. CHEN WERE INJURED.
ONLY ONE "PRACTICAL” FIRE ESCAPE IN THE BUILDING.
Further evidence of a dramatic nature was given at yesterday afternoon's resumed inquiry held by Mr. E. V. Hamilton in the Central Magistracy into the King Edward Hotel Are. A witness told of finding Mrs. Robson's body lying in the gutter and the manager, Mr. Jas. Witchell, admitted that fré drill was never carried out by the hotel staff.
The Hoa, Mr. T. H. King (Captain Superintendent of Polica) desires the Fress to repeat his appeal for witnesses who saw anything at all of the fre to communicate with Inspector Lane at Police Headquarters.
Mr. Leo d'Almada a Castro, junior, held a watching brief for the proprietors, Mr. Hin Shing Lo represented Mr. Witchell (the licensee) and Mr. H. C. Lea appeared on behalf of the China Land Investment Company.
The jury consisted of Mr. N. S. Brown (foreman), Mr. C. Little, and Mr. L ̊C. 5'. Bellamy.
No Legal Obligation.
Asked his opinion as Wuhan situation General Wong' Mr. Wichell's Evidence Continued. said that be entirely approved of Continuing his evidence, 30. Coroner: Would Mr. Witchell the action of the Nanking Govern Witchell, the manager of the King have met with any opposition had Edward Hotel, snid, the iron grille he wished to squirt water over his
ment.
He added: "When the Wuhan
Political Council launched the coup was at the bottom of the stone d'etat which ousted General La T
staircase on the ground floor. He Ping, I was in Canton." I received a wire from General Li Taung Jen did not expect to find the door open who was then in Shanghai asking as it was hardly ever used. The key for my opinion. I at once ap should have been in the watchman's proached Marshal Li Tani Hsin and General Chen Ming Shu and we all possession. declared unequivocally that· the Witness said he would have gone action of the Wuhan Political Coun-down to the basement just the same eil was unjustifiable. Marebal Lif he had not been directed to do and I pointed out at the time that by the police sergeant The General Li Taung Jen should sub- door was shut and locked on the mit to the orders of the National inside with a clasp and a binged Government. Beside sending this crossbar. opinion to Nanking we wired to the Wuhan authorities advising them to obey the orders of the Central
Government,
"Personally what I want is to see the whole thing settled. With the completion of the Nationalizi Revolution and the inauguration of the period of tulelage, it is of the utmost importance that the revolu. tionary leaders should understand and trust each other. No matter who was right and who was wrong in the past, old differences must be forgotten."
viewer, that Marshal Feng Yu It is reported," said the inter- Hsiang is opposing the Kuomintang leaders in Nanking especially in the matter of the selection of delc gates to the National Congress, Was this why he refused to come to attend the Congress 1"
Most probably so," was the reply,"
"Have you completed your de mobilization plans for the 15th Army yet the interviewer asked
"Yes," the General replied, " my Army will be reduced to a kih, or division, to be known as the 4th Division and I shall be its com- mander. Actually disbanding will begiti at the end of the month."
U.S.A. POLITICIAN IN
HONG KONG
INTERESTING VIEWS ON"
PHILIPPINES.
Inspector Lane. I could not quite how the crossbar fixed, and there was n hasp.
Coroner: The door was broken open.
These stone stairs were the only practical fire, escape, went on wit mess. He had never given thought to the efficacy of this means of exit in a fire.
Helped With a Jumping Sheet, Witness gathered his family to gether immediately they got outside jumping sheet by the south-west and he then went to assist with a corner of the hotel. He saw several Chinese jump and he then stood on the opposite pavement and looked up at the building.
stairs for drill t
Mr. King: That would have been a question for the Water
"}
CANTON'S NATIVE DOCTORS.
EFFICACY OF HERBS.
STOUTLY UPHELD.
REPEL ATTACK OF MEDICAL CONFERENCE.
[TROM OUR CHINESE CORRESPONDENT.]
CANTON, March 21.
The resolution recently passed by the Nanking Medical Conference banding native drugs and native herbalists has created great conster- nation among practioners of Chi- nese medicino in Canton. They maintain that, if enforced, the de cision will mean ruin to a great and time-honoured profession with illustrious history of 4,000
212
years. They further declare that Chinese herbs are often far more efficacious than Western medicine. "Their methods they say "have brought joy and contentment to an untold number of people from time immemorial."
The Kwangtung Native Drug Practitioners' Association called a meeting on Wednesday night to dis- cuss ways and means of opposing
A CIRCULAR TELEGRAM.
An Alert Witness, Mr. Leonard Beswick, a resident cupied a room of the fourth floor. in King Edward Hotel, said he se- He went to bed at about 11.30 p.m. He was awakened just before 3 the resolution. o'clock by the sound of police whistles. He heard someone shout Departing bat came to the conclusion that ment. There would have been no it was a brawl among sailors so he objection from the police,
turned over and went to sleep again He awoke again to the sound of Coroner: When were the appli police whistles and the clanging of ances last overhauled 1
fire engine bells, Witness: The water authorities overhauled the appliance every night.
fort-looked over the balustrade in the He went on to the verandah and
direction of the main door of the. the third and fifth floors from the hotel and saw smoke issuing from
Sfth floor almost over his head and¦ from room 308, he thought, on the
ligation to inspect private fire ap Mr. King: There is no legal ob
pliances.
third floor.
Mr. King said that all new fire appliances were tested by the Fire Brigade. M Wright could pro-)
As he returned to his room he jbably produce evidence as to when saw changing reflections over the the apparatus was passed. Pro frosted glass of the door. He open Perty owners were under no legaled the door to see if he could reach obligation to afford right of access the fire escape but at once realised to the authorities for this purpose that the flames were much too although, in all new buildings, the serce and that all retreat that way authorities required to be satisfed was cut off. ns to the suitability of the fire ap- phanges.
Questions and Answers. Coroner: I take it, Mr. Witchell, that when you took over the hotel as a going concern, because nothing untoward had happened you thought it never would I had not expected this trouble
He went back to the verandah and saw a fire escape being erected near the main entrance to the hotel Boor.. The fire escape reached to the third There was nobody in the street below his room except Chinese to whom witness shouted, but got no reply:
A large number of practitioners were present and they decided to send a circular telegram to per- sons, government departments and
ing against the action of the associations of many kinds protest
telegram was as follows:- National Medical Conference. "The
Chinese drugs (herbs) were dis- covered by sages and handed down to the present time by well reputed practioners. Their efficaciousness has never been doubted. It is, there- fore, with the deepest regret that we note a few members of the Board of Health of the Central Govern ment are trying to put restrictions on the use of these efficacious herbs and the practice of native doctors. A section of people are embarking upon a course of action which will eventually ruin all that is good in Chinese civilization. Such a policy is admittedly suicidal. You are re- quested to see that right and justice shall triumph."
Escape Out Of... Witness returned to his room and PRETTY CHINESE WEDDING. again opened the door to see if he could make a dash for the fire escape but the flames had increased to such an extend that he could not see the balustrade of the main staircase which was only five feet " from the door,
You know now 7-Yes, now! In view of what has happened you realise now you should have made more careful inquiries to see that all arrangements were made for everything to go well in an emer-
He noticed a Chinese man cling- ing to some ornamental work on the face of the building up by the third floor. Witness notified the firemen who placed the fire escape in posi. tion for the man who was rescued.
Witness then gave further assist-gency Yes ance with the jumping sheet-, Coroner: No one seems really to Madame Chen Ming Shu elimbed know where that key was to be down the wall from the second floor found after 11 o'clock at night. to the first floor by some prnamental work and then tried to climb down the second floor down there was s Witness went on to say that from a lamp. She jumped and fell half party wall. The partitions in the in the sheet. General Chen jumped corridors on the upper Boors were from the second floor at the same put up recently by the Savoy Hotel. A door in Mr. Woods room leading "The sheet "went in with the from the King Edward Hotel to the weight of the two bodies. The Savoy Hotel had always existed. General hit the ground and his wife half-struck the canvas with her side. There were ten or twelve people holding on to the sheet.
moment.
DR. Y. K. WONG AND MISS B. LAU.
A very pretty wedding was cle brated in St. Paul's Church yester saw Mr. Wentz climbing over the the Government Civil Hospital and Rushing back to the verandah he day between Dr. Y. K. Wong of balustrate of his verandah and mak- Miss Beatrica Lau, daughter of Mr. ing for the verandah of the Savoy G. T. Lau. The bride locked very Hotel against the party wall Hotel was not then on fire as far blossom. Her bouquet-consisted of Witness did the same. The Savoy with tulle veil and wreath of orange lovely in a white satin picture frock,
as he knew. He escaped down from a sheaf of arum lilies. The prin and reached the pavement opposite frock with tight silver tissue bodice the fire escape of the Savoy Hotel cipal bridesmaid wore a picture the front door of the Savoy Hotel and long skirt of frills of tulle. at 3.17 am. He was taken into a
fat in the offices of the China A very well attended reception pyjamas. Maritime Customs, clad in his was -afterwards held at Lane, He received clothing Crawford's Restaurant, when the
young couple, who were the reci pients of many congratulations, bell of fern and white Bowers. received their guests under a huge
there.
Kerosene, Turpentine, and Wax. mixture of wax, kerosene, and tur- The floors were cleaned with a
pentine. This had been done for Among the guests now at the
Witness left with Mr. Hines who years. It did not occur to wit- "Good God-What's That?" Hong Kong Hotel are Mr. and lent him a suit. He was in his nightness that the floors being cleaned Mrs. W. Ward Smith of New York attire previously. He got dressed with this mixture every two days wers out to the front of the King He was too excited to remain but and Santa Fe, New Mexico, who and returned to the fire where he would increase danger from fire. are making a honeymoon trip met Mr. King.
Edward Hotel near Lane, Craw One or two wires fused at the ford's. He was talking to a police around the world.
Basement Flooded,
bottom of the staircase about 18 officer and a civilian when one of There was no difficulty in escaping Mr. Smith is a well-known gure
They broke open a door with a months ago. The fire appliances them said, in American political circles and crowbar and found the basement were not used on that occasion as that?" pointing to an object lying and Mr. Wentz and anybody in the "Good God, What's by the manner adopted by witnes was Secretary to Mr. Nathan Lwas flooded. Had the water crept sparks occurred and the wire was in the gutter.
the Miller, when
latter
Ico House Street side could have was up another six inches, it would have cut immediately.
He rushed across the road and escaped by scaling the partitions of Governor of the State of New reached the main electric fuses, and
A settee in a room on the 4th saw the body of a European woman the verandahs. York.
they would both have been electrofloor occupied by Mr. Henderson, Iving in the channel of the gutter. Mr. Smith is credited with being cuted.
traveller of Mezars. Yardley's, was The right arm was reating on the the first to organize a Hoover-for-
Witness saw Petty Officer Phillips set on fire by a cigarette on one edge of the kerb. President Club in Greater New swarm down some knotted bed occasion.
Coroner: Is it possible that so York. This was in 1020 and was sheets from the fourth floor to the Coroner: Waa luggage at the fell between the time you had orces followed by the organization of fire escape and two other America? bottom of the stairs usdal 1-Yea
ed the road to speak to the police similar Clubs throughout the sailors jumped. United States, the majority of ";
sergeant-gather that is the case, Your Worship.
The hotel register was intact which were personally organized by when salved. It was wet but the Mr. Smith.
Mr. and Mrs. Smith have been writing was legible. Witness hand spending several months in China ed it to the police.
How the Fire Started. How did the fire start-If the are started on the staircase it might have been due to bad wiring.
...
Could anybody coming down the
sh
ווי
Na External Marka, Continuing, witness said he picked the body up. He saw no external
Suspension Ladders.
The foreman of the jury asked witness if suspension ladders would that they would, but it would be a have been useful. Witness replied
question of fastening the ladders and he would be afraid to trust too much to the strength of the veran dah balustrades.
Mr. King: Apart from the fact that the 6re escape ladder was too
and have visited Mukden, Tien- In reply to the foreman of the tsin, Peking, Hankow, Pakow, jury, witness said he knew where stairs drop a lighted cigarette and marks and no bleeding. "He re-short to reach you, have you any Nanking, the body as
Canton.
Philippine Independence.
!.
consisted of a hydrant, a box of cause there was a partition between hoses and a nozzle on each floor in the staircase and the luggage.
<
J
brigada! ENG
Witness: No, Sir. Witness again referred to the firing of ladders from floor to foor
steeple-jacks and to them as ladders
Mr. King: "Cat-burglars lad ders," you mean
Coroner You have told the Court that each time you went on to the verandah you closed sour door behind you?
Witness: Yes.
H
Robson and gave information to that effect to a police officer
The verandahs on the fifth floor an easily accessible position. They He would not set fire to the of the hotel were full of smoke and Mr. and Mrs. Smith have made were in the same position on each luggage No. The staircase was flames an extensive visit to the Philippine floor.
really closed in on one side from Witness had previously seen Mrs. Islands. As regards the Philippins There were no written instructions the har and from the grill on the Hobson wearing glasses the lens Independence movement, Mr. Smithaa to their use in any of the Chi-other.
of which suggested to him that she is of opinion that the worst thing nese servants rooms although they int No Regulations,
was shorighted. There were no that could happen to the native | knew the appliances were for fire. Cross-examined by Mr. Lo, wit glasses near the body. would be to have their indeper Hydrants Sealed by Government.
He saw no further rescues and no acss said there was no police re- dence granted.- · ·
There had never been any fire gulation stipulating the carrying out other jumpa... Mr. Smith suggested that the
Hotel ! Brawla," simple solution of the Philippine drill in the hotel. The hydrants of fire drill in any hotel, nor was
Coroner: Mention has been made United States, Great Britain and were not to be broken for a practhas witness should have organised of a "braw] in' the hotel Was that vent drought and to keep the fire What was your object 1-To pre problem is a treaty between the were sealed by the Government and there any regulation of the hotel
fire drill, although he thought that a common occurrence-There had from entering my room Japan, providing for ht Interna- tise drill but only for a fire.
Coroner. Could you screw on the notice drawing attention to the been a heated argument in the foyer A very sensible procedure. tional protectorate of the Islands, hose without breaking the seal for fire escape hung in every room. He but there were no brawls although think the Press-and particularly guaranteeing them against aggrea-
point, however.
tional In those circumstances the Coroner These notices were in noisy individual was dealt with that precantion.
papers-should take careful note of prominent places 1-We had one on promptly by the management.
To witúers, the Coroner said the every floor opposite the lift. -
There was a wooden notice on the jury wished to thank him for the Mr. King: Have you any com-landings pointing the direction of very cless way in which he had plaint with regard to delay in the the fire escapes, witness said, but given evidence.
in which it was only written in English.
The inquiry was adjourned until (Continued on next, Column), 12.15 p.m. on Monday next,
14
sion on the part of any power, drill Bürposes Yes, but it would was not absolutely certain on this a noisy drunk” was not 'excep representatives of the Chinese news
Mr. Smith has been informed by muay Army and Navy Oficials that Manila and the Islands can not be defended successfully by the United "States forces against an eggressivé first class power for more than a fortnight
not be possible to turn on the water
Could you not Have drilled the boys by blowing a whistle-Yer: Had that ever been done No. If had fot occurred to you1-No. Had you ever explained the use of the appliances It was explain-
ed when it was put in.
よろ
arrival of the fire brigade 1
Mr. Witchell None at all.
I.
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