the day of.............
1st of December 18
189
Enclosure
Lot[ter?]
In the Police Court at Victoria in the Colony of Hongkong.
HONGKONG Minutes of Proceedings.
TO WIT.
Tuesday
Complainant: J Witchell
J. Hely Zuspx of
Defendant:
William Frölich
Charge: As on the other side
sir.
197
14755
Rece[ived] 13 | 12 | 96/
Hong Kong 13th. December 1895.
Defendant absent.
Job Witchell sworn :-
I am Inspector of Police.
I served a Summons by leaving it on board H.M.S. "Freya". I handed it to Capt. [illegible] himself who said he would give it to defendant on his return to ship.
Warrant to issue.
On the 9th. instant two Engineers of H.M.S."Irene" were summoned to appear on the 10th. instant at the Police Court before the Magistrate to answer to the charge of having trespassed upon land under the control of the Military Authorities. These summonses were served upon the said Engineers by a constable delivering the same to them personally on board the said ship without the permission of her commander.
Admiral Hoffmann, commanding H.I.G.M.Squadron, requests me to inform the Magistrate through your kind intermediation of the reason why he is prevented from allowing the said Engineers to obey these summonses viz:- the German law which prohibits the German Authorities from delivering German subjects for trial and punishment to a foreign Government.
At the same time the Admiral, as possessor of the right of judicature over the officers and the crew of the German man-of-war in East Asia, declares himself quite willing to try the present cases against the two Engineers in question, and any future cases brought against Germans belonging to the German man-of-war. If he, the Admiral, or in his absence the chief commander of H.I.G.M.Ships in harbour be requested by the Magistrate to do so.