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The document was put in his hands and if he did not choose
to examine it he has himself to blame.
But in any case it was put in evidence at
the trial of Witchell who was defended by the very barrister
who, as I am informed,has acted as Petitioner's legal adviser
since, and who no doubt either drew or assisted in drawing
his Petition.
It was of vital importance to Witchell that
the list should be proved a bogus one, and it was no doubt in
the hope of so proving it that Witchell's Counsel was so
ill advised as to do the very thing that the prosecution
dared not even hope he would do, namely, to demand the pro-
duction of the list.
When it was produced it was handed over to the
defence by whom it was of course carefully and closely scru-
tinised.
With what result?
They could only fix on four items in which
they thought to detect incorrectness. One was the entry "Ho
Kai" to which I have referred above, the other was an entry
"Government House 30 cents" which Sham In said meant a pay
ment to the Chinese Constables doing duty there, adding naive-
ly that if the Court wanted corroboration they could send
for one of the constables and question him.
The other two referred to the two European
Officers Nos. 89 & 91 who it was pointed out had not been
stationed