:
In John Bewire & Pens
12
June /02
us cals
i
POLICE COURT.
Monday, 5th May.
POLE MR. F. A. HAZELAND (POLICE
JUN 1902
THE
14 KAIFONG STOWAWAYS.
e hundred and thirty four coolies were ed with surreptitiously obtaining passages at by the steamer Kaifong on the fifth of menth. As reported in the Manila papers
e it appeared as though the entire
unearthed through the Mo
sole
7 of the Customs authorities at Cebu.
were made in the Manila remarks serarding the improbability of their got- on board without the knowledge of the is officers and crew; but from the proceed. before his Worship yesterday it has beeu shed that the men were not discovered by Cebu authorities, but by the officers of the ong themselves during the voyage hence to , where on arrival the steamer was placed fer a bond of $70,000 gold to return stowaways to Hongkong, & bond that has been discharged. As to the complicity of crew in the affair, that has to a certain es- been verified by the arrest nuder a warrant the No. 1 compradore of the ship and the ire Chinese crew of 91 natives, who will be ught up and probably charged to-day; the stant ship's comp adore is also nuder arrest. As was only to be expected, the task of look- after so many prisoners was no light one, but e police anthorities made all arrangements the case, and cessary to meet the exigencies
whole 134 prisoners were lodged in cells at Central, nearly a score to each coll, without
terwards
.oored off
o slightest hitch or semblance of trouble. The Kaifong arrived in harbour about son cock on Snaday morning, and was boarded Inspector Riley, of the Water Police, who fought with him a tug towing a lichter for reception of the stowaways. These were miely disembarked and taken to simshatsni tation, where they were charged an aken back to the lighter, which was bowharf at Tsimshatsni. An armguard of ndiaus had been sent from the Cutral, and these patrolled the lighter all night; in addi- fios, à boat belonging to the Water Police arced the lighter repeatedly during the night to prevent any attempt at escape. In the morn- ng the defendants were conveyed across the Barbour to Bank Wharf, at the foot of Fothin ger Street, and, still carefully guarded, marched to the Central Police Station and ultimately placed in the dock.
Mr. J. Hays, who represented the owners of the Kaifong, Messrs. Butterfield & Swire, said the case was very similar to one which was be fore his Worship last week. The facts were, briefly, that the steamship Kaifong, under com- wand of Captain Pennefather, left Hongkong, On the on 5th April last, bound for Cebu. night before leaving Hongkong, the captain gare the order that no sampans or strange beats were to be permitted alongside, an that no Chinese were to be allowed to come on board. Inquiries were mad- next morning as to whe- ther this order had been attended to, and the reply was in the affirmative. Prior to leaving Hongkong the ship was searched, but nothing was sex to oxcite suspicion. An officer reported that he saw some men who did not belong to the crew, and they were found to be "friends" of some of the native members of the crew. They were, towever, ordered off the ship straight away, and rent ashore in sampaus. The new process of disinfection was then gone through and the ship was visited by the Medical Officer of Health for the Port. The ship left at 2.30 p.m., the cap- tain and officers being absolutely ignorant of any others than the passengers and the usual crew being on board. Next day. the captain had occasion to examine one of the water tanks, and found some of the stowaways. Mr. Hays submitted to the Court a plan showing where the various cargo was stored for Manila and Ceba, and also where the different batelies of stowaways Here fonud. His Worship, he said, would see from it that the Stowaways were in such positions that it would be imp ssible from the asual search of the ship and without shifting the cargo to otion them nutil they had been at sea for some time. The first batch was found by the water tank forward. Some more were found between. decke, and the last batch was found in rutber bad condition after the ship had anchored at Cebu. The current of air caused by the ship's motion had ceased, and it was on account of their putting their heads through the port-holes to get air that they were noticed and the dis- severy of the cargo of stowaways completed.
Captain Pennefather was called sud stated in evidence that the Kajong lett Hongkong at - 2.30 p.m. on 5th April last for Cebu, whither she carried a general cargo and twenty saloon 1 passengers.
Before the vessel left the harbour the customary search was made, and stowaways were found on board in the bolds; they were sent ashore iu sampans. The vessel was searched | again after that, in all three times before she ally sailed. Witness on the following day heard voices coming from between decks, and on a search being made three men wers dis- covered. As the result of farther searches 29 coolies were found in the coal-bunkers on the 9th, 22 on the 10th, 47 on the 11th, and 43 on the 12th. The vessel was not under charter on that voyage, and the defendants were on board without permission.
This concluded Captain Pennefather's evidence, and his Worship remasked that there was no need for corroboration, as he was satis- fiod the defendants had stowed themselves on board the steamer without permission.
The statements of the defetidouts were then taken, the process occupying the grader port of an hour. These statements were coined to two forms--I went on by mistake and I have nothing to say." When his Wor-hip had reached the 108th defendaut, Mr. E J. Grist arrived and said that he had just previously been instructed to appear for the defendants.
An adjournment of a quarter of au hear was made to allow Mr Grist to interview his clients, and on the Court resuming he pointed out to his Worship that the defendants were not the real culprits, and iustauced a case which esine up recently when the defe ulants asserted that they had been put on board by someone,
His Worship-Yes, they had an opportunity of disclosing the firm on that occasion, but re- fused to do so, and I inflicted a heavy punish- ment on that account.
Mr. Grist-As far as I undertand from what I have been able to learn from the defendants, the person who engineered the affair was a I barber. The defendants are collected from different d stricts in the country and are here. SU that it is vot brought down
one firm well, it is one firm really, but there are several individuals concerned, and the thing would be to find these people. Those of the defendants to whom I have been able to talk say they are not in a position to find those persous bere, but that they might come across them in the country.
His Worship-Most of the defendants are Pobkien people?
Mr. Grist-All except six, and they are Puuti with practically no intelligence. The Fohkien have no intelligence at all; they are mere animals, and although they are sinners they are not the real siuuers in the case.
His Worship-Yes, but as I say, in the last_). statement with case the defendants made a referencs to a certain firm. and at the last moment refused to assist the police in any way by disclosing the name, and of course I inflicted a very heavy penalty-I think $250-because of that refusal.
Mr. Hays pressel for an exemplary sentence, as the responsibility on the captain of a ship was a very heavy one, and the defendants could not have been entirely ignorant of what they were doing.
His Worship-I am quite certain they knew. They always give the stock defence that they got on board the steamer by mistake.
Mr. Grist-It very possible that some of them do know, but at the same time I have not the smallest doubt in the world that to punish thera very heavily will not put a stop to the
tradhte.
His Worship-I fine each defendant $150, or two months hard labour.
orer
The fines aggregate
two thousand pounds. Amongst the defendants' belongings was a basket containing over two hundred silver dollars, part of $400 which was sent on board to them at Cebu. This latter fact seeme to point to the existence of an organised and extensive agency for the prosecution of this form of slaveryD JUN 1902.
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