CONFIDENTIAL.
Hongkong.
bot
C. C.
451
Government House, 20 JUL 03)
Hongkong, 18th. June, 1903.
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sir,
C
20910
With reference to my Confidential Despatch
of 30th. April last, I have the honour to transmit a copy of
a Memorandum giving an epitome of the information and evidence
in the possession of this Government. There is reason to believe
that Hung Tsun Kwei was a prominent member of the conspiracy
of which the Chinese Authorities received the first intimation
from this Government. This man left Hongkong on the 31st.
March. A reward had been offered for his capture, dead or
alive, and for the purpose of obtaining this reward a Cantonese
bad character named Cheung Cho Ting appears to have conceived
the crime of enticing to Hongkong a friend in Canton, who
bore a likeness to Hung Tsun Kwei the conspirator, and then
murdering him and returning the body to Canton as that of
Hung Tsun Kwel and claiming the reward. The Memorandum shows
the manner in which this scheme was carried out.
2.
The action of the Chinese Gunboat leaves
no doubt that by some authority the Gunboat. was engaged on the
service of conveying a kidnapped prisoner, or a murdered body
from Hongkong, and the observation of the Viceroy's Secretary
to the Consul-General at Canton would seem to show the direct
complicity
THE RIGHT HONOURABLE
JOSEPH CHAMBERLAIN, M.P.,
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80.1
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