C. O.
34757832
IREC AREG(18 SEP 03)
To The Right Honourable M. Joseph
1.
Chamberlain M. P. His Majesty's Principal
Secretary of State for the Colonies.
September 16th 1903
The Petition of John Welt of 30 Hilton Street
Bury in the county of Lancashire formerly
Sergeant in the Police Force in Hong Kong
Respectfully sheweth
1. Your Petitioner had the honour of addressing a representation to you in July 1899 respecting dismissal in 1897 from the Hong Kong Police Force, with loss of Pension to which he was then entitled, for alleged misconduct in connection with gambling.
2. Your Petitioner then prayed for a reconsideration of his case, on the ground that he was innocent of the offence of which he was accused, and that instead of having been granted a fair trial, by an independent tribunal equivalent to a Watch Committee in this Country,
3. At that time he was tried in private in Victoria Gaol by The Honourable F. H. May, Captain and Superintendent of Police, who was both his accuser and judge.
At the trial, the evidence against him consisted of the fact that his number appeared on a hat alleged to be worn by one of the persons in receipt of bribes from gamblers, and the statements of a Chinese Constable whose retention in the Police Force depended on his giving criminative evidence against your Petitioner and other officers, and that of a prisoner influenced by Mr. May, who in his capacity of Superintendent of the Gaol, had already put him on light labour and subsequently procured his early release.
Your Petitioner's humble request for a pension contained in the aforesaid representation was refused in consequence of a statement to the effect that he had...