458
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the balance ($150) Mr Caldwell was to receive the rents from I told him that I had not paid all the purchase-money or the tenants for three months, which would amount to $150. property bought from Woods; I told Assow that Mr Cald I remember 15 more (houses) of Mr Caldwell's were well had written to me to come back from Macao, and he put up at auction, and was present at the auction. Mr would transfer the leases. When I came back Mr Caldwell Woods bought all, I bought all from Mr Woods; I do not said that I must wait a little as he, Mr Caldwell, was busy know now many lots there were-I agreed to pay Mr Woods I told Assow I had a fear that the creditors of Mr Caldwell $3,000 for them. Mr Caldwell negociated the purchase. I might get back the lots and sell them. This happened abou paid him $2,000 first in sums of $1,000 each, leaving a the middle of last month, (May.) I have pressed Mr Caldwell balance of $1,000, and I got Mr Caldwell to get back $500 to complete the transfer. Mr Caldwell told me that the of the last payment, so that $1,500 should remain on interest. perty had been mortgaged, and not that he had not got back The first 10 houses mentioned in these transactions were the papers; but Mr Caldwell had never refused to complete bought about May of last year, 4 houses about August, the transfer, and the 15 from Mr Woods were in November. When Although Mr Caldwell still owed me $2,000, I was able I bought the first 10 houses, I got a document (a bill of to get the money to pay the sums of $2,200, and $150 for sale) from Mr Caldwell, but did not get the new lease. I told the different lots from my relations. The $1,500 was not due Mr Caldwell that I did not understand the business, and wished till November, by which time Messrs Siemssen & Co. hadi the matter put into a Lawyer's hands. Mr Stace was employ-paid me $1,900, on account of Mr Caldwell's estate. I do ed. The bill of sale was in Chinese. All the transactions were
not know the names of the tenants of the houses.
pro
I
I
Of the 15 houses bought from Mr Woods my brother Ah Chew receives the rents.
on my own.account. The old leases are at my house. know a woman called Chew Alai; she lives at Macao. gave her 3 of the houses out of the lot of 10. She did not pay me anything. I gave them to her; she is my concubine, and I wanted to settle these houses on her. I did not give Mr Stace any instructions, but left Mr Caldwell to do so, that the 10 and 4 houses might be transferred in the usual way. I wanted the 3 houses transferred to Chew Alai, if it could be done as I wished, and if not, no matter. The old leases were given to Mr Stace, but I hold some older ones. I did not give the bill of sale to Mr Stace as it was in Chinese, and Mr Caldwell said that he would give an English one. I know Mak Afook; he collects rents for me.
With reference
to
them.
of the 10 houses, he gives me $30 a-month rent for As to the 4, Mak Afook has nothing to do with them; Szekai collects the rent on them, he pays me $50 for them per month.
I was absent from Hongkong at China New Year (Feb- ruary last), and went to my own country. Before I left I *told Szekai to pay the ground-rent; I told him he was to ask the old master about the payment; I meant Mr Caldwell. Since the 11th month (December) of last year I have been in possession of the houses, and have not paid Mr Caldwell anything. I pay the interest to Mr Woods. I do not owe Mr Caldwell anything for these houses. There is no arrange- ment by which I am to pay Mr Caldwell on account of rents on these houses, Mr Caldwell has not the slightest interest in any of the houses.
Re-examined, I had no security for the $2,000 lent to Mr Caldwell. I had an acknowledgment in English writing, stating that the interest was $25 per mille per month. I had no receipt for the $1,500 lent on account of my friend. Achoy-eu, a person in Califormia, was the friend whose money I lent; he told me, if I had a suitable opportunity, to buy opium; as I found none, I lent the money at call, and therefore there was to be no interest. I know Assow the road surveyor, but never told him that I was a poor man
The three houses given to Chew Alai were not to be given to herself for ever, but only so long as she behaved well. was not to get the rent for them. When I bought them they were shops, not brothels. They are not brothels now.
I do not know Chun Atsoo, I do not know that Mr Caldwell knows Chew Alai, but I have mentioned her name to him.
By Chairman,The old lease papers are at my house-3 or 4. Mr Lyons has seen them.
[The witness was told to bring these papers to-morrow morning.]
LEE AH WA,-Called and examined.
Brothel keeper, No. 79, No. of house 517. Rents up stairs from Lum-Ateen. Yeep Ayung rents the house from A- chew. Since 22d December, I have paid rent at the rate of $15 per month to Achew, the brother of Lum Atecn; I have always paid him the rent. I have never seen Mr Cald- well before my husband got the license for me. I do noti know Mr Lyons-have seen him twice. Did not tell him that the house was Caldwell's. Some repairs had beep effected to the house in the cook-house; I told Achew to.. get it done for me, and he assented. Pay rent in advance; get no receipt.
YEEP AYUNG,-Called and examined.
Brothel keeper, No. 9. I have a ticket belonging to s different house to the one I reside in, having been burnt out. My present house is No 517 (lot 206), I have only occupied the house for a week.
CHOU AH CHEE,-Called and examined.
Brothel keeper No. 48, House No. 515 Lot 241 B. I have a rent book, but have not brought it; it has Yee Wo fook's name in it as landlord. Can't read. Pay $16 per
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LOW AH FONG,-Recalled,-
month to Yee Wo-fook; do not know if he acts as agent, never asked him. No repairs have been done to the house I did see both Mr Lyons and the Lookong yesterday; hately; know Mr Caldwell as Registrar of Brothels,never they asked me what I was doing; I said I was sewing. Asked saw him at the house. Do not know Lum Ateen. Have me what the men resident in the house did; I said they lived in the house since 28th December last. The property worked, sold vegetables, &c. I never said that Mr Caldwell
was owner of the house. never belonged to me. foo keeps it. I had heard of my own house before I went to Adjourned to 12 Noon, on the 2d. live at it. The front of my house is wood, not brick. There is a man keeps a Rice shop next door; his name is Ah-leen.
There is a brothel next door-Kum-
Brothel keeper-have
FOURTH DAY,
Wednesday, 2d June, 1858, at 12 Noon.
Present,-All the Members.
MAK AFOOK.-Called and examined.
I have been agent in collecting rents for several individ-
LRE AH HO-Called and examined. House 518, lot 206, brothel 77. kept the house 2 months-have no rent book. Pay $20 per month-took the house from Achew. Pay him the rent-do not know if he is an agent. Some repairs were effected by Achew after the fire. Do not know Lum-uals-Machin Tsing, Leung Ashing, and formerly Mr Ateen-know Mr Caldwell-have seen him pass by; he has Caldwell. I acted as agent for Mr Caldwell up till the 17th
I do not know December last, commencing from the 2d July, 1856. never been inside the house while I had it. that he is the owner.
do not know the lots, but I only collected for 22 houses for Mr Caldwell.
HO AH MOEY,-Called and examied. House 519, brothel 76, lot 206. Brothel keeper-I have lived there since 19th December last year; took the house from Lum Ah-teen at $24 per month rent-pay rent to Lum Ateen. Pay it at Lum Ateen's house to Achew or to Assow (Road Overseer). Have no rent book or receipt. Some repairs were effected after the fire. Ah Chu and Assow got them done. I recognise Mr Caldwell,-have seldom seen him-have seen him inspecting streets; he has never inspected my house-do not know if he owns my
house.
LOW AH FONG,-Called and examined.
Have no license; live in the upper part of house 520, lot 206-am not a brothel keeper; rent the upper story-do not know who rents the lower part. Have lived there since December. The lower tenants are new arrivals. Sell fruit and vegetables. Pay $6 a-month rent. The agents collect the rent at my house,-Achew is the collector. Do not know whether it is his house or not. Have heard of Mr Caldwell-do not know him; have never seen him before. Have seen Mr Lyons about my neighbourhood taking notes. Have had no conversation with him yesterday, nor through an interpreter. Did not tell a lookong that Mr Caldwell was the owner of my house.
I
[Witness produces a book in which are entered payments made to Mr Caldwell, and another of payments to Lum Ateen.]
I have a book of rents collected from the tenants.
I collected rents for Mr Caldwell on 22 houses by contract, paying him $85 per month-and I collected rent on 3 houses, paying him the same direct. One was $25, one was $22, and one was $20. At the time when I was collecting there were From the 17th December, no brothels, but there is one now.
I have known
I have continued to collect the rents of 10 of the houses as agent for Lum Ateen; for eight of them I contract to pay $55, and the rents of the other two are $20 and 822, as already stated, which is paid to Lum Ateen. Lum Ateen collects the rent of the other twelve through his own men. I know that Lum Ateen bought the 10 houses from Mr Cald=" well. I know that the fifteen houses were sold at auction to Mr Woods. I am certain that I contract for eight of the I do not know Chew Alai, houses, and pay $55 for them. but have heard her name. I have contracted for the eight houses from the 17th December. Seven of the houses are. taken at $30 a month, and one at $25. I do not pay the Ground-rent; I believe Lum Ateen does. Lum Ateen only since last year, when I commenced collect- ing rents for him; before that time I had seen him, but had had no dealings with him. In the 9th moon of last year, Caldwell told me that he was going to keep back one house as a hospital, and in the 10th moon that I was to collect Was at Low-ah-fong's house yesterday when he was with all the rents, as he would no longer own them in the 11th Mr Lyons. I asked her the Number of her house and to moon. Mr Caldwell said that some person wanted the house whom did she paid house rent; some said house rent was for a hospital. When Mr Caldwell told me about the paid to Lum Ateen, some to chew, some to Cheong Assow, house which was to be occupied as a hospital, I understood sone to Lai Sze-kai; some said they paid rent to Sam-kwei-- that I was no longer to collect the rent of it. It was Mr Mr Caldwell; Low-ah-fong said that she paid rent to Mr Caldwell who, in the beginning, appointed me to collect the Caldwell; several people said that they paid it to Mr Cald-rents. On the 17th December, Mr Caldwell said he would well, but I only recollect this woman.
AH HEEM, Lookong,-Called and examined.
Mr
recommend me to Lum Ateen, who would perhaps employ me
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