469
( 34 )
actually missing, I had got information that they were being bought off. I was asked to interfere, but found I was power- less. I can produce witnesses to shew the connection between Ma-chow Wong and Po Pak Shing's boat and family, and a witness to prove that the witnesses for the prosecution were bribed not to appear; I can also produce witnesses to shew that Po Pak Shing is a notorious pirate, and I think the Com- mission can get evidence as to Shan-tung Wei's connection with Ma-chow Wong.
sations, for actions and incidents of his early life, had refer- were again taken into custody upon the charge of a China- ence to the opinions entertained and expressed against him man, and appeared at the Police Court before the Justices by Sir George Bonham, the then Governor, and who had sitting for the Stipendiary Magistrate. I do know positively known Mr Caldwell at Singapore, and by the then Chief Ma-that certain of the crew, Po Pak Shing, who was one of the gistrate, Mr Hillier, It occurred that Mr Caldwell made me first prisoners also, were apprehended on a charge made by acquainted with circumstances which I otherwise should not a Portuguese, who positively identified Po Pak Shing as a have known, viz: that he, Mr Caldwell, had led a very wild pirate chief, and the others as pirates. That charge was life when at Singapore, that he was an outcast from his family investigated by the Chief Magistrate. Several witnesses were there, and that he had fled from Singapore to China; that examined, and it appeared a prima facie case of piracy. before entering into the Government service he had had After several remands the witnesses for the prosecution were command of a boat manned by Chinese, employed in smug-suddenly found to be wanting. Previously to their being gling opium to Whampoa or Canton; that he earned money freely, and spent it as freely amongst the women at Canton, so much so that he acquired from them the name of Shang-kwei, which he told me meant "teazing devil.” The feeling held against him by Mr Hillier was caused, as he imagined, by his having had connection with several Chinese women at the same time. The only other part bearing on charge No. 3 is his strict intimacy with Ma-chow Wong, from that inti- macy leading him blindly into what may be assumed as a knowledge of other pirates. I wish to refer the Commission to my letter of the 20th July, 1857, written after the trial of Eli Boggs, as to the impression on my mind on this sub- About the 15th July 1857, whep I was Acting Assistant ject.
At the time Mr Caldwell told me the above, I was in Magistrate, I met Mr Grand-Pré, who was Acting Superinten- the position of his defender against those who accused him.dent of Police. He told me with an air of satisfaction, that he had a charge against Ma-chow Wong. He mentioned the incidents of the case which appeared to amount to a charge of confederation with pirates, and asked my advice. I told him that as the case appeared a good one, it was his duty to seize Ma-chow Wong's shops, and take Ma-chow Wong inte custody immediately. He said he had made a diligent search for Ma-chow Wong, but could not find him. I re- commended him to take personal interest in the matter, and indicated where I thought he could get information. He seemed equally anxious as I was to do all that was possible to apprehend him, and I left the case in his hands. The following morning I learned from Inspector Jarman, that he had apprehended Ma-chow Wong, having met him at 10 o'clock that morning. I also learned from Mr Jarman, con- firmed by Mr Grand-Pré himself, that he, the prisoner Ma- chow Wong, had been in Mr Grand-Pré's house the preced-
With reference to charge 4, I can only speak from repute and general information.
I now state, as I did in my letter of 20th July, 1857, that from my knowledge of Ma-chow Wong, for many years, he became, owing to his intimacy with Mr Caldwell, of great power and influence in the Colony, that he exer- cised this power and influence especially in cases of piracy, that he became in fact almost an arbiter of the fate of those pirates who fell into the hands of the Police. He was the acknowledged head of the Sunon men or clan in this Colony, he had control over the class of fishermen who were mostly Subon people, he payed a nominal sum for the lessee-ship of the Central Market, and he had directly under his personal control, the funds of the Sunon people, derived principally from landed property on Marine lot 16 in the Lower Bazaar. I believe from information I received, which information is contained in the letter of the 20th July, that Ma-chow Wong was in intimate connection with several well-known pirate chiefs, named Looka, Po Pak Shing, Shan-tung Wei, Tai-fai-ing night, subsequent to the time he had promised me to de woot, Momee-ma, and others. In January, 1857, two large and heavily-armed boats were pointed out to the Police by the then self-constituted local patriot. These boats were lying off the central part of the town, and were seized by the Police upon the information aforementioned. From what Mr Grand-Pré told me, and from my recollection of the events at the time,-I was then Acting Assistant Magistrate, --Mr Mercer directed Mr Grand-Pré to refer to Mr Caldwell as to the character of the boats. Mr Caldwell went with Mred on that day, and many books and papers were seized and Grand-Pré on board the boats, and because Mr Caldwell positively expressed his belief from examination of the books and crew that they were reputable traders, the boats were From my recollection I believe that the prisoners
released.
all in his power to apprehend him. That fact also forms portion of the letter of 20th July. The prisoner, Ma-chow Wong, appeared at the Police Court on the 16th or 17th, and was admitted to bail, Mr Caldwell appearing in the Court, and interfering in the case in the prisoner's favour. On the 18th of July, information was given to me upon oath, which led to my issuing a warrant for the apprehension of Ma-chow Wong, and search of his shops. The prisoner was apprehend-
On the 19th, or
brought to the Central Police Station. early on the morning of the 20th, some of these papers were examined by Tong Akü, the interpreter at the Court, in presence of Inspector Jarman, and I jotted down, in the shape
⚫ ( 35 )
of memoranda, matters as read to me by Tong Aku, which exhibited to me the bad character of Ma-chow Wong
TWELFTH DAY.
Friday, 18th June, at 12 o'clock Noon.
Present,-All the Members.
CHARLES MAY,—Recalled.
Some few days before the examination, which lasted ten
I did leave them
two after, and I then said that
VI
and during the progress of the case as the Books were gone through, the memoranda increased, until I had about five In my letter of 20th July, I advert to pages of foolscap. some of the particulars which are also contained in the me-
There were two cases before the Court-one or a dozen days, concluded, I told the Chief Magistrate moranda. taken exclusively by the Chief Magistrate, and the one which that I had those memoranda, and although not referring I initiated myself by the issue of the warrant, and in which or relevant to the two cases before the Court, that I I sat with the Chief Magistrate in the conduct of the in- would place them in his hands, so that he might be acquaint- quiry. On the 18th July, after the information had been led with the matters therein stated. given, and the warrants issued, I went to the Acting Colo-in his hands, and the Chief Magistrate returned the memo- nial Secretary, and exhibited to him the sworn information. randa to me a morning or I mentioned that the deponent was in extreme terror, but I should like to ask him whether it would be necessary for I had got the information from him, and that I believed itme to place the documents in the hands of the Government. would be very difficult to induce the witnesses to come for- I said, "They are not in any way connected with the two I have a special reason for not sending them, unless ward and give evidence in the case; that I new that Mr cases Caldwell's presence in the Court on the previous inquiry you think it absolutely necessary, because several of them The Chief Magistrate before the Chief Magistrate had been prejudicial to the bear reference to Mr Caldwell." interests of justice, and that seeing the importance of the said that it was difficult to decide, but I judged from what case, and the well known intimacy existing between the he said that he thought there was no such necessity. prisoner and Mr Caldwell, that it was only proper he should The cases were concluded at the Police Court, and the I think not appear
in Court. The Acting Colonial Secretary assented prisoners were committed for trial in both cases. to this, and said he would intimate as much to Mr Caldwell the 1st or 2d day of the proceedings at the Police This was on the 18th. On the morning of the 20th, about Court, the Attorney in the case Mr Stace-applied to the 9 o'clock, I received a note from the Acting Colonial Se-Chief Magistrate and myself for permission to see all the cretary to the, effect, that he thought it was advisable under papers and books in possession of the Police, not at that time all circumstances that the inquiry into the Ma-chow Wong produced in Court, including those from which the memoranda case should be conducted by the Chief Magistrate. Before I had been taken. This was granted, and a time appointed answered the note the Acting Colonial Secretary came to for Mr Stace to be at the Police Station with an Interpreter the Central Police Station, and I spoke to him on the subject to make the examination. of the note. I told him that I could not agree with him as made, for in returning that day from the Police Court, to the advisability of my not taking an interest in the matter, I saw Mr Stace, Mr Caldwell, and an Interpreter, sitting in a because the Chief Magistrate had but newly arrived, and there small office at the Central Police Station, with the books and was no officer of police willing and capable of conducting it. papers before them. Inspector Jarman was the custodian. I instanced the incident as previously mentioned regarding The examination was not concluded the first day, and another Mr Grand-Pre, and told him that I must insist upon going on day was appointed. The following day, before the second exa- with the case as I had commenced it, that I was reluctant to mination, upon going to the Police Court, I found some books. differ from him, and that if he thought it was a suitable plan, and some papers--the latter in Mr Caldwell's hand-writing-- would sit with the Chief Magistrate. From what the which I directed to be sent down to the Police Station After the cases were committed Acting Colonial Secretary said, I knew that Mr Caldwell had imbued him with the idea, that it would be better I should not conduct the inquiry, having an antipathy to the prisoner.
was angry at the ridiculous idea, that I should be influenced gentleman in reference to the cases committed, and I exhi- by my presumed antipathy to the prisoner, and said that I bited and read over to him, the memoranda that I have *had, from a long knowledge of the prisoner, a great dislike to referred to. Previous to the trial of the prisoner, I was acci him, and it was because of my knowledge of him I was so dentally going out late from the Central Police Station, when desirous to see the inquiry properly carried out, and that if saw the Acting Colonial Secretary, and the Acting Superin- did not exhibit personal interest in the matter, it would be tendent of Police, in conversation; the latter spoke to me tantamount to the liberation of the prisoner.
immediately I advanced towards him, and said, "the Acting Colonial Secretary has directed me to deliver over the shops of Ma-chow Wong." I then spoke to the Acting Colonial Secretary, and urged that there should be no difference in this case from preceding similar cases, and I urged that the shops should not be given up, as it would have a dangerous
Postponed till to-morrow at 12.
J
for the second examination.
I know that the examination was
for trial, and the deposition had reached the then Acting Attorney General, I had one or two conferences with that
I
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